Youth Empowerment Specialist

BCFS Health and Human Services•Tyler, TX

About The Position

The Youth Empowerment Specialist recruits, retains, and facilitates youth serving on the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC), and teaches leadership and life skills curricula to YAC members and other partners as needed. The position serves Cherokee County and involves frequent travel to Jacksonville and Rusk. Employees must have a reliable personal vehicle; mileage is reimbursed according to organizational policy. The role requires flexibility to support activities after hours and on weekends. The specialist coordinates and facilitates YAC meetings, incorporates youth feedback into program design and continuous quality improvement, supports youth at the CYD Youth Summit, and facilitates leadership curricula and social justice projects. The position also completes assessments and required program documentation, facilitates additional curricula as trained, and helps maintain an inclusive environment grounded in Positive Youth Development and Trust Based Relational Intervention principles. Performance expectations include meeting grant enrollment and meeting requirements, maintaining participant retention and satisfaction targets, demonstrating learning outcomes, completing grant-required projects, and maintaining quality assurance and reporting standards. The role requires effective communication, cultural responsiveness, computer literacy, independent work and teamwork, and travel as needed. The specialist may perform other duties as assigned under grant requirements.

Requirements

Associate’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field.
Two years of experience working with youth aged 6–17 years old.
Maintain certificates required for the position, including but not limited to First Aid and CPR.
Valid Texas driver’s license with a clear driving record and reliable transportation.
Pass a pre-employment drug screen and random drug screens.
Provide proof of work eligibility status upon request.
Pass pre-employment and biennial criminal background and motor vehicle checks; fingerprints are required if the applicant has lived out of state within the past five years.
Communicate effectively in writing and verbally in English.
Respond sensitively and competently to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
Work in a fast-paced environment and maintain the computer literacy required for the position.
Work effectively without intensive supervision, independently and as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
Travel as needed.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States; visa sponsorship is not available.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology, education, or a human services field.

Responsibilities

Recruit and retain youth to serve on the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC).
Coordinate YAC meetings in accordance with grant requirements, develop agendas, and facilitate meetings.
Ensure YAC feedback is integrated into ongoing program design and continuous quality improvement.
Serve as a YAC coordinator contact and liaison during CYD Youth Summit planning, and attend the summit with youth to provide support.
Facilitate leadership curriculum for YAC and Youth Leadership D participants.
Complete intake assessments and program-required pre- and post-tests.
Coach, oversee, and support YAC and YLD social justice projects.
Train in and facilitate other program curricula, including violence prevention, independent living skills development, and substance use prevention content.
Ensure a welcoming and deliberately inclusive environment for all participants.
Participate in the annual Community Strengths and Needs Assessment process, including distributing surveys, facilitating focus groups and interviews, providing direct feedback, and compiling and analyzing program data.
Abide by Positive Youth Development framework principles and employ Trust Based Relational Intervention strategies.
Frequently work evenings and weekends to accommodate student participants.
Maintain BCFS HHS professional and ethical standards, including respect for agency staff, youth, and community members and compliance with the dress code.
Meet or exceed grant-specified enrollment and meeting-frequency requirements.
Maintain YAC and YLD retention at 85% or more and ensure grant-specified social justice projects are completed.
Meet program targets for youth learning outcomes, quality assurance compliance, and positive satisfaction survey scores.
Maintain participant safety and comply with program and grant reporting requirements.
Travel as needed and perform other duties assigned per grant requirements.