Youth Advocate II

Hillside•City of Rochester, NY

3d•$20 - $23

About The Position

The Youth Advocate II for Hillside Work Scholarship Connection (HWSC) provides support and mentoring to an assigned caseload of youth, using education and youth-development best practices to help students achieve positive academic outcomes, graduate high school, build life skills, and complete successful employment experiences. The role also mentors Youth Advocate I staff and may represent the program at new schools or lead staff groups. The position includes an additional caseload of 36–40 students for projects and other responsibilities. The Youth Advocate II works with students, families, schools, community services, and employment partners to support academic progress and successful post-graduation pathways. The role involves student recruitment and retention, individualized planning, tutoring referrals, family engagement, post-secondary planning, employment preparation and monitoring, program documentation, and transportation to program activities. Employees may also be assigned other duties. The position requires a high school diploma or GED plus at least three years of relevant work, volunteer, or higher-education experience; alternatively, an associate’s degree in a relevant field and at least one year of relevant experience, or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and at least one year of relevant experience. An unrestricted, valid New York State driver’s license held for at least one year, a clean driving record, and insurance coverage meeting agency standards are required. The work includes variable scheduling, including evenings and weekends, and driving between multiple work and school sites. Physical requirements include sitting, standing, walking, driving, balancing, bending, stooping, climbing, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching, running, twisting, lifting and carrying items, and frequent manual dexterity. Occasional exposure to dust, fumes, gases, chemicals, cigarette smoke, cleaning supplies, recreational marijuana, and pets may occur. Close-toed shoes and specified protective equipment are required. The posted pay range is $19.50 to $23.00, based on experience; a rate above $23.00 may be considered for highly experienced candidates. A $1,500 sign-on bonus is offered for Youth Advocates.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED and at least three years of relevant work, volunteer, or higher-education experience in human services, childhood or youth development, student mentoring, adolescent coaching, or a related field; OR an associate’s degree in a relevant field and at least one year of relevant experience; OR a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and at least one year of relevant experience.
Unrestricted, valid New York State driver’s license held for at least one year, clean driving record, and minimum insurance coverage meeting agency standards.
Knowledge of and ability to apply school-site and community resources.
Knowledge of adolescent development and positive youth development, including recognizing signs of at-risk behavior and applying appropriate interventions.
Proficiency with software applications and ability to learn new applications, including internet tools, ETO, Parent Connect, and Microsoft Office, to accurately track and record interactions and activities.
Intermediate group facilitation and project management skills.
Demonstrate Hillside Professional Competencies: Communicates Effectively, Personal Excellence, Cultural Competence, Builds and Leverages Relationships, and Optimizes Decision Making.
Ability to work a variable schedule, including evenings and weekends, and drive between multiple work and school sites during a shift.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including lifting up to 50 pounds and carrying up to 55 pounds.
Ability to use required protective equipment and change positions as needed.

Responsibilities

Serve as the sole HWSC representative at new schools or mentor and lead new Youth Advocate I staff.
Participate in projects and additional responsibilities, including an additional caseload of 36–40 students.
Build and maintain relationships with school principals, administrators, and teachers when the HWSC Supervisor is absent to support program fidelity, continuity, and sustainability.
Identify and select youth likely to succeed as HWSC participants.
Recruit new students and retain existing students to maintain an active caseload in line with enrollment targets.
Meet regularly with assigned students at school to review grades, attendance, social skills, and future plans.
Connect students who do not meet GPA or core-subject grade expectations with tutoring services.
Teach students strategies for balancing school, work, friendships, and college planning and becoming self-sufficient.
Help students develop habits that support transition from high school to employment, military service, college, vocational school, or trade school.
Develop Individualized Graduation Plans with students and family support, use the plans to track progress, and revise them twice a year.
Build relationships with students and families to identify home issues that may impede school, work, or post-secondary success.
Refer students to community support services as needed.
Ensure parents or guardians understand and agree with service goals through monthly home visits or phone calls.
Partner with core-subject teachers and school counselors to help students arrive on time and prepared to learn.
Lead, coordinate, and facilitate evidence-based coursework, service-learning projects, and social-life activities, including pre-employment readiness training.
Transport HWSC students using a personal vehicle or agency van to tutoring, enrichment activities, and field trips.
Complete accurate program documentation and reports in required formats and timeframes; enter information into and create reports from ETO as needed.
Maintain accurate records of work time and travel.
Help seniors planning to attend college develop transition plans, monitor progress in weekly meetings, and track progress in ETO.
Apply state and local high-school graduation requirements and support post-secondary planning with guidance counselors, including FAFSA, SAT/ACT or Accuplacer testing, college applications, workforce preparation, and job placement.
Monitor student progress against Academics, Attitude, Attendance (AAA) standards to determine Youth Employment Training Academy (YETA) eligibility.
Support and encourage students completing YETA and the job-search process.
Monitor placement and progress of students employed by an employment partner.
Partner with employment and/or college and career teams to resolve issues with employment partners.
Perform other duties as assigned.