YOUR ROLE

The Youth Engagement Specialist supports youth and young adults to engage in local advocacy opportunity to use their voice to improve youth-serving systems (i.e. mental health, foster care, juvenile justice). This position focuses on recruiting youth, providing support and coaching to youth, facilitating meetings, and coordinating with systems/professionals to integrate youth feedback. This position will partner with the Douglas County System of Care. The person in this role will:

• Recruit youth and young adult participants to participate in focus groups and committee meetings.

• Establish transparent, trusting relationships with participants by support youth needs, working on a supportive capacity that elevates youth voice, regularly updating youth about project status, and facilitating fun, engaging, and meaningful meetings.
• Work with youth and young adults, state and local partners to identify existing systems and services, gaps and needs related to youth and young adults ages 14-25.
• Develop and execute project ideas and policy agendas based on System of Care goals and the needs young people.
• Coordinate scheduling (rooms, links) and prepare youth (review meeting minutes, agenda, expectations, etc) to participate in committee meetings.
• Organize and facilitate regular meetings with youth participants.

• Develop and deliver educational training to community members and providers on effective youth engagement and creating organizational cultures that support youth guided and youth directed involvement and collaboration.

• Promote resiliency, wellness, empowerment, and effective peer support strategies and practices to facilitate a self-directed recovery process.

• Satisfactorily completing paperwork and electronic health record documentation according to Youth Era’s policies, procedures, and data integrity standards.
• Traveling to attend meetings, when necessary.
• Tracking of expenses/mileage on a YE-approved expense tracking program (currently Tallie).
• Recording hours worked into a YE-approved time tracking program (currently Time Tracker).
• Complying with all current policies as written in the Youth Era Employee Policy Manual.

• Performing other assigned duties as needed.

SKILLS

• Ability to Establishand maintain effective working relationships with others at all times.

• Knowledge on youth culture
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Excellent advocacy and public speaking skills

• Excellent oral/written communication skills and strong organizational skills

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

• Ability to travel and willingness to work occasional afternoons/early evenings and weekends as required to accommodate for youth schedules
• Must valid drivers license, car insurance, and have dependable transportation and be willing and able to drive throughout Douglas County in sometimes-adverse weather conditions.

• Must have at least one year of experience: as a self-identified person currently or formerly receiving mental health services; or a self-identified person in recovery from a substance use disorder.

NICE-TO-HAVES (PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS)

• Current certification in Oregon as a Certified Traditional Health Worker, Peer Support Specialist.

• Experience working with transitional age youth (14-25)

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Requires sufficient ambulatory ability to drive throughout County and to provide face-to-face services in a variety of settings in the community, including but not limited to hospitals, jails, clinics, participant homes, and community and residential settings within required response times; possess sufficient hand coordination to perform keyboarding and data entry; arm/hand movements to retrieve work materials and operate a variety of general office equipment. The position is frequently required to sit, walk, stoop, bend, reach, stand, grasp, talk, hear, see, and lift up to 10 pounds.