Bilingual Prevention Specialist

San Diego Youth Services

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Bilingual Prevention Specialist

San Diego Youth Services seeks a Bilingual Prevention Specialist in the Safe Family Services to be based at College Heights.  This is a full-time & non-exempt position reporting to The Program Manager.

San Diego Youth Services has helped improve the lives of more than 780,000 homeless, runaway, and vulnerable youth since its beginning in 1970. We provide safe places to live and long-term solutions through shelters, foster homes, community centers, and housing to more than 28,000 youth every year at 100+ community and school locations. Through prevention, early intervention, and treatment, we also help youth before they need higher levels of care or become homeless.

We aim to:

1. Meet the basic needs of youth.  Hunger, poverty, and youth homelessness are on the rise for many youth and their families today. We help meet these basic needs for youth. What could be more vital than food and shelter? We provide safe places to live and long-term solutions through shelters, foster homes, community centers, and housing.
2. Create a positive connection. We help youth focus on positive life changes and healthy relationships as part of providing needed resources and services. San Diego Youth Services has long provided foster homes and adoption support services for families considering adopting a youth in the foster care system.
3. Help youth develop life skills. In addition to a range of safe and stable housing options, we offer support to help youth develop the independent living skills necessary to become self-sufficient and keep off the streets.
4. Promote overall health and well-being. Early intervention and care for the whole child are critical. We provide a broad continuum of services to help youth overcome trauma and challenges that put them at risk, including case management, counseling, mental health treatment, and educational support and resources.

SDYS has a staff of approximately 215 employees and 80 volunteers working across San Diego County and an annual budget of approximately $22 million.

You can learn more about us at www.sdyouthservices.org

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION OR PROGRAM DESCRIPTION HIRING FOR

Safe Family Services: provides supportive services for youth ages 18 to 24 who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence.

CONTEXT OF THE POSITION

The Prevention Specialist will provide comprehensive trauma-informed prevention services as part of Safe Family Services, a program of SDYS. Through the provision of evidence-based domestic and sexual violence curricula, you will have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of a diverse population of youth ages 11-14 in community-based and telehealth settings. This position is responsible for facilitating the Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Healthy Teen Relationships Program and Safe Dates curricula to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade youth experiencing homelessness, youth formerly or currently engaged with the foster system, youth engaged in juvenile justice or receiving services from SDYS. Additionally, Through this position, the Prevention Specialist will work collaboratively with parents, including foster and adoptive parents through Dating Matters parent program support to build their knowledge and empower them to take action. As an important piece of the overall prevention strategy, The Prevention Specialist will provide extensive training to SDYS staff and volunteers through the Dating Matters: Understanding Teen Dating Violence Prevention Training for Educators

Essential functions include:

1.    Develop, implement, and evaluate an integrated trauma-informed approach for youth and families with co-occurring psychiatric and substance disorders, adhering to and upholding the rigorous standards of San Diego Youth Services as mandated by its mission, purpose, guiding principles, and standards of quality.  
2.        Acquire knowledge of the role and responsibility of the SDYS Board of Directors and stay current.
3.       Assist in updating agency policies and procedures. Carry agency big picture and stay current on agency activities.
4.        Attend and participate in required meetings and trainings for the Safe Family Services Program.
5.    Participate in all required program, agency, and contract trainings, meetings, and consultation/supervision.  
6.    Work collaboratively and cooperatively with staff and volunteers within the program, the center, the agency, and the community.
7.    Maintain accurate and timely uniform record documentation. Maintain data collection and contract compliance of records as required.
8.    Understand and adhere to the program evaluation plan and comply with evaluator requests.
9.        Provide group facilitation and training to youth, parents, gatekeepers, and community partners on Domestic and Sexual Violence in community-based, camp, and telehealth settings.
10.    Provide crisis intervention, advocacy, information and referral, and other services to youth and their families, as needed.
11.    Provide transportation when needed.
12.    Follow up on referrals to the Safe Family Services program and engage youth, families, and community members in services.
13.    Conduct outreach to youth and community organizations serving youth and families
14.    Maintain clear, effective, and open communication.
15.    Maintain a positive attitude within a teamwork environment.
16.    Maintain confidentiality and privacy standards of service-partners ' protected information, other application information and material by agency and center policies, and applicable regulations and laws including HIPAA.
17.    Maintain warm, welcoming office grounds and facilities. 
18.    Must be willing to work a flexible schedule including some evenings and weekends.
Other related duties as assigned or required.

