Youth Counselor (Navigator) Based At Discovery High School In The Bronx

POSITION: Youth Counselor (Navigator) based at Discovery High School, Bronx, NY location.

REPORTS TO: Deputy Director of Programs

LOCATION: 123 William Street 5th Floor, New York, NY 10038

POSITION TYPE: Full-time

SCHEDULE: Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm

SALARY: 60k + benefits depending on experience

ORGANIZATION:

The Institute for Career Development (ICD) is a long-established, highly regarded not-for-profit workforce development organization based in New York City. For over 100 years, ICD has been a leader helping people with disabilities, challenges or barriers to employment transform their lives through career development and employment.

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

The Navigator & Youth Counselor serves as a trusted resource and shepherd for youth with disabilities as they move from high school to adult life. Navigators help youth determine and identify their post-high school goals and support them in working on skill gaps that might prevent them from achieving these goals. Navigators will also enable youth to discover and lean into their strengths, while developing confidence and self-advocacy skills necessary to succeed beyond high school. The role of the Navigator will also center on parent involvement and on ensuring that a strong network of social and community support surrounds the young person. To this end, ICD Navigators will also be responsible for linking program participants to ICD’s vocational training and other services in collaboration with the Vocation and Youth Counselors, and also with other trusted partner organizations that can provide services needed by participants to succeed but which ICD is not best positioned to offer in-house. To implement these activities, navigators will meet with youth at least monthly, but sometimes more often if required. Additional touchpoints can be facilitated as necessary, either virtually or via telephone.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Intake and Assessment Services

• Conduct intakes and evaluations during client assessment, specifically behavioral observations and recording behavior patterns; and administering and interpreting tests and work sample results, specifically to interpret specific vocational data to clients.

• Thereafter, support youth with disabilities and their families by helping them understand their options to make choices that reflect youth’s values, needs, and abilities and by resolving problems and crises as they arise. Specifically, support specific outcomes such as employment, postsecondary education, and community living.
• Also, identifying challenges to specific types of employment and/or the rationale for reasonable work accommodations. And implementing modifications to obtain the most accurate assessment of each client’s reading, writing and math skills as well as physical abilities.

Career Counseling and Youth Transition Services

• Assess and develop the work readiness skills of each program participant; and provide job exploration counseling and instruction in self-advocacy; and facilitate soft skills groups for assigned clients addressing job readiness and life skills related to attainment of pre-employment competencies; and conduct activities to enhance motivation and improve student communication skills.
• Develop internship opportunities that meet the needs of the individual participant and establish affiliation agreements with local businesses to serve as internship sites and provide work experience to program participants; and visit internship/employment sites to observe and consult with site supervisors/contacts.
• Perform comprehensive and systematic collection, archiving, and use of data and information, including demographics, intervention tracking, and reporting.
• Maintain accurate time and attendance records for all participants.
• Provide support with daily living issues such as transportation and mobility as well as emotional support, crisis management, home visits, and transition support from secondary to post-secondary settings.
• Plan and conduct workshops and training. Specifically, plan and facilitate groups on job readiness, interviewing and job seeking skills, work-related life skills, job support groups.
• Establish professional boundaries and ethical behavior within the case management relationship.

Parent Engagement

• Understand and respond to unique family dynamics, including provision of culturally responsive services and supports; youth and family preferences; and relationships of individual family members.

Develop Resources and Referrals

• Act as liaison with participant referral sources and other collaterals including case managers, treatment providers, internship site supervisors and employers.
• Understand referral requirements of state and local agencies and schools, including brokering meaningful community partnerships, promotion of referrals, and communication across invested stakeholders.
• Develop, cultivate, maintain, and expand a network of community providers to aid in information and referral in response to the needs of youth and families being served.
• Develop knowledge of and ability to navigate across various systems that intersect the lives of youth and family members, including but not limited to schools and transition; workforce development; mental health; health insurance; various disabilities; advocacy; entitlement programs; and others.

Other duties as required

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including use of Word and Excel

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:

• Strong communication, interpersonal and writing skills.
• Highly organized, detail oriented multi-tasker with demonstrated experience working as a highly effective manner of a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated excellence in follow-through with hard-to-reach populations.
• Minimum of one year of experience conducting case management-related activities.
• Bachelor’s degree in education, behavioral, social, health or mental health, public health/administration, family and youth counseling, social work or a related field.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in special education, vocational rehabilitation, employment, transition and/or disability benefits field.
• Established network and knowledge of local community service providers and/or non-profit agencies.
• Experience with motivational interviewing.
• Bachelor or Master’s degree in social work, counseling, in education or a related field.
• Experience in transition planning for youth with disabilities.
• Experience with self-determination, and person-centered planning.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS: None required, Spanish or ASL helpful.

BENEFITS:

ICD offers a comprehensive benefits package including health and dental insurance, AFLAC, 401k, and generous paid time off, among others. As this is a union position, health and dental insurance is paid for in full by the organization subject to certain eligibility requirements.

The Institute for Career Development is an advocate for diversity in the workplace. All candidates will benefit from equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to: race; color; age; religion; pregnancy; sex; sexual orientation; disability; gender identity; gender expression; national origin; genetic information; Veteran status; marital status; or prior protected activity.

ICD complies with all applicable federal, state, and city employment laws.

Please email resume and cover letter to [email protected] with a subject of “Navigator and Youth Counselor (at Bronx HS)” and where you found the position listed.