STaR Center Coordinator

Description

MISSSEY, Inc. (Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth) is a community-based organization founded in 2007 to respond to the epidemic of commercial sexual exploitation in Alameda County, CA. Our mission is to provide services to commercially sexually exploited youth and to work for systemic change with the youth we serve. Our service model is focused on healing through trauma-informed, survivor-centered, and youth-focused approaches. We recognize the crucial voices of survivors in facilitating healing in victims of commercial sexual exploitation and the value of young people empowering other young people. Our work with youth is a partnership, helping them transition from victim to survivor to leader, encouraging their long-term stability and success in whatever path they choose. MISSSEY believes that with the right opportunities and support, youth can overcome the circumstances of their exploitation and thrive.  

For more information about MISSSEY, please visit our website www.misssey.org. 

 MISSSEY will only review applications that have an uploaded cover letter and resume.

Position Summary

The Sisters Transforming and Rising (STaR) Center provides a safe environment for female-identified vulnerable youth and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation to learn new life skills, build peer relationships, access resources, receive crisis support, and build internal resources that reduce their vulnerabilities to being victimized by the commercial sex industry. The STaR Center Coordinator ensures that programming in the STaR Center is gender-responsive, culturally relevant, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and developmentally appropriate (GCTSD), as well as informed by survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Under the supervision of the Engagement Services Manager, the STaR Center Coordinator is responsible for developing and maintaining STaR center services, including peer support and transition services to youth accessing the STaR center. The STaR Center Coordinator serves as a role model for youth accessing the space and leads all activities and support services for the Center. The STaR Center Coordinator involves the community in the STaR center as volunteers and plays a critical role in MISSSEY's outreach and volunteer program. Additionally, the STaR Center Coordinator works within the limitations of MISSSEY’s resources and in compliance with grants, contracts, and agency policies and procedures.

The ideal candidate for this position would:

Have solid experience working with youth of color who have experienced homelessness, gender violence, trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse

Have experience developing curriculum and facilitating groups 

Be highly skilled in youth development and crisis intervention

Be a continual learner deeply invested in women and girls

Have experience building relationships with community partners and accessing services that engage youth and support them to thrive

Be skilled at de-escalation, restorative practices, interpersonal relationship and resiliency building, and harm reduction theory and practice 

Have the ability to co-create a strong, reflective, highly productive, and loving culture

Requirements

Duties and Responsibilities:

STaR Center Coordination 65%

• Facilitates a robust, five-day-a-week drop-in program for exploited and vulnerable youth.
• Provides services in the STaR Center in compliance with contracts and grant awards, including the following:
  • Educational and life skills workshops
  • Creative arts activities
  • Peer support
  • Healthy food and daily hot meals
  • Special events and field trips
• Develops the STaR center curriculum in alignment with contract- and grant-related goals and objectives.
• Maintains a monthly calendar of events.
• Facilitates workshops on a daily basis.
• Spearheads the coordination of the monthly market events including placing food orders and conducting monthly meetings with partners. 
• Orients participants to the STaR center.
• Assists participants in appropriate behavior and in developing interpersonal relationships; resolves conflicts between participants as needed.
• Provides crisis intervention and de-escalation to participants as needed.
• Develops safety plans with clients eligible for drop-in services as needed.
• Oversees the incentive program for STaR Center participants, matching financial incentives with achievements while engaging MISSSEY’s approved financial control practices. 
• Ensures that the STaR Center space is attractive and clean and that supplies are stocked and used wisely.
• Plans healthy, nutritious menus and food provision for STaR participants, orders healthy foods and supplies weekly; monitors food budget ensuring compliance with budgeted allocations and practices ethical purchasing practices. 
• Conducts up to four hours of outreach to young people to engage in STaR center services
• Maintains sign-in sheets of all participants that visit the STaR center in a binder
• Inputs data into Apricot database on a daily basis.
• Works collaboratively with the Engagement Services Manager and ProgramsDirector to evaluate programming and collect participant feedback.
• Supports workshop facilitators, volunteers, and interns in conducting their work in the STaR center space.
• Maintains a clean work environment for staff and youth and reports safety concerns to the MISSSEY Operations team and Landlord as needed. 
• Works with partners and fosters meaningful collaboration with supportive services for the STaR Center, including attending and facilitating meetings with outside providers outside of STaR Center hours.
• Participates in community training and presentations.
• Provides on-site support and guidance to entry-level STaR center staff.

