At Covenant House Alaska we are in the people business.  We provide holistic services to young people who come to us from circumstances beyond their control.  Our people provide absolute respect and unconditional love to youth who deserve a chance to be the best version of themselves.  When you join our team, you become part of a massive movement to interrupt the path to chronic adult homelessness.  The pay is competitive, the benefits package is best in class and the experience is life changing. We look forward to meeting you. 

Position Summary

All Covenant House Alaska program staff work as advocates and allies for youth experiencing homelessness and human trafficking.

The Youth Activities Specialist (YAS) provides and ensures high quality trauma informed service delivery in many aspects of youth care through direct supervision, management, and program development of enrichment activities. The YAS works collaboratively with program staff, community partners, subject matter experts, and volunteers to ensure a variety of youth enrichment activities, life-skills groups, employment readiness, and cultural activities are offered regularly. The YAS will build intentional relationships with youth and community partners, engaging them in a variety of programming as youth work through their stages of change in order to drive toward long term positive outcomes. 

Essential Functions

• Understand, practice, and promote the vision, mission, and five principles of Covenant House Alaska.
• Relentlessly show up and be present in young people’s lives, especially through times of adversity.
• Provide consistent opportunities for appropriate educational, vocational, recreational, and life skill programming through regular activity calendaring.
• Engage youth ages 18-24 in positive, skill-building activities that promote physical and emotional wellness, strengthen culture, prevent suicide, and improve coping skills.
• Oversee performance measures and compliance with any assigned position specific grants including expending funds within guidelines, monitoring data and goals, and assisting in reports as assigned.
• Work with team members, community partners, subject matter experts, and volunteers to plan and implement engagement activities.
• Maintain a positive and professional working relationship with the general public, including agencies and families of the youth we serve.
• Maintain a high level of ethical standards.
• Demonstrate an enthusiastic commitment to the job and the Agency.
• Ensure the safety and whereabouts of youth throughout all provided activities, whether held within CHA facilities or off-site.
• Assure youth have meaningful activities, events, and groups available daily which are designed to attract young people and keep them engaged in CHA's services. Daily options to include recreation, life skills, art, music, indigenous culture, and a variety of therapeutic type groups.
• Work collaboratively with Program Coordinator and Volunteer Specialist to recruit, develop, and maintain ongoing relationships with a wide variety of community recreational enthusiasts, life skills providers, musicians, artists, cultural bearers, and others to volunteer time teaching youth.
• Schedule, organize and lead meaningful daily activities and groups in these areas that are of interest to the youth.
• Develop and implement tools that promote youth voice, choice, and feedback regarding activities and groups offered at CHA.
• Maintain agency-wide calendar inclusive of all groups, classes, activities, trainings, and events.
• Assure activities calendar is accurate and communicated to youth and staff daily.
• In coordination with program staff, assure activities and events are appropriately and adequately staffed.
• Familiarity with local community resources and social services agencies.
• Maintain Efforts to Outcomes (ETO) data base through data entry of all work with participants on a daily/weekly basis.
• Participates in team meetings, staff trainings, and other opportunities for professional development.
• Keep supervisor fully informed at all times.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education

BA in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology or a related field preferred. Direct related experience may be considered in lieu of degree.

Experience

Experience working with adolescent or disadvantaged populations is preferred; life, volunteer, and internship experience will be considered.  One year in a supervisory capacity providing direct supervision and evaluation of staff is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Understand and comply with all Agency policies and procedures; including Child Protection Policies.
• Understand and comply with all principles of Trauma-Informed Care. Willingness to acquire basic concepts in care coordination for adolescents and young adults and incorporate into service-provision.
• Is approachable, relatable, builds rapport well, and practices active listening with individuals of varied cultural backgrounds, embracing differences in behavior and lifestyle choices.
• Knowledge of crisis intervention and ability to address conflict between youth exhibiting challenging behaviors; able to respond quickly and safely while continuing to be a settling influence in crisis situations and emergencies.
• High degree of sensitivity to and respect for diversity and cultural issues involved in working with individuals of varying ethnicities and income.
• Understand best practices in the areas of prevention, recognition, and response to suspected and identified victims of human trafficking.
• Willingness to engage with partner human trafficking service agencies and law enforcement.
• Understand the intersectionality of youth homelessness, mental health, substance misuse, human trafficking and poverty.
• Can maintain confidentiality while understanding and complying with requirements of mandated reporting, duty to warn, HIPAA, and other limits to confidentiality.
• Willingness to utilize training opportunities in support of personal and professional growth, competence development, and to increase overall capacity to serve youth every day.
• Proficient with standard computer operating systems. Ability to navigate Microsoft Office Suite, online databases, and other programs and websites as required.
• Willingness and ability to work outside of normal business hours as well as Holidays and weekends as needed.
• Willingness and ability to attain a CPR/First Aid Certification.
• Willingness and ability to attain a valid Driver's License.
• Pass federal, state, and local background check investigations.

Working Conditions

• Position is established in a youth serving residential building.
• Noise level is moderate to loud at times, consistent residential environments.
• Must have the ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Must have the ability to observe details within close range.
• Must be able to remain in stationary position for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to move within the office to access files and office equipment.
• Consistently operates a computer and related office machinery.
• Must be able to ascend/descend stairways and hallways frequently to monitor and interact with you.
• Able to accommodate a wide range of physical activity to perform a variety of youth outings in a variety of conditions including but not limited to:
  • Standing or walking for long periods of time.
  • Navigating uneven terrain such hiking trails
  • Maintaining awareness and safety in a variety of weather conditions during outdoor outings.
  • Regularly moving items up to 40 pounds while ascending/descending walkways, stairs, trails, etc. to move activity equipment.

Covenant House is an Equal Opportunity Employer