Lead Youth Advocate

Rising Ground; New York (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Rising Ground in Brooklyn, NY seeks a full-time Youth Peer Navigator to apply the Youth Peer Advocate Code of Ethics in daily practice and to support peer navigators with growth and professional development. You will participate in workshops and youth activities to keep programs youth-centered and safe.

This in-person role requires working hours Monday through Friday, with options and travel to Rising Ground sites as needed.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma is required.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential.
• Computer proficiency; knowledge of Connections is a plus.
• Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Model the Youth Peer Advocate Code of Ethics in daily practice.
• Reinforce appropriate use of lived experience, boundaries, confidentiality, professionalism, and youth voice.
• Support Peer Navigators with high-risk youth situations by helping them think through peer-based engagement strategies and knowing when to escalate concerns.
• Provide one-on-one peer development support focused on growth, confidence, facilitation, youth engagement, boundaries, communication, and professional development.
• Represent Rising Ground and Roadmap to Adulthood in approved school presentations, youth panels, community events, tabling opportunities, and external spaces where peer voice is needed.

Skills

Excellent verbal and writtencommunic

Computer proficiency

Bilingual (English/Spanish)

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

What You’ll Do

• Model the Youth Peer Advocate Code of Ethics in daily practice.
• Reinforce appropriate use of lived experience, boundaries, confidentiality, professionalism, and youth voice.
• Support Peer Navigators with high-risk youth situations by helping them think through peer-based engagement strategies and knowing when to escalate concerns.
• Provide one‑on‑one peer development support focused on growth, confidence, facilitation, youth engagement, boundaries, communication, and professional development.
• Support Peer Navigators in preparing for workshops, presentations, events, and youth activities.
• Work with the Program Director and Training Coordinator to help create peer‑centered trainings for new Peer Navigators.
• Assist with onboarding new Peer Navigators by helping them understand the peer role, YPA Code of Ethics, lived experience, documentation awareness, youth engagement, and professional expectations.
• Help ensure programming remains youth‑centered, youth‑influenced, and rooted in the peer‑based model.
• Support the Program Director with planning peer‑led workshops, lived‑experience programming, Youth Council, aftercare support, and youth‑centered events.
• Help build and support the Youth Council by encouraging youth voice, youth leadership, and youth feedback.
• Support aftercare and transition work by helping youth stay connected to resources, positive supports, and community.
• Represent Rising Ground and Roadmap to Adulthood in approved school presentations, youth panels, community events, tabling opportunities, and external spaces where peer voice is needed.
• Interact and collaborate with Peer Navigators from other runaway and homeless youth organizations during approved projects, events, panels, and peer‑centered initiatives.

Your Qualifications

• High School Diploma
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Computer proficiency; knowledge of Connections is a plus
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a plus

Supervisory Responsibility

No

Work Environment

Field/Corporate Office

Position Type / Expected Hours Of Work

This is a full‑time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday in Brooklyn. Work hours options are 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, 9:30 am – 5:30 pm, or 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Ability to work in‑person in Brooklyn for at least three days per week.
• Ability to travel to other Rising Ground sites if required.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of Rising Ground that the Agency wholly complies with equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, alienate, citizenship status, gender, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.