Youth Coach Jobs

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Director of Education/Fair Futures Program Director in the LEAP (Learning Education and Achievement Pathways) division, Youth Coaches are responsible for supporting, advocating for, and assisting young people in foster care to help them make progress toward academic, career, housing, stability, and wellness goals. Youth coaches will be assigned to youth of high school age, regardless of their academic status.

Coaches use a trauma-informed and strength-based approach with young people to build trusting, long-term relationships. The overall goal is to provide educational support, direction, and advocacy for youth in foster care, their parents, and their foster parents so that youth graduate high school, persist in a post-secondary setting, build progressive career development experiences in line with their interests and strengths, and develop academic/vocational plans that will help them navigate onto a living wage career pathway.

Essential Job Functions:

• Regularly review transcripts, attendance material, individualized educational plans (IEPs), and other academic data to monitor youth’s progress;
• Help young people to develop individualized academic and career development goals based on their interests, experiences, and strengths; use process maps and dashboards to assist in goal development and progress tracking;
• Help young people navigate challenges that arise, prevent and navigate crises, and celebrate successes;
• Collaborate with all relevant partners such as Case Planners, Tutors, Specialists, Guidance Counselors, and foster/birth parents to help youth achieve their goals;
• Complete training as required;
• Meet routinely and regularly with young people in the community, including at home, school, and other service provider locations;
• Connect young people to quality schools, programs, resources, and opportunities in line with their goals; assist young people to access and maintain stable, safe, and affordable housing in addition to other needed supportive services;
• Data entry and documentation as required;
• Use Motivational Interviewing techniques to assist youth in taking measurable steps towards their goals;
• Conduct school visits to build connection with educational providers, monitor youth progress, and provide advocacy as needed;
• Provide college persistence coaching, including ensuring students are receiving all of the financial and academic supports they need to succeed each semester;
• Facilitate peer groups that focus on skill development such as healthy communication, positive peer relationships, dealing with peer pressure, and service learning;
• Build relationships and effectively engage a caseload of young people; provide ongoing social/emotional support as well as educational guidance;
• Re-engage disconnected youth and help them re-enroll in an academic setting;
• Work in collaboration with educational partners to help youth identify post-secondary pathways, such as college and/or accredited vocational programs, and develop post-secondary planning (inclusive of financial aid, funding, and scholarships);

• Hybrid work schedule - remote work hours available

Knowledge, Education and Skills Required:

• Knowledge and experience working with youth in child welfare, education, and/or youth development systems;
• Demonstrated understanding of trauma-informed practice;
• Strong time-management, organizational skills, and attention to detail;
• Demonstrated ability to conduct outreach and build partnerships with outside community agencies and other stakeholders;
• Excellent at written and oral communications;
• Lived experience in foster care is preferred;
• Associate’s degree in related field with 3+ years of experience with at-risk or system-involved youth; Bachelor’s degree in Education, Human Services, or related field is preferred

Required Certification/Licensing:

• Candidates must complete required training for both JCCA and Fair Futures

Other Requirements:

• Youth Coach must routinely conduct visits to client’s homes, schools, and other agency partners;
• Youth Coach, though working a 35-hour week, will sometimes need to modify schedules to work evenings and/or weekends, as necessary to accommodate young people.
• Youth Coach must routinely travel between JCCA locations as necessary;

Salary: $27.47 per hour