Youth Advocate, 1st Shift

Star House; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Star House in Columbus, OH is seeking a dedicated Youth Advocate to help youth ages 14-24 access basic needs, case management and community resources in a safe environment. You will greet and orient youth, manage front desk tasks and support daily activities while upholding trauma-informed practices.

The role reports to the Drop-In Services Supervisor and is a full-time, non-exempt position. Strong communication, organization, and crisis-intervention skills are essential.

Qualifications

• High school diploma required; associates degree preferred.
• Understanding trauma-informed care and how it applies to working with youth.
• Experience with homelessness, substance abuse, and adolescents/young adults strongly desired.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to engage guests to identify immediate needs and assist during crises.

Responsibilities

• Engages with clients, providing support, encouragement, a friendly face and understanding.
• Informs youth of available activities and resources in the house and around the community.
• Builds positive relationships to help youths’ self-efficacy.
• Monitors day-to-day activities around the center including cooking, cleaning and activities.
• Performs front desk duties including signing youth in/out, distributing mail and bus passes.
• Diffuses and intervenes in crisis situations as needed.
• Maintains a patient, understanding demeanor.
• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Skills

Trauma-informed care

Interpersonal skills

Crisis intervention

Multitasking

Education

High school diploma

Associate degree preferred

Tools

Computer skills

Job description

About Us:

Star House exists to lift young people out of homelessness and into a community of hope. Founded in 2006, Star House operates our nation’s only drop-in center for teens and young adults experiencing homelessness that offers immediate access to safety and hosts
continuous best practice research for effective service. Along with the Finance Fund and Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Star House operates the only housing village of its kind in Central Ohio for young people who are exiting homelessness. The organization met the unique needs of 1,418 individual young people in 2025, successfully connecting them with housing, jobs, education, health care, therapy and a range of community resources.

Star House’s mission is to do whatever it takes to support young people as they exit homelessness and thrive in a community of hope. Our vision is to replicate our evidence-based model of service for youth nationally and globally, based on the demand for our services in other communities.

We are seeking a Youth Advocate who believes in our mission; embodies our values of unconditional love, doing whatever it takes as long as it takes and creating innovative solutions; and who can help us achieve our vision with development expertise.

Job Description

Title:

Youth Advocate

Work Location:

Star House, 1220 Corrugated Way, Columbus, OH 43201

Reports To:

Drop-In Services Supervisor

Full-Time

Non-Exempt, Hourly

Position Summary:

Youth Advocates are essential employees who build a safe space and foundation of trust that guide youth, ages 14-24, access basic needs, case management, mental health care and achieve connection to crucial resources like housing, employment, education, health care and more. Youth Advocates are responsible for greeting and orienting youth, operating front desk duties, building trusting relationships, assistance in daily activities, enforcing guidelines, maintaining an orderly
environment and a host of other duties that allow Star House to achieve its mission.

Responsibilities and Essential Functions:

The following duties are representative of performance expectations; however, the list below is not ranked in order of importance.

• Engages with clients, providing support, encouragement, a friendly face and understanding
• Informs youth of available activities and resources in the house and around the community
• Builds positive appropriate relationships and leverages those relationships to help build youths’ ability and self-efficacy
• Monitors day-to-day activities around the center including cooking, cleaning and activities
• Assists with upkeep of facility which includes housekeeping duties, distributes and restocks supplies and resources.
• Performs front desk duties including answering and directing phone calls, signing youth in and out of the house, distributing mail, bus passes and bathroom keys
• Exhibits a proactive approach and ability to recognize potentially adverse situations
• Maintains a high level of patience and understanding
• Diffuses, de-escalates and provides crisis-intervention as situations require
• Performs other specific job-related duties as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer or his/her designee

“Job performance is evaluated according to the policy provisions of Star House and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio-Council of Governments.”

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma required; Associates degree preferred
• Able to demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of trauma-informed care and how they may apply to working with youth
• Able to demonstrate a belief in our mission statement
• Experience working with those experiencing homelessness, substance abuse, and adolescents/young adults strongly desired
• Strong interpersonal relationship skills
• Ability to engage with guests to identify immediate needs to assist guest during their crisis
• Have the ability to resolve crisis and non-crisis situations in a timely manner
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to multi-task
• Strong oral and written skills
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic status
• Experience working in a collaborative team approach to solving challenging situations
• Strong computer, organizational and customer service skills
• Documentation of a clear criminal record in compliance with state statute
• Complies with drug-free workplace rules and Star House and ESC-Council of Governments policies

Note:This assignment may require a valid driver’s license and access/availability of a reliable vehicle.

Star House is committed to equal opportunity employment, regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socio economic status, national origin, veteran or disability status. In order to further Star House’s mission, achieve our vision and live out our values, drawing from the collective wisdom of a diverse group of individuals is essential. With diverse minds influencing our work and decisions, we can go further for the young people we serve, ensuring that our continued programming and the solutions developed along the way are influenced by the best minds