What are the responsibilities and job description for the IHYC Street Outreach Advocate position at YSS?
YSS is looking for a motivated, detail oriented, approachable Street Outreach Advocate to join our Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) team! You will supervise, provide support, and establish rapport with young adults 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness, at risk of becoming homeless and/or recently housed. As an Advocate, you will ensure the safety and well-being of participants, while assisting them in meeting their basic needs and working towards stability.
Participant interactions may be in the YOC, community-based settings, emergency shelters, or schools. Interactions may also be in outdoor locations where young people may be, including on the streets of Des Moines, camping areas, abandoned houses, near railroad tracks, and other areas as identified. The goal is to ensure all basic needs of the participants are met, and that they are provided with a safe, welcoming environment in which to work towards stability. Additional responsibilities include:
- Supervise, support, and build positive rapport with program participants while maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment.
-
Deliver programming to help participants meet basic needs—such as food, transportation, clothing, and hygiene—by:
- Increasing awareness of community resources and available services.
- Assisting participants in accessing those resources and making appropriate referrals to shelter, healthcare, and victim services.
- Strengthening positive connections with peers, adults, and the community.
- Facilitating group sessions focused on crisis intervention, de-escalation, and basic life skills.
- Complete participant intakes and maintain accurate documentation in ServicePoint.
- Represent YSS in the community and share information about the Iowa Homeless Youth Centers and youth homelessness as needed.
This description is not a complete list of the responsibilities of this position. Duties may change at any time.
What you can expect in return.
We believe in your potential, we meet you where you are, and we invest in your future. Beyond meaningful, mission-driven work, YSS provides the following benefits:
- Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
- Supplemental accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance
- Accrued PTO, plus paid time off for holidays, your birthday, and volunteering
- Employee Assistance Program
- Pet insurance discounts
- PSLF Program qualification
- Recognition, training, and wellness programs
- Retirement saving options
This isn’t just a job - it’s a chance to be the spark in someone’s story. If you’re ready to inspire, connect, and lead with purpose, apply today and become part of something meaningful at YSS.
To create a world where youth are valued and empowered, we ask staff to embrace YSS core values - Commitment, Collaboration, Compassion, Innovation, Integrity, and a ”Can Do” Spirit. We also ask for the following:
MUST HAVES - Required Qualifications
-
Bachelor’s degree in social work or a related human services field.
- OR
- Three (3) years of experience working directly with homeless or at-risk youth.
-
This role involves travel, including transporting clients. To meet YSS insurance requirements, you must:
- Be at least 21 years old
- Hold a valid state-issued driver’s license
- Maintain a clean driving record
- Carry insurance that meets YSS coverage standards
SHOULD HAVES - Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrates a deep understanding of the needs and experiences of youth facing homelessness or housing instability, applying trauma-informed care and effective intervention strategies.
- Possesses strong knowledge of the Des Moines community and the ability to connect young people with appropriate resources and supports.
- Communicates with clarity and empathy—skilled in active listening, observation, speaking, and writing to effectively engage youth, colleagues, and community partners.
The IDEAL Candidate Will:
- Be mission-driven, with a commitment to equity, inclusion, and positive social impact.
- Approach their work with humility, respect, and sensitivity to diverse identities and lived experiences.
- Speak a second language (especially one spoken in our communities).
We celebrate the strength in your story.
Have you navigated recovery from addiction, mental health challenges, trauma, or housing instability? Your lived experience offers a unique, compassionate perspective that can inspire real change. By sharing your story and serving as a role model or mentor, you can make a meaningful impact in the lives of youth and families.
Your journey matters. If you’re ready to use it to uplift and empower others, we warmly encourage you to apply.
For those in recovery, we typically ask for two years of sobriety to ensure stability and readiness for leadership, though candidates with one year may be considered case by case.
Who we are (and why you’ll love us).
We’re YSS – one of Iowa’s oldest & largest nonprofits dedicated to putting kids first. Our mission? To spark hope, create opportunities, and help young people thrive. With life-changing programs, a passionate leadership team, and our brand-new 50-acre recovery campus, we’re growing fast and thinking big. Check us out at yss.org!
At YSS, we celebrate the unique backgrounds, identities, and experiences that each team member brings. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are dedicated to creating a respectful, inclusive, and empowering environment where everyone can grow and succeed. And we’re always working to do better, together.
YSS is a nicotine-free workplace.
Heads Up! Don’t Miss Our Messages! - We communicate with applicants via email – straight from our Paycom system. So be sure to keep an eye on your inbox (and maybe your spam/junk folder too). Got questions? Email yss@yss.org - we’re happy to help!
The YSS Hiring Process
- Apply – Fill out the online app at yss.org/ysscareers.
- Assessment – We’ll check out your skills and experience.
- Interview – Phone, video, or in-person – we’ll chat and get to know you.
- References – Send us three people who can sing your praises.
- Screening – Background and driving checks (plus license verification if needed).
- Offer – If it’s a match, you’ll get a formal offer through Paycom.
- Applicable Degrees: Addiction Counseling, Addiction Studies, Adolescent Psychology, Behavioral Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Child Psychology, Clinical Mental Health, Corrections, Counseling, Criminal Justice, Education, Family Science, Family Studies, Family Therapy, Human Services, Juvenile Justice, Juvenile Rehabilitation, Mental Health, Nursing, Psychology, Public Administration, Public Health, Rehabilitation Services, Social Work, Therapeutic Recreation, Youth Development, Youth Services
Keywords: Abuse, Addiction, Advocacy, Analysis, Assessment, At-risk, Behavioral, Care, Case, CBT, Centered, Client, Coach, Cognitive, Community, Coordination, Counseling, Crisis, Detox, Develop, Education, Engagement, Evaluation, Evidence-Based, Facilitation, Family, Flexibility, Group, Health, Holistic, Human, Individual, Informed, Inpatient, Intervention, Living, Management, Mental, Monitoring, Motivational, Outpatient, Outreach, Peer, Personalized, Planning, Plans, Prevention, Program, Psychiatry, Psychology, Recovery, Rehabilitation, Relapse, Services, Sober, Social, Specialist, Substance, Support, Technique, Therapeutic, Therapy, Trauma, Treatment, Use, Wellness