Outreach Youth Advocate

Make an impact: As a Youth Advocate you will use a healing centered engagement approach to providing compassionate, unconditional care to youth ages 12 to 17 at the YMCA Sedro Woolley Recreation Center (SWRC) in Sedro Woolley, WA. Directly contribute to fostering a safe, confidential, and secure environment for youth using the SWRC. Youth Advocates model healthy, pro-social behaviors and support youth in activities such as homework help/tutoring, vocational coaching, cooking/nutritional, and social-emotional skills. Identify unmet needs of youth and with youth’s consent, assist in troubleshooting solutions/accessing resources that can help fulfill unmet needs.

Learn, Grow and Serve: Were committed to growing the capabilities of our people. We are devoted to a community where employees feel a sense of belonging, and are valued for their contributions and the perspectives they bring. We are on a mission to create positive community change through relationships by empowering the mind, body and spirit of ALL! Above all else, we are on a relentless quest to make our community stronger.

This position is for you, if you can:

• Model and execute an unconditional, healing centered engagement approach to working with youth. Maintaining awareness of emotional and physical state of youth while on shift.

• Assure youth check in and check out of the SWRC upon arriving to and leaving the facility. Keeps a regular head count of how many youths are using the space at a given time.

• Maintain excellent upkeep and care for the facility, including modeling what excellent care looks like to youth and holding youth to the same standard of care for the facility.

• Participate and at times facilitate group activities, which may include games, art projects and group conversations.

• Assure all rules are followed by youth and staff alike within the SWRC.

• Actively listens to and engages with youth each shift, facilitating daily activities and occasional meals.

• Foster a safe, confidential, and secure environment for youth who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability and may have a history of trauma.

• Monitor youth behavior and maintain appropriate notes and daily logs, maintaining clear and concise records of all incidents.

• Provide conflict resolution and verbal de-escalation in both group and individual crisis situations, responding and reporting in a timely fashion to aggressive or violent behavior, suicidal ideation or self-harm, allegations of abuse and neglect, unsafe behaviors or circumstances, and sexual exploitation/commercial sexual abuse of youth.

• Complete intake phone calls to Child Protective Services (CPS) in the event that abuse or neglect is identified against a minor (which applies to any youth, not just youth at the SWRC) in compliance with Mandated Reporting laws.

• Learn about and maintains awareness of local resources for supporting youth in Sedro Woolley.

You got this, if you:

• Are 21 years of age or older

• Have an Associate’s Degree in a related field, or equivalent work experience

• Have good verbal and written communication skills.

• Have knowledge of crisis de-escalation, negotiation and problem-solving techniques.

• Have the ability to model healthy, pro-social behavior and socialization skills for teens.

• Have the ability to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

• Have the ability to institute positive reinforcements and to work as a team-member in a residential, dynamic, and multi-cultural environment.

• Have knowledge of, or interest in learning, Harm Reduction, Positive Youth Development, and Housing First best practices and how they specifically affect young people.

The following job requirements will be supported by the YMCA during the on-boarding process:

• Must be able to be cleared by DCYF to work in a shelter facility

• Completion of a negative TB Test by Mantoux method (required before beginning work).

• Current Food Handler’s Card within 30 days of employment.

• Current state approved certifications in CPR/AED, First Aid & Bloodborne Pathogens within 90 days of hire.

• Completion of 16 hours of new hire training before working shifts with youth on topics such as Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention and Mandatory Reporting.

Excellent benefits, which include:

• Paid Vacation & Sick Time

• Three paid personal days per year

• Free Household YMCA membership

• 403(b) Retirement Saving Account

• 403(b) Retirement Employer Match (after two years with 1,000 hours)

• Holiday pay (must be scheduled for 30-hours a week or more to qualify)

• Medical, Dental & Life Insurance (must be scheduled for 30-hours a week or more to qualify)

• Additional bilingual, premium pay of $0.50 for those who are fluent bilingual Spanish, Triqui, Mixteco, Russian and Ukranian speakers. Ability to write or translate written materials is not required to receive this premium.