Youth Advocate

First Place for Youth • Los Angeles, CA

5d • $70,304 - $73,233

About The Position

The Youth Advocate provides case management, psychosocial assessments, and develops and implements intervention strategies for foster youth. The role provides clinical leadership to a multidisciplinary team and coaching to help youth achieve housing stability, sustainable employment, and educational goals. The advocate uses an individualized, strengths-based, culturally competent, youth-centered approach to motivate, influence, and mentor young adults as they transition from foster care to independent adulthood. This position combines onsite and community-based work Monday through Friday.

Requirements

• At least 1–2 years of experience in a child welfare social-service setting or working with transition-age youth with complex presentations, including chronic trauma.
• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or an equivalent field.
• Strong dedication to cultural competency, creating conditions that remove barriers and increase belonging.
• Fluency in Spanish, including reading, writing, and speaking.
• Comfort working in community settings.
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently.
• Ability to pass a Community Care Licensing background check.
• Car, valid California driver’s license, and auto insurance.
• Computer proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Project, and Outlook; experience with database systems.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend work and some travel as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Professional license.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual counseling, crisis intervention, referrals, advocacy, and life-skills training to youth.
• Conduct required in-residence visits in accordance with program guidelines.
• Develop a partnership strategy with each youth.
• Gather and analyze ongoing information to support youth safety, well-being, and progress.
• Provide clinical leadership to multidisciplinary teams, including youth, family and natural supporters, county case managers, employment and education specialists, housing specialists, and intake specialists.
• Organize, schedule, and facilitate youth and team meetings.
• Assess youth well-being on an ongoing basis and develop plans to ensure safety and de-escalate crises as needed.
• Provide direct support, coaching, mentoring, and interventions to increase youth self-sufficiency and goal attainment.
• Participate in rotating on-call coverage and provide crisis counseling as needed.
• Collaborate with community providers, county workers, courts, professionals, vocational and independent-living-skills programs, schools, family members, and significant others.
• Keep key team members informed and work with them to identify and engage appropriate natural supporters.
• Complete care and services plans, needs assessments, progress notes, and other documentation.
• Ensure required paperwork and client consents are completed at entry.
• Participate in agency committees as assigned.
• Provide ongoing orientation and training to staff as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• 15 days of vacation in the first year
• 12 days of sick time
• 2 floating holidays
• 15 paid holidays
• Choice of Kaiser or UCH HMO/PPO health coverage, with up to 90% of the premium covered by First Place on certain plans
• Principal dental and vision coverage, with up to 90% of the premium covered by First Place
• Healthcare and dependent-care flexible spending account plans
• Principal basic life and voluntary life insurance coverage
• Employee Assistance Program
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Paid sabbatical

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level