PREFERRED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Sociology, or another closely related field, with at least two years’ experience.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred.
• Possess knowledge of or complete training in trauma-informed care and dual diagnosis treatment, cultural inclusivity, positive youth development, risk and protective factors, prevention frameworks, and effective presentations.
• Experience providing comprehensive trauma-informed domestic and sexual violence prevention services, outreach to the community, education, and training to youth and adults, risk assessments, and linkages with area support and services, especially when victimization is disclosed.
• Must have or be willing to be trained in 40-hour Domestic Violence counselor training, Mental Health First Aid, Dating Matters Curriculum, and Motivational Interviewing (MI) training.
• Record keeping, data collection, and contract compliance abilities.
• Must possess excellent oral and written skills and be able to work well autonomously and with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Prezi or have the ability to be trained.
• Demonstrate ability to work well under pressure, and meet multiple and competing deadlines.
• Cooperate and collaborate with colleagues and supervisors, and positively contribute to the culture of the program and agency.
• Maintain certification in CPR & First Aid.
• Willing to complete clearance procedures, including testing for illegal drug use; final offer of hire pending on results of clearances.
• Must be able to work with and represent a culturally and ethnically diverse community.
• Must be available to work weekends and evenings as assigned by supervisor and/or as needed.
• Willingness to use vehicles to drive throughout San Diego County as the position is community-based. (Mileage reimbursement provided).
• Must be able to follow all the guidelines provided by the agency, government, and health authorities to maintain safety and health when the job requires physical presence and/or contact with others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SDYS EXPECTATIONS

• Adhere to and uphold the rigorous standards of SDYS as mandated by its mission, purpose, guiding principles, and standards of quality.
• Maintain confidentiality and privacy standards of service partner-protected health information and other applicable information and material by agency and center policies, and applicable regulations and laws including HIPAA. 
• Welcome and support SDYS volunteers and assist them in accomplishing their services whenever applicable.
• Effectively communicate with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• Receive and give supportive feedback to foster equity and inclusion in working relationships.
• Recognize, nurture, and learn from strengths in co-workers.
• Maintain warm, welcoming, and safe work environments.
• Possess flexibility to accomplish job responsibilities in several work environments, whether it be from home, on the road, or in an office.

Salary Range:  $20-$23/Hour

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter through the job posting on the SDYS website.

SDYS offers a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees that includes generous PTO, personal holidays, health, vision, dental, life insurance, parental leave, and a 403(b)-retirement plan with matching contributions.  SDYS is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) employer.  Read more about the PSLF program here.

Candidates must be able to follow all the guidelines provided by the agency, government, and health authorities to maintain safety and health when the job requires physical presence and/or contact with others during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the submission of proof of vaccination as mandated by the California Public Health Order. The successful candidate will need to submit verification of vaccination or have a valid religious or medical reason not to be vaccinated.

Commitment to cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. 

As an organization working to meet the basic needs of youth, create positive connections, help youth develop life skills, and promote overall health and well-being, SDYS believes its practices and actions must reflect the highest level of commitment to access, equity, and social justice.

The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent that our members invest in their work represents not only part of the SDYS’ culture but the SDYS’ reputation and achievements as well.  SDYS remains open to feedback from all communities it touches and knows that input from those with direct experience of issues will make the SDYS more effective in achieving its goals.

SDYS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.  Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. In compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended, all new employees must verify their eligibility to work in the United States

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