Awake Overnight Youth Development Professional

Greater Syracuse Works; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Elmcrest is seeking a Youth Development Professional to support youth in care, focusing on life skills, education planning, and transition readiness in a structured residential setting. The role emphasizes mentoring, safety, and empowerment within the TIP program in Tully, NY.

Youth workers collaborate with teams to deliver practical coaching, develop goals, and document progress, including night checks for overnight shifts.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience working with adolescents, ideally in residential or foster care.
• Knowledge of life skills coaching and transition planning.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct supervision, support, and guidance to youth in the TIP program.
• Teach and coach life skills, including cooking, budgeting, employment readiness, transportation use, and household management.
• Support youth in setting, pursuing, and achieving personal goals aligned with their transition plans.
• Facilitate workshops or small group activities related to financial literacy, job readiness, or independent living.
• Model positive behaviors and effective problem-solving in daily interactions with youth.
• Ensure compliance with agency policies, QRTP standards, and trauma-informed care practices.
• Maintain accurate documentation of youth progress, daily logs, and incident reports.
• Participate in team meetings, training, and continuous quality improvement efforts.
• Promote youth voice and choice, encouraging self-advocacy and independent decision-making.
• Provide regular documented night checks when working overnight shift.

Skills

Life skills coaching

Transition planning

Crisis intervention

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate’s or bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

Job Details

Job Details: Job Location: Skeele AOBH - Tully, NY, Position Type: Full Time, Education Level: High School, Salary Range: $20.19 - $24.05Hourly, Travel Percentage: None, Job Shift: Any, Job Category: Nonprofit - Social Services, This position is located in Tully, NY

Position Statement

The Youth Development Professional plays a crucial role in caring for youth placed in care at Elmcrest, particularly in our transition to independence programs. This position focuses on teaching, coaching, and mentoring youth in practical life skills, employment readiness, education planning, community engagement, and building healthy relationships. The YDP is charged with providing a safe, secure, and nurturing environment while continually utilizing natural, everyday opportunities to empower youth to build resilience, self-confidence, and the skills necessary for independent living.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct supervision, support, and guidance to youth in the TIP program.
• Teach and coach life skills, including cooking, budgeting, employment readiness, transportation use, and household management.
• Support youth in setting, pursuing, and achieving personal goals aligned with their transition plans.
• Facilitate workshops or small group activities related to financial literacy, job readiness, or independent living.
• Model positive behaviors and effective problem-solving in daily interactions with youth.
• Ensure compliance with agency policies, QRTP standards, and trauma-informed care practices.
• Maintain accurate documentation of youth progress, daily logs, and incident reports.
• Participate in team meetings, training, and continuous quality improvement efforts.
• Promote youth voice and choice, encouraging self-advocacy and independent decision-making.
• Provide regular documented night checks when working overnight shift.

Other Duties as Assigned: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Elmcrest’s Core Values & Competencies

• Honesty: Act with integrity and behave in a manner consistent with our policies, Code of Conduct and any regulatory and ethical guidelines. Utilize practices and techniques professionals train to interact with children, families and co-workers appropriately.
• Willingness to Learn: Open to new experiences and learning new skills and information that can improve professional development, progressive work environments and support the mission of Elmcrest.
• Dedication to Purpose: Display the necessary passion and empathetic abilities to serve the Elmcrest mission. Committed to improving the lives of children and families.
• Social Concern: Value human dignity and have respect for others. Actively seek out diverse approaches and points of view.
• Self-Examination: Systemically observe, analyze and utilize self-reflection to improve actions or results. Listen to constructive feedback and concerns and maintain positive relationships in the workplace.

Competencies

• Applies a strength-based and supportive approach to youth care.
• Ability to build positive, respectful, and empowering relationships with youth.
• Strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills.
• Physically able to provide crisis intervention, including physical restraints.
• Works effectively with internal teams and external community partners.
• Respects and supports the diverse backgrounds and needs of youth.

Qualifications

Elmcrest’s Core Values & Competencies

• Honesty: Act with integrity and behave in a manner consistent with our policies, Code of Conduct and any regulatory and ethical guidelines. Utilize practices and techniques professionals train to interact with children, families and co-workers appropriately.
• Willingness to Learn: Open to new experiences and learning new skills and information that can improve professional development, progressive work environments and support the mission of Elmcrest.
• Dedication to Purpose: Display the necessary passion and empathetic abilities to serve the Elmcrest mission. Committed to improving the lives of children and families.
• Social Concern: Value human dignity and have respect for others. Actively seek out diverse approaches and points of view.
• Self-Examination: Systemically observe, analyze and utilize self-reflection to improve actions or results. Listen to constructive feedback and concerns and maintain positive relationships in the workplace.

Competencies

• Applies a strength-based and supportive approach to youth care.
• Ability to build positive, respectful, and empowering relationships with youth.
• Strong communication, organizational, and teamwork skills.
• Physically able to provide crisis intervention, including physical restraints.
• Works effectively with internal teams and external community partners.
• Respects and supports the diverse backgrounds and needs of youth.

Required Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in human services, Social Work, Psychology, or related field preferred.
• Experience working with adolescents/young adults, ideally in residential or foster care.
• Knowledge of life skills coaching, transition planning

Essential Job Qualifications

• Ability to lift 50 pounds without assistance.
• Able to provide crisis intervention, including physical restraints. Restraints may include resistive force, bending, squatting, kneeling, lying down, and holding the youth to maintain safety.
• Ability to sit, squat, crouch, and stand for elongated periods
• Ability to lift arms overhead in a reaching motion
• Ability to walk up and down stairs several times per day..
• Valid Driver’s license with a driving record acceptable to our insurance carrier; ability to transport youth as needed