• Job Description

  Req#: 118429

  Job Details

  Job Location: C4 NORTH - CHICAGO, IL

  Salary Range: Undisclosed

  Job Category: Nonprofit - Social Services

  Description

  Title: Youth Engagement Specialist

  Reports to: Program Director

  Position Type: Part Time

  Who we are:

  C4 was founded in 1972 to help people released from psychiatric hospitals into the Uptown and Edgewater communities stabilize in the community. Since that time, C4’s service area has expanded to rekindle hope for individuals and families on Chicago’s north and west sides, remaining committed to community level, system focused interventions; C4 always seeks to avoid restrictive levels of care and maximize families’ agency to lead their recovery, allowing them to heal in their homes and community. C4 is the leader in building hope and breaking down barriers from the personal to the systemic for Chicago’s systematically disadvantaged communities through the delivery of effective, empirically supported, and trauma informed mental health services. C4 seeks to equip 7,000 individuals annually to help them move from trauma to living, to working and thriving within their community.

  Our Mission Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4), a behavioral health advocate and social service provider, offers quality, comprehensive customer-oriented services tailored to the diversity of its consumers.

  Our Vision Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) will be, and will be recognized as, essential to the wellbeing of the communities we serve.

  Philosophy C4 believes that people recovering from mental illness and emotional trauma are able to live, work and thrive in the community.

  Purpose:

  Youth Engagement Specialists utilize their skills and expertise to establish rapport,

  share experiences and engage with individuals in the communities served. They connect individuals with mental health services, increase engagement, reduce distress, and model hope and success through positive self disclosure. This non clinical role supports clients in managing their illness and daily life challenges, such as unstable housing and overcoming stigma.

  This position provides direct, individualized, supportive care through purposeful engagement with youth who reside in our residential program and/or who attend the drop in program while establishing positive rapport with peers and partnering agencies.

  Duties and Responsibilities

  • Ensure the provision of Trauma Informed Care and the highest quality delivery of services to youth in accordance with the C4’s Mission Statement and Principles and Core Values.
  • Assist in the implementation of youth Success Plans.
  • Have an understanding of and support the implementation of Trauma Informed Care, Harm Reduction, Restorative Justice and Positive Youth Development.
  • Participate in required training and team meetings.
  • Supervise all youth activities in the space and engage youth in a positive manner.
  • Ensure a safe (emotionally and physically) environment for all youth.
  • Escort youth to external activities.

  • Facilitate and monitor group support services including activities and meetings.

  • Timely document information regarding all client interactions
  • Ensure accurate and timely tracking, documentation, and reporting of data and statistics as required for agency reports
  • Respect client confidentiality while understanding and complying with requirements of mandated reporting, duty to warn, HIPAA, and other limits to confidentiality.
  • Assist youth with daily activities such as homework, communication, etc.
  • Able to engage in the process of the multidisciplinary team meetings for your primary youth
  • Participate in clinical consultations
  • Participate in special projects which enhance the experience of the youth and create a safe and welcoming environment
  • Provide assistance with events/activities as assigned.
  • Engage with youth who may have mental health challenges or using substances.
  • Have knowledge and experience working with the LGBTQIA+ population

  • Perform all additional job duties as assigned.
  • Required to do light physical work including cleaning and organizing.
  • Regularly required to remain stationary for some periods of time; use hands and fingers; communicate; move; occasionally required to position self to stoop, kneel or crouch; frequently required to reach with and use arms and hands.

  Qualifications

  
  

  Competencies (Minimum Skills, Knowledge and Experience):

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • High level of organization
  • Knowledge of and certification in IM+CANs
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Comfort with multi tasking and with deadlines
  • Conflict resolution and diplomacy skills and ability to develop solutions to problems
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Strong interpersonal and social abilities
  • Ability to be respectful of the diverse cultures of agency staff and consumers served and to provide culturally appropriate, competent and individualized treatment according to each client’s age, gender, race, ethnicity and culture
  • Understanding of personal and professional boundaries
  • Strong problem solving and critical-thinking skills
  • Ability to comprehend complex ideas and complex diagnostic histories of consumers
  • Able to take initiative in identifying modifications to streamline processes

  Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in education, Social Work, or a social service field preferred; or High School Diploma with 3-5 years of related experience.
  • Display effective written, verbal, listening and communication skills
  • Ability to exercise appropriate judgment in crisis situations, with effective interpersonal skills
  • Must be willing to function as an active and engaged member of an interdisciplinary team.
  • As a 24/7 program, full time staff work some holidays and weekends. All efforts are made to equitably distribute holidays amongst staff.
  • Ability to work evening shifts (2-8pm)
  • Willingness and ability to attain CPR/First Aid Certification and Narcan.
  • Willingness to be trained in MHFA and Restorative Justice
  • Pass federal, state, and local background check investigations

• About the company

  C4 believes that people recovering from mental illness, substance use and emotional trauma are able to live, work and thrive in the community. Evey year, C4 helps more than 10,000 adults, children and youth. About half are children.

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