Intake Duties 25%

• Main point of contact for all initial intakes in MISSSEY’s STaR Center
• Provide follow up and continuity for all young people applying to MISSSEY for services
• Coordinates with Data Manager and other direct services staff to ensure all intake forms for new clients are completed, entered into databases, and referred to the appropriate manager
• Tracks and documents applications and referrals for MISSSEY’s Thrive Initiative
• Works with new intakes to assess interest in MISSSEY programming and potential barriers to workshop enrollment and utilization of case management services
• Trains volunteers on the STaR Center policies and procedures. 

Other 10%

• Annually, as part of supervision, develops a professional development plan identifying personal goals, objectives, and activities.
• Actively participates in and attends all supervision, staff training and assigned meetings.
• Assists with the development of partnerships to foster and strengthen STaR center programming.
• Communicates relevant information and needs between clients and other direct service staff.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times. 

Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications:

• Minimum 2 years’ experience providing direct service to transitional aged youth, as well as group facilitation. 
• Experience working with women and girls of color. 
• Experience in trauma-informed healing centered youth development with youth.
• Experience working with African American cis, LGBTQQ, and non-binary women and girls.
• Ability to identify, assess, and intervene effectively with behavioral health issues. 
• Passion for supporting young people, promoting healing-centered, trauma-informed youth development practices, and working towards social change.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to be dependable and present 
• Ability to multi-task and deal with high numbers of youth at one time
• Knowledge of at-risk youth and commercial sexual exploitation
• Ability to have healthy boundaries working with youth 
• Ability to respond to youth in crisis with de-escalation techniques and appropriate support 
• Ability to serve as a role model for youth being served
• Ability to administer policies and procedures that ensure the safety and confidentiality of program participants
• Ability to develop positive relationships with participants, colleagues, and supervisors 
• Ability to assume a leadership role in initiating workshops and activities
• Excellent communications skills

Physical & Language Requirements:

• Ability to reach, bend and walk.
• Ability to comprehend complex materials.
• Ability to speak and write English clearly and accurately.
• Ability to drive a motor vehicle.
• Requires transport of clients and, at times, their children, using own vehicle 
• Requires the ability to communicate verbally, both in person and on the telephone
• Must be able to stand for at least 20 minutes at a time
• Requires computer use each day, including typing for many hours per day
• Requires ability to use a keyboard, monitor, cell phone, and calculator

Work Environment:

• Occasional outdoor activities
• Shared office space; main offices are on the second floor with no elevator access
• Separate entrance into youth center 
• Ability to drive a motor vehicle
• Requires transport of clients and, at times, their children, using their own vehicle
• Work in the community, including law enforcement facilities and county and state offices

Required Licenses and Certificates:

• Current driver's license, reliable vehicle, proof of liability insurance coverage, and a clean driving record required
• A criminal background check including fingerprint clearance
• TB clearance
• COVID-19 vaccination is required. MISSSEY will consider accommodations for a disability and religious-based reasons only.

Requirements

Position title: STaR Center Coordinator 

Classification: Full-time, non-exempt, in-person position, some weekends and evenings (rotation)

Benefits: 

• Premium Medical/Dental/Optometry
• Coverage of work-related travel, mileage, and parking
• PTO (paid time off)
• EAP (employee assistance program) 
• Family and pet bereavement
• Employee retirement and employee match (SIMPLE IRA)
• Generous Holiday Calendar
• Including – 2 weeks starting vacation & 1 week paid winter holiday during Christmas week

For more information about MISSSEY, please visit our website www.misssey.org. 

Due to the volume of candidates, we will be unable to contact each candidate individually. If you are being considered for the position, you will be contacted. We are unable to accept phone calls or walk-ins. MISSSEY is an equal opportunity employer.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY: MISSSEY DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE IN ANY PROGRAM, ACTIVITY, OR IN EMPLOYMENT ON THE BASIS OF AGE, CREED, SEX, RACE, ETHNIC BACKGROUND, MARITAL OR VETERAN STATUS, NATIONAL ORIGIN, DISABILITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, OR RELIGION. SURVIVORS AND WOMEN OF COLOR (TRANS-INCLUSIVE) ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Salary : $61,500 - $68,000