Youth Worker

Job Summary:

CASES is looking for a Youth Coach to support the Choices Alternative to Detention designed to assist young people involved in Family Court by fostering competence, confidence, positive peer and adult relationships, character building, self-esteem enhancement, community contribution, and minimizing engagement with the criminal justice system. Guided by a Supervisor, Youth Coaches collaborate with young people and their families to set objectives in education, health and wellness, youth development, and recidivism reduction. The Youth Coach's goal is to ensure that participants and their families have access to creative and enriching services that are strengths-based, culturally appropriate, and supportive of their self-determined goals, contributing to recidivism reduction and adhering to the fundamental principles of risk, need, and responsivity. Youth Coaches meet young people in the community, at schools, in homes, or wherever they feel most at ease.

Salary: The salary for the Youth Coach is $60,000 per year.

Shift Hours: This position is full-time working Monday through Friday from 10:00am to 6:00pm.

Location Address: 424 East 147th Street, 2nd Floor, Bronx, N.Y. 10455

Workplace Flexibility: Flexible - Staff have flexibility to complete their workday from home or another suitable space, typically after reporting to the office and/or engaging in field or community-based work.

What you will be doing:

• Foster relationships with young individuals and their families to ensure compliance with in-person meetings twice a week and regular weekly phone calls.
• Assist the youth in fulfilling their court-mandated responsibilities.
• Organize activities for participants during after-school hours and vacation periods.
• Build connections with the educational staff at the schools attended by the youth to promote academic success and monitor attendance.
• Collaborate with the youth to set both short-term and long-term goals.
• Remain available to the youth outside of normal program hours for emergency situations.
• Lead group sessions as necessary.
• Keep daily records of interactions and efforts.
• Link the youth with constructive community activities and confirm their attendance and involvement.
• Work intimately with families to involve them in creating goal plans and plans for post-program care.
• Utilize assessment tools, including those for mental health, risk, and education, to aid in formulating the youth's goal plans.
• Participate in weekly team and individual supervision meetings conducted by the supervisor.
• Comply with the ACS's required initial and ongoing training protocols.

What we are looking for:

• A minimum of two years' experience working with young people and a High School diploma or GED/HSE equivalency are required.
• A history of building relationships with educational institutions, community organizations, and other youth service entities.
• Training in, or a commitment to train in, trauma-informed approaches for effective youth engagement.
• An eagerness to learn from youth is essential.
• A dedication to youth involvement, achieved by collaborating with the youth and their families.
• Proven skills in engaging and inspiring young individuals.
• A positive outlook and outstanding problem-solving abilities.
• Travel is expected throughout the assigned borough or to where participant feels safest - and a minimum of 80% of the client contact will be in the community

Additional preferred skills we are looking for but are not required:

• Bilingual abilities in English and Spanish are preferred, but not mandatory.

Employee Benefits:

CASES cares about employee wellbeing, and we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support you and your family, including:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Vacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days-off annually, plus an additional summer self-care day
• 12 Paid Holidays per year
• Retirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%
• Employee Referral Program
• Visit www.cases.org/careers/ to learn more about benefits offered by the CASES

Although we would love to learn about the skills of every candidate, only selected candidates that are selected will receive a response. We encourage you to apply for any positions you feel you are qualified for.

CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with prior involvement in the criminal legal system.