Mission Statement:

David & Margaret Youth and Family Services empowers children, youth, and families through culturally diverse services that foster emotional, educational, spiritual, and identity development.

Personal Qualities:

David & Margaret serves a population who have often experienced major life challenges and need assistance in their healing, adjustment, and recovery. Our staff participates in this healing process while preparing our clients to participate as positive members of their community.

Characteristics of successful David & Margaret employees include:

• INTEGRITY – model expectations, perform duties under guidelines of “best practices,” honest discussion of issues, openness, fiscal responsibility
• MUTUAL RESPECT – respect diversity of opinions, value cultural ideals, focus on strengths, listen, work to resolve differences with dignity, respond in a timely manner
• KNOWLEDGE – teach through instruction and role modeling, teach and encourage making wise choices, empower self-determination, instill desires to be a life-long learner
• TEAMWORK – together there is strength, no one is alone, each voice is important, listen to all sides of an issue and help make united decisions, foster open communication, develop and sustain positive family and community connections
• CHOICE & ACCOUNTABILITY – value ability to choose, ensure active participation in treatment planning, understand and follow accepted agency policies and procedures, be accountable for choices, hold self and others accountable
• SAFETY – develop a safe, caring environment and communication patterns
• SERVICE – learn by teaching others, heal by helping others

Summary Objective:

Utilizing a framework of lived experience, the Peer Support Specialist will provide trauma-informed, diversity-sensitive supportive services to non-minor dependents in the agency’s transitional housing program. The objective of the services is to assist the client with removing barriers to goals, to encourage engagement in mental health services as appropriate, and to help with efforts to stabilize the client’s placement.

Position Qualifications:

Education, training and certification:

• A minimum of a High School Diploma (HSD)/GED, some college course work, and lived experience in the Child Welfare/Juvenile Justice system (Department of Children and Family Services and/or Probation), and have lived experience navigating mental health, food, medical, etc., resources. Must be at least 21 years of age and possess a valid California Driver’s License and good driving record.
• An Associate’s Degree (AA) in a Behavioral Science from an accredited college or university and a minimum of one (1) year full-time experience in a public or private social services setting working with at-risk transition-age youth (TAY) ages 16-25 is preferred. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk. The employee is occasionally required to stand and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

Specific duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Provide short-term, intensive supportive services for TAY participating in the Transitional Housing Program by offering lived experience to address the barriers to daily life functioning (ie mental health, substance abuse, etc.) and assist with implementing the treatment plan by encouraging TAY to engage in program services.
• Assist with any groups offered to TAY, including Life Skills Training, Vocational Training, etc. by encouraging youth voice participation and/or offering the TAY perspective as a co-facilitator.
• Advocate for the needs of TAY during Child and Family Team Meetings (CFTs), Stabilization Meetings, Treatment Team meetings, etc., to improve overall quality of care.
• Assist in coordinating services with TAY by exploring how to navigate public transportation, helping them schedule appointments, exploring strategies to access community resources, etc.
• Document interactions with TAY and services provided in accordance with the agency’s documentation requirements.
• Provide consistent updates to the youth’s assigned Transitional Social Worker and other team members as appropriate.
• Other duties as assigned.