Youth Support Specialist - Team Lead Overnight

Brooklyn Park, MN

ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

Avenues for Youth provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid re-housing, collective housing, and host homes housing for youth and young families experiencing housing instability and homelessness. We strive to do that in a safe and nurturing environment through a social justice lens. Avenues seeks to partner with youth and young families while they define their experiences, life dreams and future. Our work takes into account historical trauma, systems of oppression, and intersectionality while being grounded in the power of resiliency, healing, and community.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Avenues’ original and oldest program is now known as Minneapolis Avenues. Located in North Minneapolis, this program provides emergency shelter, transitional housing and intensive supportive services for 20 youth at a time, ages 18 to 24. Annually, the program supports 170 to 190 young people.

In early 2015, we expanded into the northwest suburbs with the opening of Brooklyn Avenues, a 12-bed shelter and transitional housing program for homeless youth ages 16 to 21 from the northwest suburbs of Hennepin County. We anticipate this program will support 80 to 100 young people every year.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Lead Duties

Participate in the process of recruiting and screening prospective evening and overnight Youth Counselor staff.
Train evening and overnight staff on specific job and shift expectations.
Collaborate with Program Managers to identify and facilitate staff development and the performance evaluation process for overnight Youth Counselor staff.
Role Model positive social interactions by involving youth in positive conflict resolution activities.
Coach and assist staff in crisis management, de-escalation, mediation of conflicts and our 9 principled-based practices.
Ensure best practices are implemented by Youth Counselors in their service areas including intake, assessment, confidentiality/data management, reporting, and follow-up.
Update Rosters
Aide overnight Youth Counselor staff in the delivery of youth engagement and ILS activities during their shift.
Document in each youth’s file and pass-on log to communicate information in a timely manner at the end of each shift.

Meeting Basic Needs of Youth

Form genuine professional relationships with youth by providing time to get to know the youth and meet their needs.
Engage youth so that they are provided with a safe environment.
Utilize opportunities to meet one-on-one with youth to provide mentoring and guidance.
Meet the basic needs of youth by providing personal care supplies and clothing, as needed.
Participate in youth wake-ups based on work or school schedule and help the youth be productive by waking and starting their day in a timely manner.
Provide support for completing homework and school assignments.
Complete prep work for meals and serve in a timely manner.

Coaching on Independent Living Skills

Guide youth toward Independent Living Skills by assisting them to establish routines that help prepare them to live on their own and to be successful and stable in housing, school, work, and relationships.
Provide support and assist youth in gaining independent living skills.
Assist other staff to provide support and connect youth to appropriate resources and make progress on personal goals.
Address crises and conflict in a calm, respectful, and timely manner.
Assist youth with house chores and sign off on completed chores.

Managing the House and On-Site Supervision

Provide proactive intervention of conflict between youth to prevent escalation.
Answer the phones and the door and direct visitors appropriately.
Provide callers in crisis with counseling and appropriate referrals.
Answer phone calls regarding youth housing and refer to appropriate resources.
Document the demographic information of youth turned away.
Complete a thorough intake with youth once they are accepted into the program.
Do room checks every hour and document who is present and absent.
Consult the shift checklist to prioritize and complete tasks.
Engage & encourage youth in ILS and completing chores.
Ensure the cleanliness of the house; complete unfinished chores.
Other duties as assigned.

Communication and Paperwork

Role model positive social interactions by involving youth in positive conflict resolution opportunities.
Fax forms to county.
Journal daily activities.
Communicate verbally the issues of the house at the end of each shift to the next staff person on duty (pass-on communication).
Document in each youth’s file and pass-on log to communicate information in a timely manner, i.e., at the end of each shift.
Complete production forms for meals.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

BA/BS in social work, human services, education, or related field; three-to-five years of related experience and/or training; or the equivalent combination of education, lived and work experience, and training.
Possess basic computer skills.
Be at least 23 years of age.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly require to sit, stand, bend, twist, kneel, and communicate. The employee must regularly list and/or move up to 25 pounds.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION (DEI)

Avenues for Youth is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We embrace diversity, foster inclusion, and do our work through an equitable lens. Persons of color, women, members of the LGBTQ community, veterans, other minorities, and individuals with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the organization will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

Job Title: Youth Support Specialist – Team Lead

Department: Shelter and Transitional Living

Primary Location: Brooklyn Avenues

Reports To: Program Manager

Employment Status: Full Time Hourly Non-Exempt

Core Schedule: Overnight Hours