Drop-In Youth Advocate

Description

Under the supervision of Youth Resources Team Lead to provide direct services to youth up to the age of 19 and their families/caregivers/workers within the drop-in resource center. The Drop in Youth Advocate is as a consistent continuum of care and services, will provide a safe environment for youth and young adults to access various resources, receive crisis support, learn new life skills, build peer relationships, and build coping strategies. Promote a supervised and safe environment for youth that is trauma focused and provides the youth and the community with emotional support. The Drop in Youth Advocate will adhere to Pivot and Drop-In Resource Center operational policies and procedure. 

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES:

Encourage and practice:

• organization and priority setting
• flexibility
• effective communication with peers and supervisors
• teamwork
• encourage youth to build positive, stable relationships with caring adults and peers
• value of diversity
• understand the impact of trauma and implement learned models to respond in an effective manner
• ability to function as an adult model to young people and to foster an environment of inclusiveness and youth empowerment especially with populations who have experienced trauma
• understand the philosophy and utilize the basic tenets of competency-based and solution-focused approach for working with youth
• know, understand and utilize effectively crisis intervention skills (ability to anticipate, assess, intervene, remediate and stabilize)
• be able to confer and consult with other professionals.
• possess and use interview and observation skills
• critical thinking and judgment skills
• effective public speaking skills
• ability to speak about all areas of Pivot services and be a subject matter expert regarding Pivot’s programs and statistics serving youth in need
• ability to use Microsoft Office products, including Word and Excel, as well as be able to perform research on the internet, and input data into PASIS and/or HMIS.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES & EXPECTATIONS:

• Effectively process youth entering and exiting the Point drop-in resource center
• Provides robust services in the Drop-In Center including the following: access and referral services, life skills workshops, vocational awareness, self-care opportunities, creative arts activities, peer support, access to tangible goods, provides crisis intervention and de-escalation to participants as needed.
• Ensures monthly calendars of events and facilitates workshops are updated daily as needed.
• Orients participants to the drop-in center; provides support and resources to all participants.
• Assists participants in appropriate behavior and in developing interpersonal relationships; resolves conflicts between participants as needed while acting as a positive role model.
• Completes documentation as required by funding entities and referral sources.
• Effectively complete assessment, intake, goal setting activities, follow up, accountability, and other duties related to understanding client’s history and establishing a pathway to success

• Provide hands on oversight to youth engaging in drop in center services.
• Implement formal and informal daily life skills training.
• Complete all paperwork in a timely manner – including client related, critical incident reports
• Enter all data as directed.
• Coordinate everyday activities with support services and other staff.
• Communicate as directed with Point leadership in other staff to alert information at shift change
• Support youth through the five domains of housing and basic needs, education, employment, permanent connections, and wellbeing

• Assess and provide for basic needs within 48 hours and on an ongoing basis
• Provide sexual health resources to increase client/families knowledge
• Conduct intakes to assess housing needs, education, vocational/educational, medical, and financial barriers.
• Develop creative strategies with youth and provide resources in the areas of education, vocation, employment, social support, finance, wellness, and housing.
• Build and maintain relationships with program stakeholders including schools and community providers.
• Plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate youth's goals and objectives.
• Collect, evaluate, and enter data pertaining to youth’s goals and objectives.
• Follow Pivot policy & procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Assist Pivot staff in presentations on behalf of the agency to advocate for at risk youth.
• Develop strategies to increase client resources & program effectiveness.
• Develop service delivery plans for clients as needed.
• Will be active in creating pathways for referral generation.
• Provide community education groups to youth as needed.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position does not supervise any position; however, a Diversion Mediator will assist in the

orientation of new hires that interact with their position, interns, and volunteers as requested

Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. EDUCATION/ EXPERIENCE
   • possess a 4-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, in social services or related field, with at least two years’ experience working with youth in need.
   • certification as a Case Manager II or III required, if not case management certified must be willing to complete.
   • experience teaching life skills to youth in need
2. LEADERSHIP, CHANGE MANAGEMENT & PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS
   • demonstrates a commitment to the vision, mission and the “spirit” of the shelter and agency.
   • demonstrates compliance to confidentiality/privacy standards as required by the agency and the law.
   • demonstrates strong self-initiative and self-motivation.
   • demonstrates effective time, organizational and prioritization skills.
   • demonstrates team skills and respects differences in others.
3. LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS
   • ability to read, analyze and interpret general periodicals, professional journals and government regulations.
   • ability to write reports, business correspondence and maintain accurate statistical data using MS Word
   • ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of youth, employees, management and the general public.

1. MATHEMATICAL SKILLS
   • ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions and decimals.
   • ability to compute percentages, rates, and averages.
   • ability to interpret graphs and statistical data.
   • ability to use MS Excel
2. REASONING ABILITY
   • ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid and accurate conclusions.
3. OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

Applicant must:

• • be at least 21 years of age, pass an OSBI criminal background investigation and not be listed in any Registry of Sexual Offenders (through fingerprinting paid for by Pivot, Inc.)
  • pass a drug test (paid for by Pivot, Inc.)
  • be compassionate, respectful and tolerant of a wide variety of personalities and persons including youth, parents, other team members, and those who refer youth to the shelter.
  • be reliable and dependable.

1. CERTIFICATES, LICENSES & REGISTRATIONS

Applicant must:

• • possess Case Management I or III certification or be working toward certification.
  • possess and produce a valid Oklahoma Driver’s License and current vehicle insurance verification.
  • must obtain and maintain CPR and First Aid Certifications
  • must obtain MAB training.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1. Physical Demands:
   • Includes standing, walking, bending, carrying, lifting, hand and finger dexterity, kneeling, vision and hearing.
     • Sedentary: heavy
     • Standing and walking: must be able to walk/stand 50% of the time.
     • Bending: bends and stoops up to 100 times per day
     • Carrying: may carry up to 50 lbs. May move equipment (average push force 20 lbs.)
     • Lifting: with assistance, lifts, moves and/or transfers patients who may weigh up to 300 lbs.
     • Pushing: average push force of 20 lbs. per day
     • Reaching: reaches overhead up to 50 times per day
     • Hand/finger dexterity: may apply pressure with hands. May utilize keyboard up to six hours per day.
     • Kneeling: may assume hand/knee position up to 25 times per day
     • Vision: must be able to see in order to read, write, provide client care, supervision and assess client condition
     • Hearing: must have hearing sensitivity, aided or unaided, sufficient to hear low level conversations of clients and equipment alarms set at usual levels. May utilize telephone three to five hours per day.
2. Environmental Conditions:
   • Includes exposure to hazardous risks and work environment conditions: moderate.
     • Moderate exposure to hazardous risks, including potential for exposure to infections and communicable diseases, blood and body fluids, and electrical equipment.
   • Potential for bodily injury related to lifting or incidents of workplace altercations.
   • Must follow universal safety precautions.
   • Exposed to constant interruptions, noise, disagreeable odors and assorted chemicals.
   • Exposed to contact with adolescents who may exhibit physical and behavioral outbursts related to mental health conditions.

Salary : $18 - $20