Permanency Life Skills Specialist

Bridges Homeward•Cambridge, MA

About The Position

The Permanency/Life Skills Specialist is a member of the Young Adult Support Living (YASL) Team and provides services to youth ages 18 to 22 who are referred by the Department of Children and Families and reside in a YASL apartment. The role coordinates and facilitates group activities that strengthen permanent family relationships and build residents’ adult life skills. Working closely with the Program Coordinator, the Specialist updates or develops an annual permanency-focused life-skills curriculum and organizes internal or external facilitators for practical group sessions. The Specialist facilitates quarterly groups and supports youth in connecting with family and other supportive adults who can assist with matters such as job searches, school applications, budgeting, resume building, and obtaining a driver’s license. The curriculum may address cooking and nutrition, sexual health, healthy relationships, and budgeting and banking. Its foundation is that youth need family support to sustain and build on what they learn in the program. The Specialist encourages youth, alongside their assigned Support Specialist, to involve family in their skill development and to participate in areas such as driving practice, permit and license tests, and college applications. Bridges Homeward is a mission-driven agency serving the Greater Boston community. Its mission is to provide high-quality support and advocacy for children, adults, and families to develop and nurture safe, permanent relationships and maximize individual growth. The agency emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, and advancing racial equity.

Requirements

Associate degree plus three years of experience working with high-risk youth, or a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or a related field.
At least two years of experience working with high-risk youth in milieu treatment.
Valid driver’s license and properly insured vehicle.
CORI, SORI, and fingerprinting required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in residential services to at-risk youth and their families.

Responsibilities

Work closely with each youth’s assigned Support Specialist to ensure permanency readiness, family search and engagement, and youth-guided family team meetings occur for every YASL resident.
Ensure groups and holiday celebrations occur and honor residents’ cultures, religions, and identities.
Use specialized assessment tools, including the Permanency Assessment, Youth Readiness Assessment, and Youth Connections Scale, to collaborate with youth on goals related to permanency, behavior, education, and vocation.
Use assessment results to collaborate with youth on transition plans for achieving specific goals.
Coordinate with community providers and PLSS to lead group sessions on topics such as adult living skills, money management, self-care, meal planning, housekeeping, communication, and employment.
Identify services and resources to support stable, healthy relationships with family and supportive adults; healthy peer relationships; suitable housing; coping skills for managing feelings and behaviors; and self-care, including managing medications.
Coach and support Support Specialists in methods for increasing permanency and life-skills development for youth and young adults in the program.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Coordinate and facilitate YASL group activities that strengthen family relationships and develop adult life skills.
Work with the Program Coordinator to update or develop an annual permanency-focused life-skills curriculum and organize group facilitators.
Facilitate quarterly groups and support youth in involving family and supportive adults in job searches, school applications, budgeting, resume building, driving practice, and licensing steps.