Teen Feed is looking for an experienced Support Coordinator to join our committed team to provide structured support to homeless and street-involved youth and young adults to help them make positive choices, address barriers to stability, and transition to a life off the streets.
Service Links for Youth (SLY) Support Coordinator Job Description
Essential Duties
Support Coordination (95%)
- With minimal supervision, coordinate all aspects of Service Links for Youth (SLY) program and evaluate the program’s performance.
- Maintain individual responsibility for the City of Seattle SLY contract including monthly invoicing, meeting stated contract goals, HMIS data entry and end-of-year reports. Maintain regular contact with the City’s contract monitor. Meet ongoing contractual and legal requirements; work with Executive Director to renew contract annually.
- Maintain an active presence at Teen Feeds meal program three nights per week and at the ROOTS young adult shelter two nights per week. Serve as a resource and engage with homeless youth for enrollment in support coordination services.
- Enroll youth in the SLY program per City of Seattle eligibility criteria. Explain the role of a Support Coordinator, Teen Feed’s grievance procedure, and expectations youth can have of the program. Focus on helping youth development self identified goals towards housing and self-sufficiency.
- Serve as the primary staff for youth enrolled in SLY. Provide individual counseling and assistance in finding shelter and permanent housing, employment, educational opportunities, healthcare, and mental health/chemical dependency support. Offer support and resource to youth for achieving self identified goals.
- Maintain a file for each enrolled youth including enrollment paperwork, documentation of important interactions, Safe Harbors HMIS tracking information, monthly file reviews, and procedures for closing and following up on closed files. Enter Safe Harbors data by the second Tuesday of each month.
- Participate in trainings and become certified as an In-Person Assister through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. Focus on healthcare enrollment, particularly in Expanded Medicaid, as a goal for all youth enrolled in SLY support coordination.
- Maintain weekly contact with actively enrolled youth, follow-up on unstated needs, and offer support. Remain aware of resources and services for youth as they develop and change. Assume that the Support Coordinator may be the only connection to resources for youth.
- Maintain statistics on the SLY program for use in monthly reports to the Executive Director and Board of Directors. Submit youth files to Executive Director for 90-day reviews. Contribute articles or program updates to the Development Director as needed.
- Work with Street Talk Outreach Program (STOP) staff to maintain supplies and information for Teen Feed’s needle exchange program. Conduct needle exchange with youth in a safe, positive, and confidential manner, including while on outreach. Connect with youth that exchange to find opportunities to reduce harm.
- Maintain partnerships with Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington (SYLAW) of Washington. Coordinate drop-in schedules with SYLAW volunteers, update and maintain SYLAW binder as necessary, refer youth to SYLAW, and ensure community is aware of the resource.
- Attend bimonthly clinical supervision, weekly supervision with the Executive Director, and all weekly staff and case staffing meetings. Attend monthly UDSPA service provider team meetings and semi-annual Teen Feed Board/Staff retreats.
- Support peer Teen Feed Support Coordinators and cover Teen Feed and ROOTS when they cannot. Maintain frequent communication regarding use issues and questions that arise during program. Support the teen feed staff in carrying out their job, preventing burnout, helping with youth issues, and maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Community Outreach & Leadership (5%)
- Represent Teen Feed at various outreach events, community meetings, advocacy opportunities, and donor events; share Teen Feed services and missions with the community.
Desired Skills & Attributes
- Knowledge of social service systems and clinical issues pertinent to homeless youth.
- Ability to partner effectively with diverse local service providers at their sites and demonstrate respect for all service providers’ philosophies and missions.
- Demonstrate an initiative to learn and enhance skills that promote anti-racism, anti-oppression, cultural competency and an understanding of oppression and its impact.
- Ability to empathize with homeless youth and on some level to relate with their unique experiences.
- Knowledge of private and public health insurance options available in Washington State, particularly Medicaid.
- Clear understanding of appropriate professional boundaries when working with youth.
- Ability to perform all services in a culturally respectful manner, honoring homeless and street-involved young people as valued individuals.
- Ability to use language and behavior that demonstrates a basic respect for the dignity and value of those served, as well as coworkers and colleagues.
- Knowledge and ability to use us harm reduction model in providing all services.
- Ability to take initiative and be self-motivated, working with minimal supervision.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to follow all agency policies including, but not limited to, Teen Feed & NASW code of ethics, confidentiality, and personnel policies, including keeping private any privileged information relating to other employees or those served.
- Commitment to youth empowerment.
- Sense of humor.
Qualifications
- MSW or other graduate degree in social sciences or a related field; or six years of direct social service experience.
- One year of experience with homeless or at-risk youth and young adults.
- Demonstrated ability to work well with diverse populations, including youth of color and LGBTQ youth.
- Physically able to travel long distances, tolerate extreme weather conditions, and carry up to 30lbs; ability to work routine evening shifts and occasional weekends.
- Preference for bilingual or multilingual candidates.
Interested candidates should send an email to Teen Feed’s Executive Director Tabitha Jensen at tabitha@teenfeed.org with a current resume and either a cover letter or email message explaining why you are interested in working with Teen Feed. No phone calls, please.
TEEN FEED IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
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