Youth Engagement Specialist

Description

Position Title:      Youth Engagement Specialist

Reports To:           Program Manager, Educational Access Programs

Classification:      Full-time, 1.0 FTE

FLSA Status:         Non-Exempt

Location:              Portland and Gresham, OR

Compensation:    $23.08 per hour

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

Latino Network’s mission is: Leading with love, we cultivate our staff and community as a powerful force for radical social change. We do this through Latino community-driven programs, advocacy, and service. Our work springs from the core belief in Latino community self-determination, that is, the ability of community members to participate meaningfully in the decisions that affect their lives and the lives of their families. We actively partner across a variety of city, county, state, and community organizations to deliver training and support, a wide range of services, as well as influence policy.

BENEFITS & PERKS

Latino Network provides a generous benefits package that includes:

• Health Plans including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Alternative Care
• FSA - Flexible Spending Account for Medical & Dependent Care expenses
• 401k Plan with Match 
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employer sponsored Life, AD&D, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Leave (Vacation, Sick, Sabbatical)
• Professional development opportunities
• Self - Care perks
• Team and family events

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Latino Network seeks a bilingual, mission-driven professional with bi-cultural familiarity and proven nonprofit and community experience to lead school-based programming, including case management and afterschool groups. As part of a dedicated team working toward a shared vision, the Youth Engagement Specialist is charged with carrying out the vision of the Department of Educational Access Programs. The Youth Engagement Specialist ensures and promotes youth safety, sexual health education, growth, and leadership, and has proven skills in providing individual case management and facilitating skill-building curriculum for student groups.  The Specialist works collaboratively to achieve program goals and document measurable youth development outcomes, contributes to a collegial and productive work environment, and promotes the organization’s vision and mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides individual case management annually to at least 30 youth participants, including meeting at least twice a month with students to complete initial assessments, developing and updating individual development plans, and provide referrals as needed. 
• Maintains individual participant case files, communicates with parents when needed, conducts home visits, collects data throughout the school year and summer, and documents in multiple databases as required by funders on a weekly basis, including, but not limited to: contact information, attendance, entrance/exit surveys, and individual development plans. 
• Demonstrates outcomes in participant recruitment, engagement, and retention. 
• Performs outreach, recruits, logistical planning, curriculum development and implementation, and individual case management. 
• Supports participants to improve school performance, attendance, and decrease disciplinary referrals. 
• Ensures and promotes youth safety, growth, and leadership. 
• Attend trainings with team and managers to develop and implement skill-building curriculum that engages youth and prepares you to deliver a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum that covers topics such as: STI’s, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and healthy relationships. 
• Facilitate after-school sessions on topics such as culture and identity, academic success, social-emotional learning, and college and career. 
• Develops and maintains strong working relationships with participants, school teachers, counselors, community partners, and stakeholders. 
• Collaborates with Family Engagement Specialists, partner organizations, school administrators, staff and teachers, local government, and the community. 
• Works with other Youth Engagement Specialists and Family Engagement Specialists to coordinate and carry out field trips and/or other special events. 
• Works with other Youth Engagement Specialists to coordinate and lead, organize, and carry out program-specific activities and overall department support for the success of the YES team.
• Provide necessary referrals to participants as needed. 
• Works collaboratively with the Family Engagement Specialist to keep families engaged and informed with the goals of 1) increasing two-way communication between schools and families, 2) increasing student learning in the home, and 3) monitoring of students’ discipline, academic progress, and attendance. 
• Collaborates with staff and independent contractors to gather data as needed for research and evaluation of program outcomes. 
• Designs programming in accordance with the approved budget and maintains accurate records of program spending. 
• Participates in mandatory all-staff and team meetings and training. 
• Works evenings and weekends as required, and maintains flexible work hours to accommodate program implementation and long hours during peak periods. 

Requirements

REQUIRED SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES

• English and Spanish Bilingual proficiency required, ability to translate general communications, converse with staff regarding the scope of work, either in a 1-1 setting or in a group/ presentation. 
• Minimum of two years of experience in developing, implementing, and facilitating classes for youth and or implementing programs for Latinos; Examples of experience, education, and training that fulfill this requirement include, but are not limited to, volunteer or paid work, internships, community-based training and workshops, community college, trade school, university courses, and degrees.  Experience, training, and education from inside and outside of the United States are considered equally.  Transferable skills and lived experience will be considered. 
• Deliver a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum through a culturally specific way that aligns with our agency's mission and values. 
• Knowledge and experience in navigating educational institutions, resources, programs, social services, and government agencies. 
• Knowledge of culturally based world views, adaptive reasoning, and problem-solving practices of Latino individuals, families, and community living in urban neighborhoods impacted by crime, poverty, and racial inequity. 
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with schools, students, families, and community support systems 
• Strong organizational, time management, data collection, and tracking, and interpersonal skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a team, and consistently follows instructions and implements strategies. 
• Ability to be flexible and adaptive to successfully achieve the functions of the position as described in the job responsibilities. 
• Reliable car, driver’s license, and automobile liability insurance
• Ability to maintain discretion concerning confidential matters and maintain confidential records.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptive to successfully achieve the functions of the position as described in the job responsibilities.
• Takes initiative and maintains proactive communication.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Employee service mindset, resourceful, outcomes-oriented, and able to build strong relationships.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential duties of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties of this role. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, walk, and use stairways to climb to multiple floors within an office building, and talk or hear. This position will work from home and onsite as needed, depending on the project or coverage needed. The employee may be required to occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to use hands and fingers to type or dial, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, and reach with hands and arms. The employee may be required to perform minimal heavy lifting and walking during peak events and prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet or humid conditions (non-weather); outdoor weather conditions; extreme cold (non-weather), and extreme heat (non-weather). This position requires frequent computer use. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. 

TO APPLY

If you, or anyone you know, are interested in joining us in supporting our mission to positively transform the lives of Latino Youth families and communities, please submit your application, resume, and cover letter at:  Careers 

Successful completion of initial and ongoing employment screens, including but not limited to criminal background and vehicle record as required. Latino Network is an equal opportunity employer. We value and support diversity and inclusion to create a culture of dignity and respect.