Youth Advocate, Woodland (Yolo Community Based Family Services)

Stanford Sierra Youth & Families•Woodland, CA

9d•Hybrid

About The Position

Youth Advocates participate at some level in the youth intake process, ensuring that youth are aware of how to access advocacy and support services from Youth Advocates. Youth Advocates coach and educate youth to acquire greater communication, system navigation, and self-regulation skills that are geared to help them take more effective advantage of treatment while assuring that their personal goals and outcomes are met. Youth Advocates participate in CFT (Child and Family Team) meetings in family homes or in the community, assessing their strengths and challenges, providing parenting support, informing them about Stanford Sierra Youth & Families services, and linking them to community resources. With the use of lived/living experience, personal wellness, connection, and support is necessary. FYP position specific groups are peer-to-peer connection points that provide opportunities for partnership, problem solving, and community. FYP Wellness group is a mandatory requirement for those with lived/living experience to address compassion fatigue and barriers that may come up in the work as a peer. Other groups such as our Recovery and Recharge are optional and are for those who keep recovery first. Youth Advocates offer ongoing education and support Groups that bring families with similar challenges and concerns together. Through support, information and education, youth are provided with a variety of tools that can help them to successfully cope with the challenges that they face. The voice and perspective of youth is crucial to the development of all agency decision-making, program development and treatment planning. Youth Advocates participate in program and child and family team meetings to give and exchange their perspectives on youth strengths, youth as partners in the delivery of services and self-help support systems, as well as the expressed needs of youth concerning how the agency may better accommodate voice and choice in service delivery. Youth Advocates provide on-going feedback and training to staff on the importance of a youth’s voice and choice and cultural sensitivity in all aspects of their treatment planning. Youth Advocates participate in the interview process for potential Stanford Sierra Youth & Families’ employees, providing an assessment of a potential candidate’s ability, skill, and inclination to provide services that are sensitive to, and inclusive of youth voice and choice issues. Youth Advocates may participate in community trainings, workgroups, planning committees, client treatment reviews, and task forces related to children’s mental health, advocacy and policy development. Youth Advocates assist parents, caregivers, and youth with the grievance and complaint process. This includes mentoring, coaching and educating youth with communication, system navigation, and self-regulation skills, in addition to technical assistance in filling out forms and contacting appropriate administrators. Individual requests to provide collateral support to youth that are assigned to the Youth Advocate by the FYP Manager. Youth Advocate IIIs coach and educate other team members develop skills in that are in alignment with agency culture and practices. Attends Leadership meetings as requested Leads - Trainings and Initiatives Agency Specific Performs all duties in a manner consistent with the principles and values of agency, while adhering to applicable professional codes of ethics, the agency’s policies and procedures, contractor requirements, and regulatory requirements. Model and communicate appropriate positive attitudes toward the agency’s Mission, Vision, and Values Work collaboratively with all agency programs and staff to provide support as needed Utilize and maintain calendar with all work-related details in order to manage time effectively and share calendar information with coworkers Participate in on-going training to expand and develop professional skills Perform other duties as necessary for the agency, as assigned Employment At-Will Employment at the Agency is terminable at-will, which means that employment may be terminated at any time, without cause or reason, by either the employee or the Agency. In addition the Agency may also demote, layoff, transfer or reassign employees at any time at its sole discretion without cause or reason.

Requirements

Minimum of High School Diploma or GED
Experience as a youth with a serious emotional disturbance receiving, or having previously received, services within child welfare, foster care, mental health, or the juvenile justice system
Basic knowledge of Public Mental Health/Child Welfare/Education systems
Ability to advocate on behalf of clients in navigating and negotiating those systems
Meets minimum qualification listed above (Youth Advocate I)
Meets all minimum qualifications for Youth Advocate I AND meets the following: Has obtained Peer Specialist Certification, Has a minimum of 1 year experience as a Peer Advocate (Youth Advocate II)
Meets all qualifications for Youth Advocate II AND meets the following: Consistently demonstrates proficiency and expertise in the role, Has a minimum of 2 years’ experience as a Peer Advocate (Youth Advocate III)

Nice To Haves

Previous experience with advocacy, outreach, and community resources preferred
Spanish Speaking - preferred

Responsibilities

Participate in the youth intake process, ensuring youth are aware of how to access advocacy and support services.
Coach and educate youth to acquire greater communication, system navigation, and self-regulation skills.
Participate in CFT (Child and Family Team) meetings to assess strengths and challenges, provide parenting support, inform about services, and link to community resources.
Participate in Family and Youth Partnership Wellness and Position Specific Groups using lived/living experience for personal wellness, connection, and support.
Offer ongoing education and support groups for families with similar challenges.
Participate in agency-wide program meetings, family team meetings, and management decisions to provide youth perspectives.
Provide ongoing feedback and training to staff on the importance of youth voice, choice, and cultural sensitivity.
Participate in the interview process for potential employees to assess their ability to provide youth-sensitive services.
Participate in community trainings, workgroups, planning committees, client treatment reviews, and task forces related to children’s mental health, advocacy, and policy development.
Assist parents, caregivers, and youth with the grievance and complaint process, including mentoring, coaching, and educating on communication and system navigation.
Provide collateral support to youth assigned by the FYP Manager.
Coach and educate other team members to develop skills aligned with agency culture and practices (Youth Advocate III).
Attend Leadership meetings as requested (Youth Advocate III).
Lead trainings and initiatives (Youth Advocate III).