Youth Advocate -- Lived Experience Valued

Job Description

Job Description

Open Interviews Available

Ryan’s House for Youth is  holding open interviews for Youth Advocate positions.

Date: Wednesday, May 13
Time: 9:30 AM–3:00 PM
Location: 19777 SR 20, Coupeville, WA

Applicants may apply through this job posting before attending or stop by during open interview hours. Please bring a resume if you have one. If you do not have a formal resume, that’s okay. Be prepared to talk about your work experience, volunteer experience, caregiving experience, lived experience, community involvement, availability, and why you’re interested in working with youth and young adults.

Parking is available in front of the building and along the side of the building. Southbound public transit stops in the driveway. Northbound public transit stops across the highway. Follow the balloons to the office when you arrive.

About the positions: we are   hiring Youth Advocates to support youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Island County.

A degree is not required. Formal human services experience is not required. Lived experience matters here.

We encourage people to apply who have personal experience with homelessness, recovery, foster care, behavioral health challenges, poverty, systems involvement, parenting young, justice involvement, or rebuilding after hard life experiences. People with past justice involvement are welcome to apply. Background checks are required, but a record does not automatically disqualify someone.

Youth Advocates work as part of a team in a 24/7 youth housing and shelter environment. This role includes building healthy relationships with young people, completing documentation, cleaning, safety checks, passdown communication, conflict de-escalation, following program expectations, and helping young people work toward their own goals.

RHFY is always growing and improving. Our systems, procedures, and expectations may change as we learn what works best. This role is a good fit for someone who can stay flexible, ask questions, receive feedback, adjust when needed, and move with the team as the program changes.

We are looking for people who are reliable, calm under pressure, team-focused, flexible, accountable, and willing to learn. Staff must be able to hold healthy boundaries, communicate clearly, follow through on routine tasks, and treat young people with respect and dignity.

Schedule: Multiple schedules are available, including day, evening, and weekend shifts. Applicants must be reliable, flexible, and able to work their assigned schedule consistently.

Main duties include:

• Build respectful, professional relationships with youth and young adults.
• Support youth in working toward their own goals.
• Complete documentation, passdown notes, and basic data tracking.
• Help maintain a clean, safe, and welcoming environment.
• Support daily routines, house expectations, and program rules.
• Respond to conflict using calm communication and de-escalation.
• Communicate concerns clearly with coworkers and leadership.
• Follow confidentiality, safety, and mandated reporting expectations.
• Participate in training and team meetings.
• Adjust to changing program needs, procedures, and priorities.

Minimum requirements:

• Must be at least 25 years old.
• Must be reliable and able to arrive for scheduled shifts.
• Must be flexible and able to adjust when plans, youth needs, schedules, procedures, or priorities change.
• Must be able to stay calm and professional when the workday does not go as expected.
• Must be able to work as part of a team and communicate clearly.
• Must be willing to ask questions, receive feedback, and keep learning.
• Must be able to follow written procedures and shared program expectations.
• Must be able to complete basic written documentation.
• Must be willing to work with youth and young adults ages 13–24.
• Must complete required background check review.

Preferred, not required:

• Lived experience with homelessness, recovery, foster care, behavioral health, poverty, disability, systems involvement, justice involvement, or other relevant life experience.
• Experience supporting youth, young adults, families, or people in crisis.
• Experience in shelter, outreach, peer support, recovery, behavioral health, education, caregiving, or community work.

Benefits include QSEHRA health reimbursement benefit for eligible employees, paid sick leave, training, and a supportive team environment.

 

Ryan’s House for Youth is an equal opportunity employer. We value lived experience, reliability, accountability, boundaries, teamwork, flexibility, and willingness to learn.

Company Description

Ryan’s House for Youth is a nonprofit organization in Island County, Washington, supporting youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and other barriers to safety and stability.
We provide youth housing, emergency shelter, transitional housing, drop-in/basic needs support, outreach, and individualized case management. Our work is relationship-based, youth-centered, and grounded in the belief that young people deserve respect, structure, consistency, and support as they work toward their own goals.
RHFY values lived experience, teamwork, accountability, flexibility, healthy boundaries, and willingness to learn. Many of the young people we serve have experienced trauma, poverty, foster care, behavioral health challenges, substance use, justice involvement, family conflict, or gaps in traditional support systems.
Our staff work as a team across shifts to provide consistent support in a 24/7 housing and shelter environment. This work can be meaningful and hard. It requires clear communication, follow-through, calm problem-solving, and the ability to adjust as programs, procedures, and youth needs change.
We are a good fit for people who care about young people, can stay grounded under pressure, and want to be part of a team that keeps learning and improving together.

Company Description

Ryan’s House for Youth is a nonprofit organization in Island County, Washington, supporting youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, housing instability, and other barriers to safety and stability.\r\nWe provide youth housing, emergency shelter, transitional housing, drop-in/basic needs support, outreach, and individualized case management. Our work is relationship-based, youth-centered, and grounded in the belief that young people deserve respect, structure, consistency, and support as they work toward their own goals.\r\nRHFY values lived experience, teamwork, accountability, flexibility, healthy boundaries, and willingness to learn. Many of the young people we serve have experienced trauma, poverty, foster care, behavioral health challenges, substance use, justice involvement, family conflict, or gaps in traditional support systems.\r\nOur staff work as a team across shifts to provide consistent support in a 24/7 housing and shelter environment. This work can be meaningful and hard. It requires clear communication, follow-through, calm problem-solving, and the ability to adjust as programs, procedures, and youth needs change.\r\nWe are a good fit for people who care about young people, can stay grounded under pressure, and want to be part of a team that keeps learning and improving together.