Youth Development Specialist

Family Connections, Inc.; Maplewood (NJ); On-site; USD 27,276 - 38,848; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Retirement plans

Paid holidays

Professional development assistance

Job summary

Family Connections, Inc. is seeking a Youth Development Specialist to foster social development through recreational and psycho-educational groups. You will supervise programming, build rapport with students, and advocate for their needs in school and community settings.

The role emphasizes collaboration with a team, handling supervision responsibilities, and ensuring timely documentation while supporting adolescents in an urban environment. Salary is $24.00/hour with full-time benefits.

Qualifications

• Must have minimum high school diploma; 3 years youth service experience; bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience with urban adolescents is required.
• Knowledge of adolescent development and community resources.
• Ability to create a warm, non-threatening therapeutic atmosphere.
• Ability to work in a diverse, collaborative team.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coordinate recreational programming and field trips.
• Build rapport with students to develop social skills and advocate as needed.
• Facilitate prevention and psycho-educational groups.
• Ensure documentation and data input into MIS in a timely fashion.
• Provide case management to students as necessary.
• Monitor students’ academic and behavioral progress.
• Assist in developing and marketing programs in school and community.
• Discuss suspected abuse with Manager/Coordinator and report to DCP&P.
• Perform other duties as deemed necessary by the Manager/Coordinator.

Skills

Therapeutic communication

Adolescent counseling

Team collaboration

Student advocacy

Cultural competence

Education

High School diploma

3 years youth service worker experience

Bachelor’s Degree in human services (preferred)

Job description

Position Title

Youth Development Specialist

Reports To

SBYSP Manager

Broad Function

To foster social development through facilitation of recreation and psycho‑educational groups.

Core Values

• Demonstrates cultural competence through an awareness of and sensitivity towards Agency’s clients’ and coworkers’ cultural and socioeconomic characteristics and integrates culture throughout the clinical process.
• Is committed to the value of a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a child and believes in the capacity of people to grow and change.
• Works from a strengths‑based perspective.
• Understands and works well with other service systems (i.e.; child protective, juvenile justice, division on aging, probation and parole), maximizing resources to assist client.
• Recognizes that consumers come first and responds to consumers appropriately.
• Knows and adheres to all FC Policies and Procedures, participates in QI Committee or Subcommittee and/or keeps abreast of QI policies and procedures.

Professionalism

• Values and participates in the Team as a proactive member.
• Respects others’ professional opinions and tolerates a range of feelings.
• Able to give and receive constructive criticism.
• Willing to take on extra work when needed (e.g. when there is a vacancy).
• Performs required tasks according to the program philosophy, policies and procedures.
• Is courteous, approachable, and cooperative toward others and conducts self in a mature, competent, confident, and respectful manner.
• Understands and adheres to confidentiality rights of clients, co‑workers and agency, consistent with HIPAA, and protects personal health information in written, verbal and electronic forms.
• Practices self‑care, has a sense of humor, and possesses a healthy work/life balance to provide great customer service.
• Ensures the safety & comfort of others by communicating the presence of hazards, injuries, equipment problems or any need for help and knows the emergency evacuation and all other safety policies.
• In times of crisis is willing to help others and communicates urgent information quickly to supervisor / Team.
• Maintains good attendance (per contracted FT or PT schedule) and attendance does not impair or negatively affect the team.
• Is punctual for client appointments, meetings, etc.
• Meets program productivity requirements.
• Uses good judgement, practices ethical decision‑making, and explores all options in problem solving.

Supervision

• Attends supervision consistently and comes prepared.
• Documents supervision.
• Able to receive feedback and to learn from it.
• Has insight about self and utilizes that knowledge toward growth and change.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coordinate recreational programming and field trips.
• Build and maintain rapport; interact with students during appropriate times to facilitate social skill development and advocate for students as needed.
• Facilitate prevention and psycho‑educational groups.
• Ensure documentation and data input into Management Information System is completed in a timely fashion.
• Provide case management to students as necessary.
• Monitor students’ academic and behavioral progress.
• Assist in the development and marketing of programs in the school environment and community.
• Discuss all suspected cases of abuse and neglect with Manager/Coordinator and report to DCP&P.
• Perform other duties as deemed necessary by the Manager/Coordinator of SBYSP.

Specifications

• Education/Certification: Minimum High School diploma, 3 years experience as a youth service worker; Bachelor’s Degree in human services field preferred.
• Experience: Proven ability to work with adolescents in an urban setting.
• Knowledge: Knowledge of adolescent development, knowledge of community resources, knowledge of group process.
• Skills and Abilities: Ability to create a warm, non‑threatening therapeutic atmosphere; provide non‑judgmental responses; counsel adolescents; work as a member of a team; advocate for students with school personnel; work with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Professional Characteristics: Open, warm, empathic, attentive listener, self‑aware, ethical, creative, organized, flexible, open to criticism, patient, responsible, able to work independently, mature, self‑motivated, dedicated, enthusiastic, willing to take on additional tasks and responsibilities, interested in seeking additional training and skills.

Salary

– $24.00 an hour

Vacation & Benefits

• Vacation: As a full‑time employee working generally 35 hours per week, you will be eligible to participate in the Family Connections group benefit plans. Benefits include medical, dental, life insurance, long‑term disability, retirement plans, and additional supplementary benefits. You will also be eligible to accrue vacation, personal, and sick days in addition to 12 paid holidays, and summer wellness Fridays.
• Additional benefits: professional development assistance, referral program, internal/external trainings, Capella University partnership, 403b retirement plan with employer matching (3% max) (you can enroll in your 403b without a waiting period), employer‑paid life insurance, employer‑paid Long‑term Disability (LTD) insurance, employer‑paid Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, etc.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Family Connections is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to excellence. Employment offers are made on the basis of qualifications and without regard to race, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation or other protected classes under the State and Federal law.

Other Employment Information

Family Connections participates in E‑Verify and will provide the federal government with information from each new employee’s Form I‑9 to confirm authorization to work in the United States. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and eligible for full‑time employment on a W‑2 basis. This role must be performed in a manner that is fully compliant with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including those of the State of New Jersey. C2C, 1099, or other non‑W‑2 arrangements are not eligible for consideration.