JOB TITLE: Youth Advocate - Learning Center
DEPARTMENT: Learning Center
BRS DESIGNATION: Social Service Staff
REPORTS TO: Learning Center Program Manager
Youth Progress seeks a proactive, collaborative, and organized youth advocate to join our team. The person in this position will be committed to providing high-quality services and coordinating care for our youth. Communication and organization are prime aspects of this position. Youth Advocates should be able to develop a strong rapport with their clients and organize their work tactfully and efficiently. Delivering the highest quality of advocating services along with appropriate mentoring and case management is also one of the primary duties of our Youth Advocate.
Job Responsibilities:
Case Management:

• Ensure consistent, well-coordinated care for clients by communicating clearly and routinely with internal and external personnel involved in clients’ cases, including foster parents, caseworkers, and/or parole and/or probation officers.
• Monitor the full spectrum of client treatment to ensure that the client’s physical, mental, and educational needs are being met.
• Leverage your organizational skills to manage your client schedules, activities, appointments, etc.
• Invest in clients’ ongoing success by documenting client needs, behaviors, and support plans. Ensure that required documentation is on time and meets state requirements.

Client Support:

• Provide weekly one-to-one sessions with clients and foster parents on your caseload and crisis support as needed.
• Model and support client development of social and emotional skills. Teach and practice independent living skills like financial literacy, time management, and communication.
• Create strong and trusting relationships with staff and clients. Set aside time to build rapport with clients.
• Be a cultural leader by maintaining a calm, positive, professional presence. Role-model problem-solving and conflict resolution throughout your work.
• Help client regulate their emotions proactively and identify when to provide additional support. Ensure clients' safety by providing supervision both on-site and in the community as required.

Staff Guidance & Support:

• Proactively support staff and foster parents by providing effective clinical input on client behavior management.
• Offer insights and guidance on client dynamics and interactions in the home and in the community.
• Care coordination with internal and external teams to ensure clients are supported effectively.

Documentation & Evaluation:

• Evaluate youth needs using psychological health assessments, behavioral reports, and in-person evaluations.
• Develop and revise service plans tailored to the clients on your caseload.
• Ensure that all treatment plans and clinical documentation meet program and state requirements.
• Complete required documentation & communication in real-time and efficiently maintain case management.
Communicate clearly and professionally.Assessment and Advocacy:

• Assessing the clients' home environments and conditions; document and report findings to clients’ internal and external teams
• Engage in mentoring activities and assess the client's progress toward the fulfillment of identified goals and objectives.
Develop resources for clients' special needs, such as school, alcohol and drug issues, recreation, and cultural interests.Compliance:

• Assisting in developing a treatment review meeting at least every 45 days for all assigned clients based on information gathered from daily logs, other YPA staff, and outside resources. These reviews will detail the client’s progress toward the completion of his or her Master Service Plan.
• Responsible for ensuring that client files are up to date and in proper order, including but not limited to BRS hours, counseling progress, job information, home visits, assistance with medication schedule, tracking sheets, etc.
Complete and monitor daily logs for each client in the program for a combined weekly minimum of 11 hours. Daily logs will consist of significant interactions with staff, peers, employers, and school personnel as well as special appointments and family/PO meetings, etc.Aftercare Planning:
Work with the treatment team to develop an aftercare support plan for clients who graduate from the program. If a client successfully transitions, Youth Advocates will also contact the youth consistently for 90 days to support the client’s transition into the community. Youth Advocate will document those contacts and the final status of the client.
Other Duties:
Support other program functions as assigned within the program and other programs within the organization.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required

• Must meet Social Service Staff Designation:
  • Bachelor’s degree with a major study in social work, psychology, sociology, or a closely allied field, and two years of experience in the care and rehabilitation of children;
• 1 years experience providing foster care and/or therapeutic foster care
• Must be results-oriented and have excellent written and oral communication skills
• Must have strong analytical skills and be well-organized
• Demonstrated experience in a team-based work environment
• Current driver’s license
Desired Expertise

• Integrity, positive attitude, self-directed, and dedicated to Youth Progress’ mission and commitment to working collaboratively with a team of staff, foster parents, DHS, and community partners.
• Ability to work both independently and contribute as part of a team player, and communicate effectively with peers, young people, foster parents, and other associates within a collegial yet demanding, work environment
• Ability to handle a variety of constituencies, manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and thrive in a complex environment with multiple priorities.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Fulltime, Hourly(some overtime as needed)
• Hours: Typically Monday through Friday
• Physical Demands: Work is performed in an office/school environment and requires operating standard office equipment and keyboards. Must have the ability to lift and small carry parcels, packages and other items, basic preparation and warming of school meals, to walk short distances, and drive a vehicle to deliver and pick up materials, transport youth and participate in program outings.
• Co-workers: Works closely with Learning Center BRS Service and Educational team members, including Program manager and staff, Foster parent, and other members of the Youth Progress programs
• Day to day: No two days are exactly alike. There is a great opportunity to build relationships, network, and connect with people throughout Youth Progress and the community.