Children and Youth Specialist

Description

The Children and Youth Specialist supports Mary's Place Youth Services leadership in providing an outcome-driven Kids Club experience for our youth in shelter ages 5 to 18. This role will also support our Teen Club for kids ages 11 to 18. Staff is responsible for youth safety, well-being, and development through interactive play and other activities as directed.

The Children and Youth Specialist actively engages in Mary's Place racial equity work – striving for equitable outcomes and taking responsibility for creating, maintaining, and affirming communities for people of color, immigrants and refugees, trans and gender-non-conforming people, and other populations who routinely encounter systemic oppress ions.

This is a full-time non-exempt position located at our Regrade (downtown Seattle) location. Pay starts at $25 per hour/DOE.

Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m.

- 6:30 p.m.

• Provide engaged presence and personal leadership for programs, activities, and services that prepare youth for success while creating an environment that facilitates positive youth development.
• Ensure a healthy and safe environment while maintaining facilities, equipment, and supplies.
• Assist with planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating progress, services, and activities.
• Collect and track Kids Club and Teen Club member attendance and behavior data.
• Ensure confidentiality of membership data, school data, and other member information.
• Model mature work behaviors to ensure a productive work environment.
• Ensure program areas are set‑up and cleaned up on a daily basis.
• Assist in facilitation of youth programming including, but not limited to, homework focus and assistance, structured and informal educational games and activities, outings, and birthday parties.
• Assist in facilitation and delivery of High Yield Learning Activities.
• Affirm positive behavior and deliver coaching conversations and redirection when needed.
• Assist outside agencies and volunteers that come into Kids Club, determine specific volunteer activities, and develop positive and encouraging relationships with all volunteers.
• Provide crisis management and set appropriate limits as needed.
• Drive Mary's Place vehicles as requested for program needs.
• Submit reports to Program Coordinator as directed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• High School diploma or two years in relevant work experience; some experience in social or homeless services preferred.
• Multilingual applicants — namely Spanish speaking — highly preferred.
• Experience facilitating activities for children of all ages.
• Understanding of youth development principles, ability to motivate youth in a positive way.
• Ability to model and guide youth in strengths‑based problem solving, goal setting, and study skills.
• Demonstrated problem solving, conflict mediation, and crisis management skills.
• Self‑motivated, mature, energetic, and able to maintain clear and healthy boundaries with guests, families, and staff.
• Resourceful, flexible, and possesses a positive attitude and sense of humor.
• Strong, age‑appropriate communication skills.
• Displays good stewardship of program supplies and materials.
• Exhibits compassion and empathy; works well with families and children from all ethnic, social, economic, and sexual orientation backgrounds.
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule as needed.
• Current CPR and First Aid Certifications or ability to complete within 30 days.
• Must have valid, current Washington state driver’s license.
• Ability to travel between Mary’s Place sites during working hours as needed.
• Proficiency in another language is preferred, particularly in Portuguese, Amharic, Spanish, Lingala, Oromo, French, Russian, Tigrinya, or Marshallese.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office applications and strong technology skills.
• Willing to take a TB test within 30 days of employment.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.
• The employee is…