Youth Advocate Streetwork - Evenings/Nights

Youth Advocate Streetwork - Evenings / Nights

Our Vision :

Safe Horizon envisions a society free of family and community violence. We will lead the way by empowering victims of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking to move from crisis to confidence.

Our Mission :

Safe Horizon's mission is to provide support, prevent violence and promote justice for victims of crime and abuse, their families and communities.

Summary :

Youth Advocates provide comprehensive services to adolescents and young adults impacted by homelessness and involved in street activities (gangs, violence, drug use / sale and survival sex).

Services provided by Youth Advocate include assessment, case planning, case facilitation and management, counseling, referrals, outreach, crisis transportation, daily living services (food, shower, respite), triage counseling, recreational activities and support groups.

Youth Advocate delivers services from a background of greater experience; they act as leaders for the team providing services at our drop-in centers.

The Youth Advocate coordinates with Safe Horizon supporting programs and local agencies to provide short and long term care necessary to meet the wide range of needs related to homeless adolescents.

Essential Job Functions :

• Intake and assessment for individuals seeking assistance
• Triage counseling
• Engagement of adolescents into program structure (harm reduction philosophy, rules, mutual respect)
• Crisis intervention and individual counseling using a comprehensive harm reduction approach
• Perform reparative interventions as part of a harm reduction approach
• Milieu counseling
• Offer counseling and harm reduction experience to support members of the counseling staff
• Facilitate access to daily living needs (food, clothes, hygiene supplies, space to rest)
• Providing information and counseling to homeless adolescents regarding shelter options
• Advocacy on behalf of clients for public assistance and entitlements with city agencies
• Advocacy on behalf of under 18-year-old clients for Administration for Children’s Services support
• Case management, preparation of case records, prepare monthly and quarterly statistical reports
• Mediation for internal conflicts
• Provide primary role in group facilitation and conducting of educational presentations on HIV / AIDS, risk reduction and topics related to sub-populations of homeless youth
• Provide street outreach to homeless and street involved young people, as assigned
• Escort homeless youth to appropriate services and provide transportation as part of case plan
• Serve as a advocate and liaison for clients negotiating the shelter system and other social service programs
• Leadership role in weekly case conferencing meetings
• Maintain routine administrative responsibilities to include the preparation of correspondence, maintaining files, mail, email, and telephone.
• Participation and leadership role at staff trainings, staff meetings, and staff group process workshops
• Participate in weekly supervision

Secondary Job Functions :

• Petty Cash reconciliation
• Identification of new resources appropriate for population
• Provide wellness and recreational (engagement) activities
• Coordinate services with other Streetwork staff and on-site legal, medical, and psychiatric service providers
• Manage events in the Drop-In Center, monitor entrance to the program, oversee concrete support to clients, provide transportation to NYC Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs and oversee meal preparation

Interacts with :

• All Streetwork program sites and staff
• All internal Safe Horizon programs and departments that can comprehensively support the client and case plan
• All external agencies and organizations that can provide appropriate services to the client

Knowledge and Skills :

Required :

• Compassionate approach to others and openness to new ideas
• Dynamic energy, able to multi-task and negotiate multiple demands on attention
• Non-judgmental approach and ability to empathize with others
• Clear and concise verbal and written communication skill, excellent interpersonal and organization skills
• Genuine interest in working with disenfranchised youth and young adults
• Understanding of and ability to work from harm reduction perspective
• Demonstrated ability to work independently

Required :

GED or High School Diploma

Desirable :

Bachelor’s Degree in social services, creative arts, liberal studies or any field related to working with youth

Experience : Required :

Required :

• Two years of high-quality work at a Streetwork Project site OR
• Four years substantial experience working with at-risk / homeless adolescents in a harm reduction program
• Valid Driver's License

Desirable :

Personal experience with street survival activities (homelessness, gangs, drug economy, sex industry) with at least three years separation from involvement in these activities as well as a deep understanding of the relationship between personal experiences and professional standards.

Other :

Understanding of computer and systems for managing case records

Shift : Tuesday-Saturday 6pm to 2am

If hired, I agree to abide by all of Safe Horizon’s rules and regulations, and understand that, if employed, my employment may be terminated with or without cause, and with or without notice, at any time, at the option of either the company or me.

I further understand that no representation, whether oral or written by any representative or agent of the organization, at any time, constitutes a contract of employment

AmeriCorps, Peace Corps and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.