Permanency Life Skills Specialist

THE AGENCY: 

Founded in 1873, Bridges Homeward has evolved over time into a group of dynamic, highly dedicated, mission driven professionals meeting the current needs of the Greater Boston community. We work diligently towards our mission; To provide high quality support and advocacy for children, adults and families to develop and nurture safe, permanent relationships and maximize individual growth. 

Our goal for everyone we work with is to find permanency. Sometimes, permanency in our work means making sure a child can remain with their biological family; sometimes it means ensuring someone with a developmental disability can live with family instead of having to move to an institutional setting; sometimes it means finding a child in foster care a forever family and for other youth it means having a safe, secure parenting relationship with a supportive adult. 

Believing in proper work life balance and self-care, Bridges Homeward operates on a full time 33.5 hour (4 1/2 day) work week

PURPOSE & SCOPE: The Permanency/Life Skills Specialist is a member of the Young Adult Support Living (YASL) Team, providing services to youth aged 18 to 22 years, referred by the Department of Children and Families who reside in one of our YASL apartments.

The primary focus of the Permanency/Life Skills Specialist is to coordinate and facilitate group activities within the YASL program, that strengthen permanent family relationships and enhance adult life skills for residents. The Specialist would work closely with Program Manager (PM) to update/develop an annual permanency focused life skill building curriculum. He/She/They would organize internal or external group facilitators for the practical group sessions, facilitate quarterly groups and support the connection to strong family and adults available for each youth to help them with job searches, applying to schools, budgeting, resume building, applying for a license, etc.  Skill development generally includes areas such as: cooking and nutrition, sexual health, healthy relationships, budgeting/banking. Curriculum must have as its' foundation, the idea that youth need family to sustain and build upon what they are learning within our programs. Specialist encourages and supports youth, along with the youth's assigned Support Specialist, to invite family to assist in skill growth, notifying family of upcoming areas of need, such as driving hours, taking permit and license tests, applying to college, and ensuring family is invited to assist or participate with the youth. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Permanency/Life Skills Specialist:

• Work closely with the youth's assigned Support Specialist to ensure that the Permanency Practice (permanency readiness, family search and engagement and youth guided family team meeting) is occurring for every resident in our YASL program.
• Ensure groups and holiday celebrations occur and honor residents' culture, religion and identity

• Use specialized assessment tools such as the Permanency Assessment, Youth Readiness Assessment, and Youth Connections Scale, to work collaboratively with the youth to identify specific goals related to: permanency, behavior, education, and vocation;
• Using assessment results, works collaboratively with the youth to develop a transition plan to reach specific goals;
• Coordinate with community providers and PLSS at BH group home as appropriate to lead a range of group sessions covering topics such as adult living skills, money management, self-care, meal planning, housekeeping, communication and employment;
• Identify services and resources needed to support each youth to maintain stable healthy relationships with family and supportive adults, to engage in healthy peer relationships, acquire suitable housing, use coping skills to manage feelings and behaviors, and prioritize self-care including their own medications.
• Provide coaching and support to Support Specialists in methods to increase permanency and life skill development for the youth and young adults in our program.

• Other duties as assigned

Duties and responsibilities are carried out in conformance with relevant Competencies (attached).

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Associates degree plus 3 years -experience working with high -risk youth or Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology or related field;

• Minimum of 2 years' experience working with high risk youth in milieu treatment; experience in residential services to at-risk youth and their families preferred.

Other Requirements:

• Valid driver's license and properly insured vehicle; Clearance of Driving Record Check;
• Clearance of background checks as required by state and federal law;

• Current certification in CPR and first aid, or the ability to obtain it within 1 month of hire;