Youth Peer Educator

Job Description

DEPARTMENT: Community Services

POSITION TITLE:     Youth Peer Educator                                        FLSA: Non-Exempt  

OVERVIEW: This role involves aiding fellow youth in accessing and navigating YEP services, delivering necessary training and support. As a bridge between youth and the program, Peer Educators will offer insights and recommendations for program development and service improvements.

DIRECT REPORTS:  N/A

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED:

• Demonstrated experience working with transitional-aged youth or similar populations.
• Strong understanding of the challenges faced by youth on the verge of homelessness.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to connect with and support peers effectively.
• Knowledge of local resources and services for transitional-aged youth.
• Ability to support/ facilitate training sessions and workshops.

PREFERRED:

1. Collaborate on creating and implementing programs rooted in personal lived experiences that contribute to the overall well-being of youth participants.

1. Support fellow peers in navigating benefit and entitlement applications, ensuring a comprehensive understanding and access to available support systems.

1. Advocate for timely and cost-effective services that resonate with the unique needs of at-risk youth, drawing from personal experiences to highlight their importance.

1. Respond empathetically to any challenges that arise during service delivery, ensuring a seamless and supportive experience for participants based on personal insights.

1. Share personal insights to assist peers in achieving and maintaining independent living within their home environments.

1. Assist in scheduling appointments for peers to access necessary services and resources, leveraging personal knowledge to enhance accessibility.

1. Keep accurate records of personal service history and progress, emphasizing the unique journey and achievements of each individual.

1. Monitor and share information about changes, introductions, or discontinuations of services, drawing on personal experiences to relate to peers.

1. Reflect on the quality of shared experiences and services, identifying areas for improvement and collaboratively implementing enhancements.

1. Collaborate with community partners, using personal connections and insights to expand the network of available services.

1. Build positive relationships with external stakeholders based on shared experiences, enhancing program effectiveness and outreach through authentic connections.

1. Organization Duties:
   1. Timely and accurate submission of timecards to supervisor
   2. Time away from the Office, Program and/or Home (i.e. vacations, personal time off, leaves of absence) must be pre-approved by supervisor and requested based on process outlined in the UC Employee Handbook.
   3. Maintain knowledge of staff handbook, policies, procedures, manuals, and pertinent documentation
2. Other duties as assigned.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.   The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

1. Read and interpret documents and procedure manuals.  Write routine reports and correspondence.
2. Speak effectively in small settings and groups, i.e. UC employees, clients, or residents.
3. Apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. 
4. Resolve problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
5. Identify negative disruptive behaviors and redirect behavior using mediation and de-escalation techniques.
6. Employees are occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop; kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. 
7. Employees must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 
8. Employees may be required to make or receive physical contact with clients and residents, such as  in the process of delivering First Aid/CPR or de-escalation interventions.
9. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
10. Must have CPR and First Aid certificate within 10 days of start date and maintain a current certificate with Human Resources.
11. Must clear a Department of Justice background check including fingerprinting before start date and maintain clearance.
12. Must be able to work in a DSS Community Care Licensed Facility.
13. Must clear a health screening, including TB before start date and maintain clearance.
14. Must have a car, valid California Driver License and be able to drive, have a clean driving record and maintain a clean driving record.
15. Meet and maintain the minimum vehicle liability and property insurance limits (to be insured by our insurance carrier for using vehicle for business purposes such as transportation of residents or reimbursement of business-related mileage expenses).

Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described in this document are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time and the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands at the sole discretion of the company.  The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not to be all-inclusive.  They represent typical elements and criteria to successfully perform the job.

The Unity Care Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Unity Care Group does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.”

Salary : $18 - $22