Youth Services Social Worker

Title: Youth Services Social Worker

Status: Full Time, Exempt, 40 hours per week

Supervisor: Director of Family Support Services

Salary: $70,000 - $74,000 commensurate with experience and licensure

Schedule: Schedule TBD as hours will be based on youth activities and scheduling of individual and/or family therapy sessions. The potential schedule could be Monday through Friday 10:30pm to 6:30pm.

Position Overview: 

The Youth Services Social Worker is responsible for working alongside the Director of Family Support Services, Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, and others to envision, develop, and implement youth programming at Family Services.  The Youth Social Worker is responsible for administering and overseeing the daily operations of Family Services’ youth programming. The Social Worker ensures that programmatic activities are aligned with youth and family needs, along with contract deliverables and meeting funder and community expectations. The Social Worker provides group-based mental wellness and social emotional learning programming, as well as recreational and creative arts activities.  The Youth Services Social Worker provides individual and family therapy, supervises interns and volunteers, and works in partnership with staff and leadership to increase the capacity of the agency to fulfill its mission. Focus is on direct service provision to middle and high school youth but may include services to elementary youth.

The Youth Services Social Worker enthusiastically supports, practices and communicates the agency’s mission and statement of values.

Our Mission: Family Services brings people together to find the support they need, improving their lives and communities, and building a stronger, safer Hudson Valley.

Our Agency Values

Integrity - Being honest and trustworthy

Compassion – Extending empathy and understanding to others

Hope - Believing in the strength of the human spirit and heart, to emerge and thrive in the face of challenge

Diversity – Promoting a vison of community comprised of wide-ranging assets

Respect - Treating all individuals with dignity and without judgement

Community - Recognizing and reinforcing the importance of our world as being comprised of people of differing strengths and perspectives

Justice – Promoting social and economic equity and fairness

Quality – Striving for excellence in every aspect of our work

Essential Requirements:

• Master’s Degree with two years’ experience is required. 
• New York State licensed mental health professional (LMSW, LCSW, LMHC). Will consider applicants with a provisional license who have required experience. 
• Candidate must have experience working with youth and vulnerable populations. 
• Candidate with a connection to the City of Poughkeepsie community is preferred.
• Bilingual preferred, English and Spanish  

Position Responsibilities:

Develop and implement diverse after school and summer activities that increase protective factors and decrease risk factors as it relates to youth mental health, specifically related to building resilience and decreasing symptoms of depression and anxiety for youth. Ensure program services are of the highest quality, are client centered and trauma informed, and use best practice interventions.

Youth Engagement Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the Family and Community Engagement Coordinator, other agency staff and consultants, deliver a variety of workshops and activities for youth including but not limited to: creative arts, career readiness, conflict resolution, healthy relationships, coping skills, healthy living, resilience building and violence prevention.
• Complete all administrative tasks assigned on a timely basis, including but not limited to documenting all activities, preparing weekly and monthly activity reports, generating public activity calendars for youth programming, inputting and maintaining up-to-date database records, and preparation of purchase orders.
• Plan and implement parents’ night activities and youth field trips (as funding allows).
• Ensure that all youth attending the program have fully completed program registration and as needed, have signed field trip permission slips.
• Partner with Family Services’ Marketing and other staff to develop marking and social media content.
• Develop and implement a healthy, food service plan, as appropriate given the activity, for youth in program by using budget funds and developing partnerships with local restaurants and participation in the summer feeding program offered through the Poughkeepsie City School District.

Mental Health Service Responsibilities:

• Complete mental health assessment for symptoms of depression as measured by the Modified PHQ9 and for symptoms of anxiety as measured by the GAD7 following intake for youth. Track progress towards reducing symptoms to measure effectiveness.
• Provide crisis de-escalation and referrals for additional community resources, as needed.
• Provide individual and/or family therapy at the Family Partnership Center to youth programming participants as identified through behavioral health assessments, referral, or youth self-advocacy.
• Minimal hours working in a Family Services Behavioral Health Center may be expected.
• Support other City of Poughkeepsie youth serving organizations with activities to be determined based on requests and availability.

General Responsibilities:

• Participate in weekly youth services team meetings with the Director of Family Support Services and Youth and Community Engagement Coordinator and provide guidance to the youth services team so clients and the community receive timely, appropriate services.
• Provide direct supervision of interns and volunteers and ensure all individuals working with youth receive Positive Youth Development and Mandated Reporter training upon hire, receive ongoing professional development, and understand fiscal compliance and other agency procedures.
• Engage in ongoing training related to the provision of youth services and youth mental health and actively participate in Family Services’ Learning Collaborative.
• Maintain active and ongoing communication with Supervisor and participate in weekly one on one supervision.
• Actively connect with the community through participation and presence at community events as well as participation in community outreach through presentations and tabling events.
• Develop and maintain relationships with the Poughkeepsie City School District, local service providers and program partners, including community leaders/stakeholders to identify and access resources.
• Participate in coalition meetings/community-based organization meetings, as needed.
• Assist with fundraisers and special events (some of these may be outside agency hours of operation).
• Other duties as assigned based upon needs of the program.

Skills and Abilities:

• Cultural competence and ability to relate to a wide variety of audiences.
• Public speaking and presenting
• Crisis Management and trauma-informed practices.
• Be dependable, transparent in all tasks, receptive to supervision and feedback.
• Knowledge of public, private and community agencies that may be utilized to serve Youth Services clients and families.
• Aptitude for completing administrative tasks and ‘out of the box’ thinking and resourcefulness.

Other Requirements:

• Upon hiring, must complete PYD 101 administered by Act for Youth
• Upon hiring, must complete Mandated Reporter training administered by OCFS
• Obtain fingerprint clearances, as needed.
• Flexibility in hours to meet community needs in programming for youth. 
• Established cell phone and willing to use for work with effective coverage for Dutchess County (will be reimbursed). Must be reachable outside of office hours if needed.
• Possess a valid driver’s license.
• Strong computer skills, particularly with the Microsoft Office suite.

#INDCP

Work Environment – This position is housed in the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie. Regular local travel is required to deliver programming and attend community meetings.

Family Services, Inc. complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact hr@familyservicesny.org.

We are an equal opportunity employer and our goal is to be a diverse workforce representative of the community we serve. Family Services, Inc. follows federal, state, and local laws prohibiting discrimination in hiring and employment. We do not discriminate against employees or applicants in violation of those laws.

Must be authorized to work in the United States without work sponsorship.