Fair Futures Coach (EFFC)

Good Shepherd Services•New York City, NY

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Fair Futures Coach (EFFC) is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with up to 18 young people at any given time, providing ongoing social/emotional support. The coach will work 1:1 with young people to develop academic and career development goals, connect them to resources and opportunities, and help them persist in their chosen paths. This role also involves re-engaging disconnected youth, advocating for their educational needs, exposing them to post-secondary pathways, and assisting with college and career planning. Additionally, the coach will ensure young people aging out of foster care access and maintain housing, develop independent living skills, and participate in monthly peer groups and workshops. The position requires maintaining accurate case records and adhering to the 7 Sanctuary Model and SELF Model principles.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Two years of experience working with at-risk youth or youth involved in the child welfare system preferred.
Knowledge of the NYC Dept. of Education, College application process, and NYCHA application process.
Experience with providing 1:1 support to youth in care.
Ability to be flexible to the demands of youth in care.
Ability to work autonomously as well as part of a team.
Excellent written and 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 effectively collaborate in team settings and build relationships with external partners.
Ability to use Motivational Interviewing techniques.
Ability to use trauma-informed techniques.
Ability to facilitate therapeutic peer groups.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus but not required.
Excellent organizational and time management skills.
Proficient in Microsoft Word Office and Excel.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience working with at-risk youth or youth involved in the child welfare system.
Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Responsibilities

Build and maintain relationships with up to 18 young people at any given time.
Provide ongoing social/emotional support.
Work 1:1 with young people to develop academic and career development goals based on their interests and strengths to take measurable steps towards their goals.
Connect young people to quality schools, programs, resources, and opportunities in line with their goals.
Connect young people to peer group supports and build positive relationships.
Help young people persist in these settings, navigate any challenges that arise, celebrate successes, and plan/prepare for the next step on their journey.
Help young people reflect on experiences and work with them to set new goals and transition to the next opportunity if a particular school/program setting is not successful.
Collaborate with Case Planners, Tutors, Specialists, and foster/birth parents, as needed, to help youth achieve goals.
Ensure young people aging out of foster care access and maintain housing and build independent living skills.
Re-engage disconnected youth and help them re-enroll in an academic setting.
Assess the fit between the young person and their current academic setting and help them transfer into a better-fit high school or high school equivalency (HSE) program, if needed.
Visit the young person’s school/program and build relationships with school staff, review transcripts and academic data, provide educational advocacy, and discuss progress towards graduation/HSE obtainment.
Ensure young people are attending school and have the supports and resources they need to be successful, such as tutoring, individualized educational plans (IEPs), 504 Plans, or other special accommodations.
Expose students to post-secondary pathways, such college and/or accredited vocational programs, starting in the 9th grade (or as early as possible).
Assist students with post-secondary planning, along with the guidance counselors and/or College Specialists and Career Development Specialists.
Connect the student to the College Specialist to apply to colleges, opportunity programs, and all forms of financial aid, funding, and scholarships.
Provide college persistence coaching, including ensuring students are receiving all of the financial and academic supports they need to succeed each semester.
Collaborate with all relevant partners, such as Case Planners, guidance counselors, Specialists, Tutors, teachers, family members, and caregivers.
Assist young people in obtaining working papers, if needed.
Conduct career exploration activities with young people.
Assist young people in selecting at least one career development experience each year that is in line with their interests and academic situation/background.
Work with the young person and Career Development Specialist to identify potential longer-term career pathways based on the young person’s interests, strengths, and academic/vocational plans.
Connect the young person to the Career Development Specialist, if needed, to explore workforce development programs, vocational programs, and for assistance with job applications.
Connect young people, as needed, to agency-based job readiness and/or internship programs.
Provide persistence coaching to young people enrolled in any external program by checking in with them regularly.
Ensure that the young person coordinates with a Housing Specialist to ensure that all young people’s housing applications are submitted as early as possible (by age 19 if their goal is to age out).
Accompany the young person to visit supportive housing residences, when needed.
Help young people move in and obtain furniture.
Help young people maintain their housing by providing independent living and life skills supports such as budgeting, obtaining a bank account, and advocating with landlords, if needed.
Attend and participate in agency trainings, ACS trainings, NYC DOE trainings.
Plan and facilitate Peer Groups and PYA workshops for young people pertaining to independent living skills monthly.
Keep case records and accurate data information up to date, including but not limited to, school visits, home visits, community visits, and visits with parents/guardians.
Promote and model the 7 Sanctuary Model commitments and the SELF (Safety, Emotional Management, Loss, Future) Model into daily practice to create a non-violent and trauma informed culture.
Document timely progress notes in Connections and Care4.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Commit to working from a strength-based and/or youth & family development perspective.