Youth Advocate

WE OFFER EXCELLENT BENEFITS:

• FREE Employee Medical Insurance
• FREE Employee Dental Insurance
• FREE Employee Vision Insurance
• Sick leave (8 hours per month)
• Vacation (Minimum of 2 weeks paid vacation)
• Discounted health memberships
• Retirement (Employer contribution - 3% contribution and an additional 3% employer match)
• FREE Long-Term Disability Insurance
• FREE Life Insurance
• 13 Paid Holidays

Job Summary

This position is responsible for providing a safe environment for the youth at the LOFT during the overnight and daytime hours, and for ensuring youth engagement in healthy behaviors. The Youth Advocate will provide primary supervision of youth and will participate in and oversee household management activities as necessary including maintenance of the overall cleanliness of the LOFT. Shift and weekend work required.

Job Duties/Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each of the essential duties/responsibilities listed below.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties/responsibilities of this job. 

1. Assist residents, as needed, with urgent care issues and provide leadership and appropriate response in the case of an emergency.
2. Ensure that LOFT rules are being followed.
3. Participate in creating and maintaining a workplace that values diversity and is free of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and other discriminatory practices.
4. Build high-quality relationships with youth participants to understand the personal experiences of children and youth impacted by homelessness and trauma.
5. Implement core principles and evidence-based practices including, but not limited to: Positive Youth Development, Trauma Informed Care, and Youth Mental Health First Aid. Complete 16 hours of annual training on these practices and others assigned.
6. Assist LOFT Administrator and lead LOFT duties including but not limited to monitoring medication documentation, scheduling youth appointments, arranging youth transportation, follow weekly menus, and track data as assigned.
7. Work with Case Manager and Administrator to provide learning opportunities and programs for youth and encourage youth to participate in youth development activities.
8. Provide follow-up and aftercare services as needed, with guidance from Administrator and Case Manager.
9. Complete clerical tasks including but not limited to answering the phone, filling out the visitor log, daily log, medical log and progress notes. Additionally, participate in Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data collection activities as directed.
10. Provide accurate, complete, and timely data, and reports to Administrator as needed.
11. Perform youth intakes and conduct a search of youth’s belongings.
12. Maintain records and documentation following the Daily Log Procedure.
13. Carry out shift responsibilities to ensure the ongoing safety, cleanliness, and smooth operation of the LOFT.
14. Assist with transporting youth to and from scheduled appointments and other designated activities.   
15. Assist in cleaning and preparing all shelter rooms/beds when a youth moves out in preparation for the new move in. This includes, but not limited to, sanitizing, vacuuming, dusting, and washing all remaining linens.  Once clean, re-making all beds and preparing the fresh linens and towels, and notifying the Administrator when a bed is ready for move-in.
16. Daily cleaning duties may include vacuuming, trash removal, sanitizing, laundering, mopping, sweeping, recycling, window washing. Maintain and clean bathroom showers, toilets, and sinks as necessary. 
17. Conduct all preparation and cleanup of meals for residents. This may include supervision of residents or volunteers. Abide by nutritional and health code guidelines and standards. Secure cooking utensils as required.
18. Uses appropriate administrative, fiscal, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of CCEW client protected health information (PHI), per regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
19. Will regularly utilize all forms of communication (email, text, phone, etc.) and database practices necessary for this position and as directed by supervisor.
20. As a mandated reporter, follows all procedures outlined in agency policies and procedures to report to the proper agency when there is suspicion and/or confirmation that a child or adult has been a victim of abuse or neglect.
21. Assist with other tasks as needed.
22. Complete background check to include fingerprinting upon time of hire and as requested thereafter.
23. Adhere to the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Doctrine.
24. Perform related functions necessary to support the mission and core values of Catholic Charities.

Job Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must meet the minimum qualifications listed below.  These qualifications are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform this job. 

Education/Experience:  to perform this job successfully, an individual must have a high school diploma or high school or equivalency course of study (GED/HSEC). Have at least one year of experience working directly with youth. Two years of social services education may be substituted for the required experience; Have the skills and ability to work successfully with the special needs of youth in care; and have effective communication and problem-solving skills.

An individual must be at least twenty-one years of age, or they may be between eighteen and twenty-one years of age if they provide sufficient documentation demonstrating one or more of the following:

• They are professionals licensed by the Washington department of health.
• They have an associate of arts, the equivalent degree, or greater; or
• They are enrolled in an internship or practicum program with an accredited college or university.

Facility License Requirements: to perform this job successfully, an individual must complete and submit all documentation and trainings, including annual service trainings, as required by Catholic Charities Eastern Washington and all external licensing agencies.

Certificates/Licenses:  To perform this job successfully an individual must:

• Successfully pass background checks applicable to the position.
• Possess a valid Driver’s License and ability to drive for work use.
• Requires respirator medical evaluation questionnaire, fit testing, training, and use of respiratory protection as required by the WA Industrial Safety & Act standards. Refer to WAC 296-842 to learn more.

Physical Abilities:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to:

• Regularly stand, climb, walk, hear/listen, talk
• Occasionally lift up to 20 pounds, pull/push, carry, grasp, reach, stoop, kneel
• Occasionally sit
• Clearly see 20+ feet, with or without corrective lenses, ability to focus

Mental & Other Skills/Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the:

• Adaptability: ability to adapt to changes, delays, or unexpected events in the work environment; ability to manage competing demands and prioritize tasks; ability to change approach or method to best fit the situation.
• Attendance: ability to consistently arrive and be able to work as scheduled.
• Computer/Technical Ability: basic computer knowledge needed.
• Dependability: ability to follow instructions, both in written and verbal format; ability to respond to management direction; ability to complete tasks on time or notify the appropriate person with an alternate plan when necessary.
• Interpersonal Skills: ability to maintain satisfactory relationships with others, excellent customer service skills and a good overall understanding of appropriate human relations. Awareness of and sensitivity to the service population’s culture and socioeconomic characteristics. 
• Judgment: ability to make prudent and timely decisions; ability to exhibit sound and accurate judgment; ability to explain reasoning for decisions.
• Language Ability: ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos. Ability to write simple maintenance requests
• Correspondence; ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
• Motor Coordination: the ability to coordinate eyes, hands, fingers, and feet accurately and handle precise movements.
• Problem Solving Ability: ability to identify and/or prevent problems before they occur; ability to formulate alternative solutions to problems when necessary; ability to transfer learning from past experiences to new experiences of similar nature.
• Quality Management: ability to complete duties, on time and with absolute precision, at least 95% of the time; ability to edit the accuracy and thoroughness of one’s work as well as the work of others; ability to constructively apply feedback to improve performance, ability to generate ideas to improve and promote quality in work.
• Reasoning Ability: ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions; ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Supervisory Skills: this job has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Workplace Environmental Conditions

While performing the essential duties/responsibilities of this job, the employee will be:

• Noise Conditions: exposed during a shift to constant or intermittent sounds at moderate to loud levels of sound dependent upon the activities of the LOFT.
• Exposure to Trauma: Employees of Catholic Charities Eastern Washington provide direct services to vulnerable community members including those who have behavioral health challenges and those who have been exposed to trauma.