Life Skills Coach

Youth Homes; California; On-site; USD 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive onboarding and field‑bas

Professional development opportunities

Training stipend

Flexible scheduling

Mileage reimbursement

Generous PTO and holidays

Health, dental, vision, retirement

EAP with mental health support

Job summary

Youth Homes in California is seeking a Life Skills Coach to help foster youth build practical life skills, confidence, and community connections. You will coach individually, facilitate experiences, and coordinate with clinicians to support education, housing, employment, and wellness.

You will work in a trauma-informed, culturally responsive way, prioritize relationship-building, and document care with attention to Medi-Cal and agency standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, human services, behavioral science, or related field
• Experience applying trauma-informed, culturally responsive care and family-centered approaches

Responsibilities

• Help youth build independence and self-advocacy
• Connect youth to opportunities in education, employment, housing, and wellness
• Deliver collaborative, team-based care with clinicians and caregivers
• Facilitate skill-building experiences through workshops and activities
• Maintain timely, high-quality clinical documentation across Medi-Cal and agency standards

Skills

Relationship-building

Organizational skills

Trauma-informed care

Culturally responsive

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

Bachelor's degree in psychology or related field

Job description

About the Organization Established in 1965, Youth Homes is Contra Costa's leading provider of trauma-informed programs for foster youth. We focus on empowering current and former foster youth, young adults with complex behavioral health challenges, and under-resourced children at risk of entering the foster care system.

About the Role | Why It's Exciting

As a Life Skills Coach, you will help youth and young adults build the practical skills, confidence, and community connections needed to achieve their goals and thrive independently. Working alongside clinicians in our Community-Based Services, you will provide individualized coaching, facilitate meaningful community experiences, and connect young people with education, employment, housing, wellness, and social opportunities. This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys building authentic relationships, meeting youth where they are, and creating opportunities that lead to lasting growth. As part of a team, you will deliver high-impact, community-based behavioral health services in Contra Costa County for a respected nonprofit with more than 60 years of service to youth and families. Our collaborative, strengths-based culture values your expertise, honors your lived experience, and actively supports your professional growth.

What You Bring

You are passionate about empowering youth and young adults to achieve greater independence and self-determination as they navigate their mental health challenges. You bring strong relationship-building skills, organizational excellence, and the ability to engage young people with empathy, patience, and accountability through a trauma-informed lens and culturally responsive interactions. We serve clients with broad and complex needs, so we would prefer candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Transition-age youth
• Employment readiness
• Housing navigation
• Educational advocacy
• Community engagement
• Working with historically marginalized communities and addressing behavioral health disparities
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are a plus and will be taken into consideration when factoring the overall compensation package, yet we welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Key Responsibilities

• Help Young People Build Independence
• Connecting Youth to Opportunities
• Deliver Collaborative, Team-Based Care
• Facilitate Skill-Building Experiences
• Maintain Quality Documentation

Provide trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally responsive mental health care through individual coaching that supports youth in building life skills, self-advocacy, employment readiness, educational success, housing stability, and overall wellness. Work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Develop partnerships with community organizations, schools, employers, and other service providers to expand opportunities and remove barriers impacting success.

Work closely with clinicians, caregivers, educators, and community partners to ensure coordinated support.

Co-facilitate workshops, activities, and experiential opportunities focused on social connection, employment, education, and independent living needs.

Maintain timely, high-quality clinical documentation and ensure compliance with Medi-Cal, HIPAA, and agency standards.

Why Youth Homes?

At Youth Homes, Life Skills Coaches are trusted partners, advocates, and leaders. We support and encourage your growth through:

• Comprehensive onboarding and field-based coaching
• Professional development opportunities
• Fully agency-sponsored training opportunities in trauma-informed and culturally responsive practice
• Annual training stipend
• Flexible scheduling with community-based work
• Mileage reimbursement
• Generous PTO plus 10 paid holidays
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and retirement benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with mental health support

Compensation & Career Path:

Starting pay rate: $23.42 - $24.59 per hour, based on experience. Bilingual differential: $2,435 or more annually. Clear career pathways exist for Life Skills Coaches interested in advancement in a lead or specialized role.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, human services, behavioral science, or related field
• Commitment to trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and family-centered care. Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills

Other Requirements

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Successfully pass required background checks and health screenings
• Reliable transportation, valid driver's license, and personal auto insurance required

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)

https://youthhomes.org/better-together

Position Requirements

Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

Position Life Skills Coach

Exempt/Non-Exempt Non-Exempt

EOE Statement

Youth Homes is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This position is currently accepting applications.