JOB TITLE: YOUTH ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST

Covenant House California (CHC) is a nonprofit organization that provides sanctuary and support for youth overcoming homelessness, ages 18-24. CHC believes that no young person deserves to be homeless; that every young person in California deserves housing, food, clothing, education, and most importantly, to be loved. CHC provides a full continuum of services to meet the physical, emotional, educational, vocational, and spiritual well-being of young people.
CHC’s doors are open to youth and staff regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We believe that youth and team members deserve to be in an environment that is inclusive and affirming; where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and valued and appreciated for who they are. Maintaining a diverse community of youth and staff is key to our ability to achieve our mission most effectively. We are also committed to being a leader in advancing anti-racism, and to promoting opportunities for the free expression of the lived experiences of our youth and staff.
We are looking for people who, like us, believe that every young person deserves a place to belong. We think it takes all kinds of people to create diverse solutions to end youth homelessness and we are on a committed journey to build an inclusive and equitable work culture that brings out the best in everyone. In our Los Angeles location, which is our flagship site, we offer a full continuum of housing and support services to young people. Over the past 36 years, our services have grown and expanded, and we serve more than 900 young people every year.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Youth Engagement Specialists (YES) are an essential and core position on our residential team. CHC is looking for passionate, qualified Youth Engagement Specialists who are skilled in supporting youth who have experienced homelessness and human trafficking, have experienced trauma identify as LGBTQ+, are gender non-conforming, and/or who often face multiple issues and have complex needs. Youth Engagement Specialists will have knowledge and/or experience utilizing a strengths-based, harm reduction framework, using trauma-informed practices and will value working within a multi-disciplinary team to create a safe inclusive environment for all.
All CHC staff work together to facilitate safety and comprehensive programming for youth in our housing programs. Youth Engagement Specialists facilitate the day-to- day operations and duties, provide essential supervision and support, including triage of door and phones, assessing safety, preventing, and managing crises, upholding programmatic policy and procedure, documentation, light cleaning and building maintenance, as well as being a positive adult role model that relentlessly engages with our youth.
Overnight shifts are awake, and staff must complete overnight checklist to ensure facility is prepared for next day.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services or related field preferred or equivalent experience in residential program. High School Diploma required.
EXPERIENCE: Minimum of 1-2 years’ experience working with youth ages 18-24.
SKILLS: Must be well organized and have strong verbal and written communication skills. Must be computer literate (Word, Outlook, Excel, etc.) Must be a self-starter and team player with the ability to work with other staff members, youth, vendors, and the community.
TRANSPORTATION: Must have a valid CA driver’s license and good driving record. May need to transport clients/staff if required using agency transportation.
WORKING CONDITIONS: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. General business/office/shelter environment. Must be able to lift up to 40 lbs. on occasion, bend, sit and stand for prolonged periods of time. As we are open 24/7, Staff are required to work one weekend day, and holiday work may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may work occasionally in outside weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud.
KNOWLEDGE/TRAINING: Has and/or willing to obtain training and knowledge in the following areas: Adolescent Development, Crisis Intervention, Multi-Cultural Awareness, Trauma Informed Care, Harm Reduction, and CPR & FIRST AID.
SUPERVISORY DUTIES: Not Applicable. This position does not supervise other staff members.
EQUIPMENT USED: Telephones, handheld two-way communication radio, computers, computer peripherals, and basic word processing, email, and internet programs.
ADDITIONAL: As this position provides direct care to young people that are 18-24 years old, we require that applicants are at least 25 years old.
Covenant House California does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.
Covenant House California is an equal opportunity employer. We will not discriminate and will take affirmative action measures to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression

• Build rapport with youth and act as a positive role model and safe adult while maintaining and facilitating healthy boundaries.
• Work directly with youth doing triage (i.e., field questions, enquire on needs, clarify the problem, etc.)
• Direct supervision of youth on-site, on outings and during meetings and appointments in the community.
• Provide welcoming, engaging, and professional phone and door coverage to include answering and responding to incoming crisis, business information, resource, and referral inquiries.
• Crisis prevention and intervention while adhering to agency protocol for responding, reporting, and seeking support.
• Teach basic life skills such as personal hygiene, household cleaning, and interpersonal interactions, in a manner that is compassionate to each youth’s situation.
• Be a proactive and involved team member and encourage youth to participate in activities.
• Lead groups and workshops on skill building and healthy choices.
• Develop knowledge of the current community resources available to youth.
• Inspect common areas of the housing program for cleanliness daily.
• Maintain consistent communication with the multidisciplinary team by preparing clear and concise shift notes, logs and critical incident reports.
• Maintain safety awareness of situations and spaces.
• Attend trainings, meetings, and supervision check-ins as assigned.
• Be timely and present at all scheduled meetings, trainings, and shifts.
• Perform day to day operations and duties in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Provide supervision of the program, including oversight and maintenance of the various areas of the facility.
• Function as Person in Charge (PIC), as designated.
• As needed, collaborate with outreach team to ensure addition of new youth referrals to shelter waitlist and keep waitlist updated with youth communication. This includes documented efforts to locate youth, support them onsite or via phone/email, as well as outreach opportunities in the community as assigned.