Youth Engagement Specialist

Job Purpose

Youth Engagement Specialist (YES) assists with programming activities and events at Lydia House. The YES also provides support to beneficiaries as needed, under the supervision of the Engagement Center Lead and the operations teams. Lydia House serves opportunity youth who may face challenges such as houselessness, substance use and abuse, mental health issues, criminal entanglements, court involvement, and relationship conflicts. The YES will at times work independently with the youth, both individually and in groups. The YES will need to work with youth with high needs and will need to be alert in monitoring any potential crisis and/or conflict that may arise with and among the youth.

Essential Responsibilities

• Report and work collaboratively with the Engagement Center Lead to ensure alignment between the purpose of Lydia House and the responsibilities of the Youth Engagement Specialist.
• Independently lead youth engagement activities to support the development of the youth.
• Facilitate groups in collaboration with other LH staff members.
• Support all activities to maintain a safe and positive environment to serve the youth at the Center. This might include:
• Prepare the Center for daily operations (materials for activities, maintain facility clean and organized, clothing closet, food accessibility, etc.)
• Contribute to the cleanliness of the Center (which may include sanitizing surfaces, washing materials such as blankets, sheets, towels, and other items, etc.)
• Support all Leads and other team members in specific tasks for Center activities.
• Assist all youth accessing services, and attending programs, in the Center - including:
• Help navigate youth through all services requested from LH.
• Support youth access to services and/or other special needs.
• Assist youth attending participating in any of the LH activities.
• Provide any assistance requested by Leads, including accompanying youth to outside appointments.
• Promote and elevate youth voices and bridge youth feedback to LH team for the services needed from LH.
• Support any administrative needs of the staff.
• Participate in data collection, inputting, and reporting (including providing written narratives)
• Participate in staff meetings, trainings, and workshops.
• Serve on internal and external committees to support LH outcomes.

Other duties:

• Contributes to the Trust's success by accepting new assignments, helping team members, learning new skills, and striving to improve team and organization results.
• Others as needed and assigned.
• Attend all relevant trainings and workshops that support the outcomes of LH.
• Travel may be required to other Hawaiian Islands, continent, and other locations for trainings and workshops.

Qualifications

• Four-year degree related to social services or equivalent experience (life and work).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage time effectively.
• Capacity to perform frontline work in different settings (schools, public spaces, office, distressed communities, etc.)

LH strongly believes in hiring individuals reflective to the community it serves, including lived experiences, striving for representative diversity among its staff.

Key Required Competencies

• Aloha: awareness and approach to work with compassion, empathy, and kindness.
• 'Imi Na'auao: a constant desire for seeking knowledge; lifelong learner.
• Po'okele: desire to perform in excellence.
• Wiwo'ole: maintain a courageous, brave, and fearless mindset.
• Pono: understand the appropriateness of time, place, reason, people, and tools
• Kuleana: bring a deep sense of responsibility and accountability

Organization Competencies

• Alignment with Queen's legacy: Understanding and appreciation of Queen Liliuokalani's story, her legacy and the Hawaiian Culture is foundational to staff's commitment to working with our Hawaiian children, families and communities. Demonstrates respect for and appreciation of Hawaiian values history, and culture, understanding its implication in one's work, in fostering meaningful relationships, and in embracing the community served.
• Ho'omau i ka 'imi Na'auao (Continuous Learning and Improvement): Committed to creating and reinforcing an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
• Ho'ike i na Mana'o Pono (Effective Communication): Communicates with those we serve and each other in a consistent manner that results in mutual understanding, harmony, and action.
• No'ono'o loi (Critical Thinking and Problem Solving): Actively and skillfully understands, conceptualizes, applies, analyzes, synthesizes, and/or evaluates information and develops and supports fact-based analyses and recommendations
• Ho'o kumu a'e or 'Imi hakuhia (Innovation): Identifies and integrates creative ideas into new or existing services and promotes effective problem-solving.
• Pilina Ho'ohana a me ka Hana Hilina'i (Building Relationships and Creating Trust): Manages relationships to create optimal opportunities and move the organization forward.
• Alu Like I ka Hana (Teamwork): Works cooperatively and collaboratively with others throughout the organization in alignment with the organization's objectives.
• Ho'onui I ka 'Ike (Capacity Building): Encourages personal growth by exhibiting trust and a belief in the capacity of others.

About Lydia House

Lydia House (LH), LLC from Lili'uokalani Trust, is directly overseen by the LT Board of Trustees, acting as Board of Directors. LH serves opportunity youth, ages 16 to 26, experiencing high risk factors and involvement in systems of care. The Center supports opportunity youth through low barrier access to basic needs services with a youth-centered approach. LH aims to meet basic needs, stabilization, and support youth who choose to move towards thriving. The Center strongly roots its work in Hawaiian values and healing centered approach, with heightened focus elevating the strengths and innate values of all youth, regardless of past experiences and present environment. The Center operates through its drop-in hours meeting all basic needs. LH also provides an opportunity for intensive case management. LH supports re-entry education and workforce, including opportunity for financial and housing support. LH maintains 40 beds in 18 dorms, to provide housing stability to qualified youth (18 to 22) to reach youth's thriving goal plan.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment, employee will be subject to LT's policies and procedures.

SALARY RANGE ADVERTISED IS THE HIRING OR STARTING RANGE FOR THE ROLE.

Job Title: Specialist, Youth Engagement Reports to: Engagement Center, Lead

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt Aligned Executive: Vice President and Chief Program Officer

Kipuka: Lydia House Department: Lydia House Programs