Duties and Responsibilities:
Case Management
• Utilize motivational interviewing and harm reduction approaches to promote follow-through with preventive care and treatment of conditions, such as substance use, mental health symptoms, and high-risk behavior.
• Assess youth cases through biopsychosocial evaluations and assessments to determine case management needs and goals related to mental health support or high-risk behavior and provide referrals to appropriate treatment or services.
• Create comprehensive individual case plans for youth tailored to their needs and goals towards education, employment, wellbeing, and stable housing.
• Provide intensive case management that includes identifying and removing existing or potential barriers and linking youth to relevant community resources.
• Establish quality rapport that increases levels of program engagement to provide excellent services and support.
• Develop a robust transition plan to thoroughly guide and support youth into stable housing.
• Coordinate weekly meetings to provide coaching and guidance on case plan goals related to housing, employment, education, wellness, and life skills.
• Evaluate ongoing information and assessments to ensure youth safety, wellbeing, and progress towards case plan goals and condition of their living environment.
• Coordinate and facilitate tasks related to apartment and program readiness for youth move-ins and exits.
• Lead care coordination meetings with youth and their care team related to their progress and needs in program as well as directly addressing program violations or concerns.
• Monitor site safety and cleanliness, including conducting thorough unit inspections.
• De-escalate conflict that may include incidents involving community violence, domestic violence, or suicide ideation.
• Provide crisis intervention and restorative justice techniques to reduce harm, support youth through incidents, and complete appropriate safety measures, such as safety plans and incident reports.
Workshop and Events
• Coordinate and facilitate monthly groups or workshops for youth that support life skills which increase self-sufficiency toward independent living and responsible adulthood.
• Attend community building activities, life skills workshops, and events for youth.
• Build community by encouraging youth participation to attend workshops and events.
Documentation and Administrative Duties
• Meet all due dates for data entry and documentation requirements.
• Document all service efforts on Apricot and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) within the required timeframes.
• Track youth progress towards goals and required outcomes.
• Analyze outcome data to improve service delivery.
• Attend agency required trainings and expand knowledge of services relevant to our population.
• Accurate and timely submission of all agency required documentation and procedures (e.g. mileage, payment request, reimbursement documents, etc.).
Other
• Other duties as assigned.
General United Friends Responsibilities
• Act as a role model within the organization to uphold and implement United Friends’ organizational values:
o Embrace program evaluation that leads to excellence and impact
o Build effective and empowering partnerships with the youth, community, and each other
o Create a fun and exciting environment that inspires learning and innovation
o Communicate openly, honestly and with humility across all groups
o Work together as one organization
• Staff hold a commitment to:
o A culturally responsive Trauma-Informed Approach to our population and client centered advocacy
o Strong knowledge of the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work.
o Support in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
o Evaluating the completeness, accuracy and relevance of data to determine information value and improve client services.
Required Qualifications:
● Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or equivalent preferred with 1-2 years of experience, or B.A. in a relevant field with 3 or more years of experience
● Experience providing direct services to high-risk population or youth experiencing homelessness preferred.
● Strong verbal and written communication skills.
● Highly motivated to engage in problem-solving and research innovative solutions.
● Ability to provide crisis management and de-escalation techniques.
● An ability to work in a fast-paced environment that requires effective collaboration with a multi-disciplinary service team and to work independently.
● High level of accountability and responsibility for role expectations.
● Trauma-informed and client-centered advocacy
● Understand the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work
● Passionate about United Friends’ mission and values.
● Must have a valid California Driver’s License and an insured and reliable vehicle.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Oral and written fluency in Spanish
