Care Coordinator – Project CHOICE

Orangewood Foundation•Santa Ana, CA

1h•Onsite

About The Position

The Orangewood Foundation, established in 1981, is dedicated to empowering young people facing foster care, homelessness, and trafficking by supporting their futures and helping them achieve their dreams. The foundation offers programs and services in Basic Needs & Support, Education, Life Skills & Employment, and Transitional Housing & Support, with a vision of a community where every young person thrives. Orangewood Foundation is committed to Equal Opportunity, Flexible Scheduling, Powerful Teamwork, Personal Fulfillment, a Thriving Community, Professional Development, and Mental & Physical Wellness, offering Competitive Compensation. The organization values Trust, Respect, Empathy, Inclusion, and Advocacy, and was recently ranked #27 in Best Places to Work 2025. The Project CHOICE program, funded by the Orange County Social Services Agency (OCSSA), provides engagement, assessment, and support to youth aged 11 to 21 who have been identified as commercially sexually exploited or at risk of exploitation. The Care Coordinator role involves supporting these youth in a drop-in center, assessing their immediate needs (safety, stability, housing, mental health, safety planning), managing the daily environment of the center, and coordinating services and workshops. The position requires a survivor-centered and trauma-informed approach, including monthly one-on-one meetings to create and update case plans, and assisting with outreach events. This role may involve high stress levels due to mitigating participant crises and potential exposure to vicarious trauma, emphasizing the importance of self-care and seeking support.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in human services, Sociology, Social Work, Education, Psychology, Criminal Justice, or related field.
One (1) year experience in direct or indirect service provision to CSEC youth, at-risk youth, youth with substance abuse addiction, and/or experiencing homelessness.
Completion of sixteen (16) hours of advanced CSEC training on Trauma- Informed care may be substituted for six (6) months of direct or indirect service experience.
OR Completion of eighteen (18) semester units or equivalent from an accredited college in psychology, counseling, sociology, social work, criminology, or other behavior related field.
Minimum of two (2) years of experience working in a human services field, with a minimum of one (1) year experience in direct or indirect service provision to CSEC youth, at-risk youth, youth with substance abuse addiction, and/or experiencing homelessness.
Completion of sixteen (16) hours of advanced CSEC training on Trauma-Informed care may be substituted for six (6) months of direct or indirect service experience.
Possess a strong understanding of adolescent and child abuse issues, human development, Trauma-Informed care, and the dynamics of sexual exploitation of children.
Proficiency in English is required.
Must be at least twenty-four (24) years of age per contract requirements.
High tolerance and respect for youth survival actions, while promoting harm reduction strategies.
Excellent listening and interpersonal skills and ability to establish rapport with CSEC and youth at-risk who may be difficult to engage within different community settings.
Available to work weekends and evenings, as needed.
Effective communication skills including writing, public speaking, and conflict resolution/mediation skills.
Highly adaptable, motivated, willing to learn, and able to work independently at times.
Continually develops self-knowledge of issues of CSEC/human trafficking laws and best practices.
Proficient in Microsoft Office applications; Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point.
Possess a valid California driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance.
Position requires DMV clearance.
Pre-employment screenings include criminal background check, FBI/DOJ fingerprinting, TB test, drug screen, and previous employment verification.
A Plum.io assessment is a required part of the application process.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual-Spanish is strongly preferred.
Applicants with lived experience in human trafficking, exploitation, and/or CSEC are invited to apply.
Understanding of and passion for the Foundation’s mission, vision, and values.
Enjoys working directly with youth, volunteers, community partners, etc.
Passion for and enjoys working directly with TAY population.

Responsibilities

Ensure the drop-in center provides a welcoming environment that supports and respects all young people regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Greet new young people into the Center, provide a tour, complete initial and on-going assessments.
Assess participants for basic needs and provide youth with clothing from the resource closet, groceries, and hygiene supplies.
Document participant enrollment in the program within Apricot in a timely manner.
Continually check in with young people who are in the Center, build rapport, use trauma informed approaches and creativity to encourage relationship building.
Assess for risk behaviors and needs while using stages of change and motivational interviewing to provide further coaching and support.
Create safety plans based on participant’s voice and choice.
Understand and be able to follow through on mandated reporting standards.
Support drop-in center as a whole by checking in young people at the front desk, picking up donations off site and supporting to prep and serve lunch and dinner.
Facilitate and participate in weekly workshops for young people to help teach coping skills, build self-esteem, and provide psycho-education on relevant topics.
Oversee/develop trauma-informed activities for young people and promote the center safety guidelines.
Be able to work as a team to communicate action plans during a crisis.
Use appropriate crisis intervention techniques to support young people in times of high need and stress.
Assess for participant and staff safety at all times.
Provide strength-based, survivor center care coordination services with a harm reduction, trauma informed care practice utilizing motivational interviewing.
Complete Freedom Life Map (FLM) Assessment with young people, helping the young people identify priorities and celebrate achievements.
Develop Care Plans with young people based on priorities set from FLM Assessment.
Collaborate with community and therapeutic partners to enhance the participant’s support team outside of Project CHOICE.
Provide Linkages and Referrals to young people based on their needs.
Collaborate with care coordinators from other programs within and outside of the agency according to the needs/goals of the young people.
Provide advocacy for young people in the community.
Empower young people by providing them with autonomy in their decision making while providing non-judgmental care.
Meet with participants 1:1 onsite or offsite in the community to follow up on care plans.
Coordinate transportation for young people into the Center.
Complete all necessary Care Coordination documentation.
Collaborate with Orange County Grace Court, Juvenile Hall, Youth Guidance Center, and other community partners to connect young people with Project CHOICE resources.
Provide support and education to families and caregivers of young people at risk of or with a history of sex trafficking and exploitation.
Participate in community tabling events, attend agency outreach/training opportunities.
Other duties as assigned by Program Leadership.
Manage the 24/7 Project CHOICE Warmline to support youth with safety planning and coordinating support to mitigate any immediate safety concerns.