Intergenerational Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Role Details

Title: Intergenerational Support Specialist

Location: Easthampton, Massachusetts 

Travel:
None

Hours:
40 hours per week

Position Summary

Treehouse Easthampton is an innovative award-winning intergenerational community with a social purpose. Intergenerational Support Specialists utilize trauma-informed care and best practices to meet the emerging needs of our community members. Broadly, Intergenerational Support Specialists support children and youth who have experienced foster care, the families who provide permanency, and the older adults who volunteer and live in the Treehouse Easthampton community. Intergenerational Support Specialists report directly to the Treehouse Program Director.

Organization Summary

For 20 years, Treehouse has worked to transform child welfare. The Treehouse Foundation drives innovation on a local, state, and national level to create positive outcomes for children and youth in foster care. Treehouse’s award winning vision is that every child is rooted in family and community. The Treehouse Foundation is at an exciting juncture of growth. The primary focus of our collaborative social change efforts is the Treehouse Intergenerational Community model — the first intentional neighborhood was established in Easthampton, MA in 2006, with new sites in Boston, Worcester, and Framingham in development. Treehouse Communities are intentional, affordable, highly relational neighborhoods designed to support families parenting children who have experienced foster care and older adults acting as “honorary grandparents.” We are known for innovation in foster care, vital aging, intergenerational connection, and affordable housing.

Treehouse Easthampton Employees Responsibilities

• Practice cultural humility and work in a culturally responsive and compassionate way with diverse community populations. 
• Effectively engage and partner with 3 generations of community members, children and youth to support their goals, emerging needs and challenges, and cultivate opportunities and resources. 
• Work collaboratively, creatively, and flexibly within dynamic team, community, and program settings. 
• Develop and facilitate culturally inclusive, responsive, developmentally appropriate programming, including out of school time enrichment programs, special events, and year-round intergenerational activities for children, youth, young adults, foster/adoptive families, and older adult community members.
• Create and maintain safe and enriching community and program environments that promote social and emotional growth, build strengths and agency, foster compassion and understanding, and enhance emotional regulation, well-being and connection.
• Promote a vibrant, inclusive, accessible and welcoming intergenerational neighborhood environment where neighbor-to-neighbor and professional supports are offered year-round in order to help all generations thrive. 
• Employ tools (technology, social media) and creative approaches to maintain community and connection and navigate unexpected challenges and events.
• Other team/Treehouse related tasks as necessary.

The Intergenerational Support Specialist Responsibilities

Working collaboratively with the Program Director, the Intergenerational Support Team and other staff, the Intergenerational Support Specialist will be responsible for the following:

Afterschool/Out-of-School Programming 

• With the support of the Program Director, implement after-school and out-of-school programming for children and youth following trauma-informed best practices to ensure their well-being.
• Address social emotional needs of youth participating in programming, utilizing individual and group supervision for support and identifying creative solutions.
• Support the one-on-one and group tutoring/mentoring programs 

Support for Youth and Families

• Engage and build relationships with parents, children/youth, and providers,
• Identify and help to address emerging needs, 
• Offer advocacy and support to help families navigate systems, complete paperwork, and access services,
• Make referrals to outside organizations as needed.

Support for Older Adults Support for Youth and Families

• Engage and build relationships with older adults, 
• Identify and help to address emerging needs, 
• Offer advocacy and support to help older adults navigate systems, complete paperwork, and access services,
• Make referrals to outside organizations as needed.

Supporting Volunteers and Intergenerational Connections

• Encourage intergenerational connections in all programming,
• Welcome older adults in the community to join activities/programming
• Support older adults/volunteers who are working with youth by bolstering confidence and helping them successfully implement trauma-informed care and learn/utilize best practices. 
• Ensure proper volunteer support is available during and outside of programs by maintaining regular communication with volunteers, being present during volunteer support groups, and debriefing with volunteers before and after programming.

Participate as Active and Collaborative Team Member

• Attend weekly staff meetings and clinical supervision sessions to discuss emerging needs and ensure effective support.

Essential Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and intergenerationally with volunteers, colleagues, and families using a culturally responsive teaming approach. 
• Experience working with children, youth, and families with complex trauma histories.

• Reliable transportation for assisting with one-on-one support, field trip and other transportation needs for program participants during the work day.
• Flexibility in scheduling to accommodate occasional evening and weekend activities and events.
• Commitment to advancing anti-racism, diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, justice, and cultural humility. 
• Commitment to and experience in working in a mission-driven nonprofit setting.
• Willingness to bring authentic self with professionalism into the workplace.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work preferred or commensurate experience

• Previous experience in family support, social work, or related fields
• People with lived experience in foster care are encouraged to apply

We recognize that strong candidates may not possess all our desired qualifications and skills. We are happy to work with candidates who are a good match for this role even if they do not have some of these qualifications and skills. If you believe you are a good fit for this role, we encourage you to apply.

 

Benefits and Compensation

This is an exempt full time 40 hour a week position with full benefits. This position holds a 10am-7pm schedule with flexibility in start and end times depending on programming needs. The annual pay range is $65,000-$75,000, commensurate with experience. This position is onsite in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Occasional evening and weekend hours required.

We offer a best in class paid time off package including 12 paid holidays, 3 weeks of vacation plus the last week of December off , and generous sick time and personal time. Given the nature of this role, Intergenerational Specialists may need to work some portion of the last week of December. Should that occur, the Intergenerational Specialist will receive an equivalent amount of additional paid time off to be used during the year. The position includes a generous benefits package of health, dental, vision, life, short-term and long-term disability insurances, and a 401K retirement plan with 4% employer contribution. We offer flexible schedules and start and end times where possible.

EO&D Statement

The Treehouse Foundation is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome team members from all backgrounds to join and enrich our team and we are dedicated to creating a culture where everyone can bring their authentic, original, and best selves to the work. We are stronger and better with you on our team! We welcome team members from all races and ethnicities, regions, countries of origin, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages to apply, and encourage BIPOC Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, and people living with disabilities.