Volunteers of America Chesapeake and Carolina's (V
Placement Specialist/YB (Personal Services)
To provide ongoing counseling support, advocacy, and guidance to program members in order to help them deal with their personal, legal, and social service needs, especially those that interfere with their ability to meet the program requirements; to help them determine their job goals, improve their job search skills, and identify local job opportunities; and to work closely with the entire staff to build the youths' leadership skills.
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Assess personal needs of YouthBuild participants and help get resources to meet their needs.
2. Provide individual and group counseling to YouthBuild participants.
3. Facilitate weekly rap sessions or support groups.
4. Advocate with human service, health, court, and criminal justice systems to resolve issues facing young people.
5. Make home visits, as appropriate, to assess needs and support young people.
6. Meet with trainees at regular intervals to assess their job and career goals, or immediate work needs.
7. Plan and organize job search skills workshops including interviewing, résumé preparation, and other skills; organize career exploration and motivation activities.
8. Market the program to potential employers; develop and make presentations about YouthBuild.
9. Ensure that trainees are prepared before going to job interviews, and conduct follow-up assessments.
10. Connect trainees with viable job opportunities; follow up after placement.
11. Meet regularly with staff to develop and maintain a consistent approach to supporting and
expanding the personal growth and leadership skills of young people.
12. Identify cultural, political, and social events or activities that may take place after work
hours, and organize youth participation in such events.
13. Keep service records of contacts with youth.
• At least four years of counseling or crisis intervention experience with young adults.
• Bachelor's degree in counseling, psychology, or related field, or equivalent experience working with young people.
• Strong commitment to helping young people succeed in an innovative training program to reorient their lives and nurture their leadership skills.
• Ability to establish rapport and relate sensitively to a multiracial and multicultural group of young people.
• Knowledge of human service, health, court, and criminal justice systems' programs, regulations, and procedures.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills; ability to relate to a wide range of issues, people, and institutions.
• Understanding of issues facing young people in the community where the program is located.
• Excellent public speaking, listening, and written communication skills.
• Sense of humor and nonjudgmental attitude.
• Willingness to teach young people about service systems and decision making processes.
• Willingness to learn from young people.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Knowledge of American history and the history of the racial and ethnic groups participating in YouthBuild, along with an ability to apply that knowledge in work with young people.