Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) (Contra County)

Description

MISSSEY, works to prevent girls and gender-expansive youth from ever entering circumstances of sexual exploitation and violence. We also support young people who are experiencing exploitation to exit. Once they’ve exited, we partner with them so that they may avoid re-entering sexually exploitative circumstances and live free of harmful transactional relationships. As an organization, we value healing, youth voice, integrity, and relationships. 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 go to our website at www.misssey.org.

Position Summary

The Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) plays an important role in identifying and engaging with youth who are vulnerable to or have experienced commercial sexual exploitation. This work will take place in MISSSEY’s Contra Costa County. Under the supervision of the Integrated Services Team Lead, the Youth Engagement Specialist is responsible for doing prevention, intervention and stabilization work with youth in the child welfare system and making referrals to MISSSEY transformation coaching as needed. YES staff will collaborate across systems, participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings, and advocate for the needs of exploited young people as part of a service delivery team. YES staff work within the limitations of the organization’s resources and in compliance with grants, contracts, and agency policies and procedures. We are looking for a candidate who will take initiative and be able to build rapport with highly at-risk and exploited youth; comfortable navigating systems; reliable and efficient; committed to the self-determination of marginalized young people; able to work collegially with colleagues and collaboratively with members of the MISSSEY team; and steadfast in their goal of delivering services with impact.

The ideal candidate for this position would:

• Have a minimum of 1-year experience working with systems-involved youth
• Have experience of working in Contra Costa County
• Have solid experience working with Black girls and other youth of color who have experienced homelessness, gender-based violence, trafficking, and abuse
• Have a thorough understanding of youth development, advocacy, and the stages of change
• Be a continual learner deeply invested in women and girls
• Have experience building relationships with community partners and coordinating services that engage youth and support them to thrive
• Be skilled at addressing the biopsychosocial, emotional and functional needs of young people
• Have an understanding of crisis intervention, 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 caring culture

Requirements

Duties and Responsibilities:

Direct Services (70%) 

• Engage and build rapport with young people multiple sites across Contra Costa 
• Assess participant’s vulnerability to / or experience with commercial sexual exploitation
• Facilitate 1-on-1 prevention sessions with youth identified as highly vulnerable to exploitation
• Provide support and service linkages to youth, including referrals to MISSSEY transformation coaching
• Provide follow-up sessions for identified youth who are placed into resource homes and group homes
• Attend team decision making meetings, advocating for the young person, utilizing a strengths-based framework, and representing MISSSEY’s organizational philosophy 
• Work collaboratively with child welfare workers, caregivers, housing providers, and Contra Costa County staff to improve the collective response to Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC)
• Refer County staff, caregivers, and group home providers to MISSSEY’s CSEC trainings and youth-prevention workshops
• Maintain transparency and assist participants in making informed decisions 
• Provide psycho-education about exploitation and its aftermath to youth, their families or caregivers, service providers, and other systems that interact with the youth 
• Foster an environment that promotes harmony, partnership, alliance, healing, and thriving

Indirect and Administrative (25%) 

• Ensure Youth Engagement activities are aligned and in compliance with contracts, grants, and agency policies and procedures
• Maintain up-to-date participant files with all relevant intakes, releases, and documentation
• Input case notes in online system within 24 hours of client contact; track activities and progress in notes
• Accurately record and track youth participation and incentives 
• Collaborate with MISSSEY team to support organization-wide initiatives 
• Participate in weekly one-on-one supervision, the development of work plans, and annual reviews

Other (5%)

• Implement goals and objectives of the Services grants
• Actively participate in supervision, case conferences, staff meetings, and trainings
• Cover drop-in milieu and engagement services as needed
• Guide and participate in collaborative processes to improve all work at MISSSEY

Other duties as assigned. 

Qualifications:

• Minimum 1 years’ experience working with strength-based and client-centered models, restorative and trauma-informed care practices.
• Bachelor’s Degree in social sciences such as psychology, social work and/or public health preferred. Relevant experience will be considered.
• 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.
• Bilingual is a plus. (Fluent in Spanish both written and speaking)

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 written and verbal communications skills

Physical Demands:

• Occasional lifting of up to 50 lbs
• Requires computer use each day, including typing for many hours per day
• Requires ability to use a keyboard, monitor, cell phone, and calculator
• 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

Work Environment:

• Main office located in Richmond, Ca.
• Occasional in person meetings at MISSSEY headquarters in Oakland, CA
• 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 with the acceptable car insurance
• Requires transport of clients and, at times, their children, using own vehicle
• Work in the community, including law enforcement facilities and county and state offices
• Meeting with clients face to face (COVID safety protocols must be followed)
• Drug-Free workplace

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 DOJ/State of CA
• TB clearance 
• COVID-19 vaccination is mandatory. 

Position title: Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) Contra Costa County

Classification: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt, in person position, evening and weekend hours required (rotation)

Compensation: $47,000-50,423k DOE, Spanish language credit 

Benefits: 

• Employer pays 100% of Medical/Dental/Optometry
• LTD & Disability Term Life Insurance 
• Voluntary Life Term Insurance 
• 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 –availment of vacation time after the 90 day period of employment & 1 week paid winter holiday during Christmas week

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.

Salary : $47,000 - $50,423