Say Yes Buffalo/Fair Futures Coach

The Say Yes Buffalo/Fair Futures Coach will support youth starting in grade 7- age 21, who are currently in foster care, recently returned home from foster care, recently adopted from foster care or in an official kinship placement. The Coach will be matched with a young person to help them reach their academic, career, housing, and independent living goals.

Coach Responsibilities:

Adhere to program tenets, regulatory standards, agency policies and procedures including, but not limited to, Employee Policy & Procedures, Confidentiality, Safety, Home Visiting Reimbursement Procedures, Transportation Policies and Procedures, Council on Accreditation Standards and Corporate Compliance Policies.

• Build relationships with up to 15 young people. Coaches typically meet young people in the community and engage them in fun activities, whenever possible. Coaches employ creative, out-of-the box approaches to engaging youth and do not give up if they are not responsive.
• Provide weekly, ongoing social/emotional support.
• Build relationships and collaborate with the key adults in the young person’s life to support their goals and well-being, including their foster care agency (e.g., Case Planners), foster parents, Say YES school/program staff, and other significant adult figures.
• Help young people explore their interests and expose them to opportunities in line with their interests in Erie County.
• Work 1:1 with young people to develop individualized academic and career development goals based on their interests/strengths and take measurable steps towards their goals;
• Connect young people to quality schools, programs, resources, and opportunities in line with their goals, including services offered through Say YES, the Youth Employment Coalition’s Career Hub, and that young person’s foster care agency.
• Help young people persist in academic/career settings, navigate any challenges that arise, celebrate successes, and plan/prepare for the next step on their journey.
• Should a youth not be successful in any particular school/program, Coaches help young people reflect on the experience and work with them to transition to the next opportunity.
• Use an online platform each week track contacts, young people’s goals, steps taken towards goals, and other key data.
• Connect young people to peer group supports and build positive relationships.
• Work with the young person’s foster care agency to ensure those who are aging of care can access and maintain stable, affordable housing and build independent living skills.
• Responsibility working within a school building and/or community location to recruit and support youth needs and referrals.
• Utilize e-record and database systems, including Care4, Salesforce, and NYS CONNECTIONS to coach/monitor individual and team compliance with SYB, BPS, and ECDSS program standards, allocated responsibilities, and outcomes/outputs expectations.
• Identify, develop, and strengthen collaborative relationships with pertinent community organizations/service providers, parishes and funding stakeholders, including Buffalo Public Schools Administrators, Youth Employment Coalition, and Foster Care agencies.

QUALIFICATIONS

As helping young people enroll and persist in post-secondary settings is one of the goals of the Fair Futures model, it is important for Coaches to have a post-secondary credential. The Coach role is not an entry-level role; experience working with young people in a professional setting is required. Candidates should have either:

• A Bachelor’s degree with 4-5 years of experience working with young people, preferably youth in foster care

Or

• A Master’s degree with 2 years of experience working with young people, preferably youth in foster care

RELATIONAL SKILLS

• Ability to work from a strength-based, trauma-informed, youth development lens.
• A love for working with young people.
• Ability to relate to young people, engage them in conversation, and provide support.
• Ability to form collaborative, working relationships with parents/families, school and agency staff.
• Consistent and reliable.
• Ability to think outside the box and employ creative approaches.
• Values and promotes diversity.
• Carries a belief that change is possible.
• Able to maintain healthy boundaries.
• Able to remain calm during moments of tension and stress.
• Believe and practice Say Yes Racial Equity Statement, “Equity will be achieved when we can all just wake up and live freely; be valued and respected; live free from structural impediments based off of perceived racial characteristics; and, have fair representation and opportunity.”

TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong time-management, organizational skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to troubleshoot, advocate, and navigate obstacles where there is not always a clear-cut pathway.
• Open to learning how to use and interpret data to inform decision-making.
• Ability to collaborate in team settings and build relationships with external partners.
• Ability to use trauma-informed techniques.
• Knowledgeable about youth resources and services.
• Ability to facilitate peer groups.
• Flexible and can work independently.
• Valid NYS Driver’s License.