WORK SCHEDULE: This position is full-time regular and non-exempt.   The work schedule will vary by program and may include a weekend shift. We generally have 3 shifts: Business hours 7-4, Swing 4-12, Graveyard 12-7 with some programs having small differences in schedules.

TEAM OVERVIEW:  The Centralized Client Services team includes approximately 29 team members focused on homelessness prevention; Anti-Human Trafficking and Sexual Assault/Abuse; Justice Involved Youth & Young Adult Community Partnership Work; School & Community Education, Outreach & Support Services. The Centralized Client Services division within YouthCare’s Programs Department is responsible for connecting youth and young adults to services that provide continuity and stabilization; connecting youth, young adults and families to critical resources and services to prevent homelessness; outreaching into the community to educate the public and share the work YouthCare is doing to end youth homelessness; and working internally to foster an integrative service delivery approach that elevates team member competencies and success in providing culturally relevant services.

POSITION SUMMARY:  Under the supervision of the Program Manager, the Family Engagement Case Manager will be responsible for providing intensive case management services to support family reunification and housing stabilization for young adults, ages 12-24. Primary duties of this position will include outreach and engagement with young adults and their families, coordination and facilitation of individual and family meetings, home visits, goal planning, support, and referrals. This is an in-person position located at one of YouthCare’s sites.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Build and maintain a caseload of approximately 12 youth/young adults. Provide direct support through case management, advocacy and face-to-face services to young people and families to address barriers to housing stability.
• Provide outreach, assessment, support, and consultation to YouthCare’s residential and engagement programs regarding family engagement and reconciliation services.
• Ability to meet youth in their community within King County by using agency vehicles.
• Outreach and engage youth/young adults and their families; develop individualized, strengths-based, young people-driven service plans that address reasons for housing instability, and actively engage youth and families in the addressing issues that put housing at risk.
• Provide family mediation for families struggling with a variety of social issues, including mental illness, drug/alcohol use, mental and physical health, histories of trauma and violence, poverty, etc.
• Assist youth and young adults to enlist their families in services that are intended to foster positive/effective family relationships, housing and housing stability, and other support services as needed.
• Connect young people and families to community resources, including housing, health and mental health, chemical dependency, education, employment, legal support, life skills, etc.
• Outreach and engage runaway and homeless youth accessing services across YouthCare’s continuum of care, and community-wide, to identify strengths, needs, and family connections/resources.
• Assess youth and families for safety concerns; incorporating the youth’s self-determination goals with an understanding of local laws and reporting requirements.
• Provide problem-solving skills and positive communication techniques to promote healthy interactions within families.
• Develop and maintain relationships with systems players with whom young people may interact; coordinate client support teams to best address young peoples’ goals, including but not limited to attorneys, mental health providers, educators, housing case managers, and social workers.
• Assist in navigating multiple systems with an anti-oppression lens, including the criminal legal and foster care system. Provide accompaniment to court hearings and Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) meetings as needed. Maintain clear, professional, timely participant contact notes, intake paperwork, service plans, progress updates, statistical records, and other documentation according to all strict confidentiality laws and guidelines.
• Ensure accurate and timely client-related data is entered into YouthCare’s Case Worthy client management system according to agency standards.
• Execute Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) tasks and accreditation standards and adhere to all agency policies and procedures.
• Comply with the agency’s mandated reporting requirement and report suspected abuse, neglect, or sexual exploitation of minors within the required timeframe.
• Reliably attend and participate in training and development as needed for your role and the needs of our Agency as a whole such as program requirements, DEI&J, supervision, and others as identified.
• Contribute to our DEI&J culture by creating at least one SMART Goal related to DEI&J within your control to deliver.

This job description is not intended to cover every aspect of your job at YouthCare. We are a team that works together to meet the needs of our clients and every member of the team is expected to pitch in and help even beyond the specific responsibilities listed in this description.

QUALIFICATIONS –

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:           

• 2 years’ experience working with disadvantaged young people or a combination of lived experience.
• Ability to relate in an empathetic, supportive, non-judgmental manner to young people and their families.
• Strong ability to work independently and remain motivated and engaged.
• Strong engagement and relationship-building skills. Ability to maintain professional boundaries with clients while building trust and respect.
• High School Diploma, GED, or Associate’s degree.
• Experience and credentials must comply with program contractual requirements, including but not limited to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) background clearance process and must be at least 21 years of age.  DCYF Clearance must be maintained for entirety of employment when working with under-18 clients.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS:

• BA in Social Work, Psychology, or related field.  A degree may be substituted for four years of successful experience with high-risk young people.
• Prior case management experience highly preferred.
• Knowledge of systems and resources relevant to the population
• Knowledge and experience of crisis intervention, child abuse/neglect, juvenile justice, domestic violence, housing and homelessness, substance abuse, mental health issues, public assistance rights, sexual abuse and assault, family dynamics.
• Experience networking and advocating with other agencies to access housing, medical, financial, legal, educational and other resources on behalf of young people.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Must be able to provide I-9 supporting documentation for employment.
• Ability to provide a negative TB Test (results must be within one year of hire date).
• Employees who drive YouthCare vehicles as a requirement for their position, must be at least 21 years of old, possess a valid Washington State Driver’s License, meet minimum safe driver criteria established by the agency and our insurance company which includes completion of Defensive Driving and 15-passenger Van trainings. Drivers under the age of 25 must have been licensed for at least 3 years and those operating vehicles with a capacity of 15 or more passengers must be at least 25 years old.
• Ability to obtain a current Food Handler’s Card
• Successful completion of pre-service training courses as required by contracting agencies.  Training such as CPR & First Aid (Adult/Child), Bloodborne Pathogens, and Behavior Management.
• Computer software skills including Windows, Microsoft outlook, Microsoft Word.
• Initiative, creativity, reliability, flexibility, thoroughness.
• Demonstrable verbal and written communication skills.
• High integrity when dealing with a broad array of cultures and restricted and/or confidential information.
• Ability to deal therapeutically with behavioral and emotional problems presented by young people and understanding of emotionally, physically, and sexually abused young people.
• Ability to coordinate overall program functioning.
• Ability to accurately maintain and produce files, records, logs, and reports.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries with clients while building trust and respect.
• Ability and willingness to stay awake and alert during overnight shifts.
• Ability to verbally and physically respond to an aggressive person in ways that de-escalate, establish, and maintain staff and young peoples’ safety.
• May be required to assume responsibilities or duties within the agency not specifically delineated in this job description for short periods of time or on an infrequent basis.
• Commitment to YouthCare’s initiative to build cultural proficiency across the agency. Acceptance of a variety of lifestyles, behaviors, and cultural and spiritual practices.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to perform a range of physical motions, exerting up to 50 pounds. Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds; standing, walking, sitting for long periods of time, kneeling, squatting, and stooping; running for brief periods of time; and go up and down stairs.