Youth Development Specialist - The Map Program

Family Connections, Inc.•Irvington, NJ

26d•$22 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The Youth Development Specialist fosters social development through the facilitation of recreation and psycho-educational groups. The role is based at The Map Program at Irvington High School in Irvington, New Jersey, and reports to the SBYSP Manager. The specialist works with adolescents in an urban school and community setting, supporting students’ social, academic, and behavioral development and coordinating recreational programming and field trips. The position requires culturally competent, strengths-based, ethical, and respectful engagement with students, families, coworkers, and other service systems. The specialist follows agency policies and procedures, maintains confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA, participates in supervision and teamwork, and helps promote a safe and supportive environment. The role is generally 35 hours per week and is eligible for the Family Connections group benefit plans and paid time off described in the posting.

Requirements

Minimum high school diploma.
Three years of experience as a youth service worker.
Proven ability to work with adolescents in an urban setting.
Knowledge of adolescent development, community resources, and group process.
Ability to create a warm, non-threatening therapeutic atmosphere and provide non-judgmental responses.
Ability to counsel adolescents, work as a team member, advocate for students with school personnel, and work with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Cultural competence and sensitivity to the cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and coworkers.
Ability to receive and give constructive criticism, work independently, and use sound judgment and ethical decision-making.
Professional characteristics including empathy, attentiveness, self-awareness, organization, flexibility, patience, responsibility, maturity, self-motivation, and dedication.
Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and eligible for full-time W-2 employment; C2C, 1099, and other non-W-2 arrangements are not eligible.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a human services field preferred.
Interest in seeking additional training and skills.

Responsibilities

Supervise and coordinate recreational programming and field trips.
Build and maintain rapport with students; interact with them at appropriate times to facilitate social skill development and advocate for students as needed.
Facilitate prevention and psycho-educational groups.
Ensure documentation and data entry into the Management Information System are completed in a timely manner.
Provide case management to students as necessary.
Monitor students’ academic and behavioral progress.
Assist in developing and marketing programs in the school environment and community.
Discuss suspected cases of abuse and neglect with the Manager/Coordinator and report them to DCP&P.
Perform other duties as deemed necessary by the Manager/Coordinator of SBYSP.
Follow agency policies and procedures, including quality improvement policies and procedures.
Protect client, coworker, and agency confidentiality and personal health information in written, verbal, and electronic forms.
Attend supervision consistently, come prepared, document supervision, and use feedback to support professional growth.
Communicate hazards, injuries, equipment problems, urgent information, and requests for help; follow emergency evacuation and other safety policies.
Maintain good attendance, punctuality, and program productivity requirements.