Peer Youth Counselor

Job Description

Job Description

Prince George’s County - Drop-In Center

Peer Youth Counselor

About Our Organization:

Sasha Bruce Youthwork is one of the largest and most experienced providers of services to youth in the Washington, DC area. Our mission is to improve the lives of runaway, homeless, abused, neglected, and/or at-risk youth and their families in the Washington, DC area. We achieve this by providing shelter, counseling, life skills training, and positive youth development activities to approximately 1,500 youth and 5,000 family members each year. With more than 45 years of experience meeting the growing needs of youth and families with innovative programs, Sasha Bruce Youthwork is always willing to listen and ready to help.

Job Summary:

The PGC Drop in Center Peer Youth Counselor provides services to adolescents and young adults impacted by homelessness and involved in street activities (gangs, violence, drug use/sale and survival sex). Services provided by the Youth Peer Counselor includes assistance in case management, referrals, outreach, crisis transportation, daily living services (food, shower and respite for example), triage counseling, recreational activities, support groups and life skills education classes and activities. The Youth Counselor coordinates with the PGC Drop-In Center Director, Case Manager and other supporting programs and local agencies to provide short and long-term care necessary to meet the wide range of needs related to homeless and disconnected youth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

● Works in collaboration with other team members at the Drop-In Center to coordinate supportive services for clients and provides concretes support to clients, including preparation and/or service of food, access to shower and laundry facilities, support with mail, respite, hygiene supplies, vital documents, computer lab and other related supports;

● Supports orientation and intake for individuals seeking assistance;

● Participates in crisis intervention and individual counseling; supports reparative interventions as part of a harm reduction approach; and mediates client conflicts when appropriate;

● Engagement of youth into program structure, using a trauma-informed, harm reduction philosophy and the principles of positive youth development;

● Supports various events at the site including holiday activities, speakers, etc.;

● Facilities or co-facilitates wellness, recreational engagement activities, educational presentations on related topics, life skills education activities and groups, as assigned;

● Provides information to homeless youth in accessing resources and advocates for their access;

● Escorts youth to appropriate services and provides transportation as part of case plan, as assigned

● Conducts street outreach to homeless and street involved young people, as assigned

● Maintains routine administrative responsibilities to include the preparation of correspondence, maintaining files, writing case notes, mail, email, and answering the telephone;

● Performs all tasks and responsibilities with attention to detail and in a complete and timely manner, complying with agency policies and standards and conforming to the scheduling requirements of the job and program

● Demonstrates respect for all individuals with whom they come into contact with including other SBY program staff and community members;

● Ensures confidentiality is kept in all interactions with youth and staff members;

● Participates in staff trainings, staff meetings and other related workshops; and,

● Participates in weekly supervision and case conferencing

Qualifications:

● Transition-aged youth up 26 years old; personal experience with street survival activities (homelessness, gangs, drug economy, sex industry) with at least 1 year separation from involvement in these activities;

● High school diploma or GED required;

● Genuine interest in working with disenfranchised youth and young adults;

● Willingness to learn about the harm reduction philosophy, trauma-informed provision of services and positive youth development strategies;

● Flexible schedule - position will require some weekend and evening hours;

● Bilingual skills (English and Spanish) are a plus;

● Ability to deal with a multicultural and diverse setting desired;

● Experience working with LGBTQ+ youth is a plus;

● Strong communication and organization skills;

● Dynamic energy, able to multi-task and negotiate multiple demands on attention;

● Basic understanding of computer and database systems for managing case records;

Preferred

Resident/knowledge of Prince George’s County social service resources

Reporting to the Program Director, this is a full-time, non-exempt level position. All candidates are required to possess a valid Driver’s License, pass required MD clearances (and other States as applicable) and provide any additional information regarding previous records.