School Youth Specialist – High School

We partner with young people to build a foundation that promotes safety, opportunities, and well-being in their lives.

Project Oz is looking for someone to partner with students from diverse backgrounds in high-risk situations to help them stay in school and successfully overcome barriers that may prevent them from promoting to the next grade or graduating. This caring person works full-time in a local high school assisting youth, families, and school administration to develop positive relationships. Restorative practices and intervention skills are used to promote academic achievement and school attendance, represent student/parent concerns to school officials, reduce behavioral interruptions, and assist students in developing life and coping skills. A trauma-informed approach is used to incorporate opportunities for positive youth development.

Our staff love working with young people and appreciate the following benefits:

• Supportive, professional, compassionate, and fun coworkers
• Low cost health insurance 
• No cost dental & vision insurance 
• Generous time off policies
• 13 paid holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Agency issued cell phone
• Professional development and advancement opportunities
• Mileage reimbursement
• Generous retirement plan
• Eligible for federal student loan debt forgiveness program
• No cost short and long-term disability insurance
• Flexible spending plan 

Duties and Responsibilities

Role Specific:

• Provide services for crisis interventions using a restorative practice model to both strengthen the community in the school and repair harm when conflict occurs.
• Communicate with students, faculty and parents, understanding that individuals may have been exposed to trauma.
• Educate youth from diverse backgrounds in life skills with intent of stabilizing behavior (e.g. safety, health, decision making, setting parameters, communication, and anger management).
• Assist youth to maximize ability to attend, participate, and achieve in school.

• Refer students to and promote student attachment through participation in school functions, extracurricular activities, and/or clubs that provide a positive influence on behavior or in development.
• Attend school activities and locations frequented by youth to support their participation.

• Function as a neutral advocate to address student or faculty concerns.
• Address the concerns or complaints of students, faculty, administration, and parents using best practices intervention techniques for a positive and professional outcome.

• Assist school administration, assistant principals, and guidance counselors in developing individual action plans to reduce truancy and suspensions.
• Identify students with challenging behaviors to administration to reduce school violence and improve school climate.
• Refer to proper authorities those issues that threaten the safety or welfare of students, faculty, administration, law enforcement, or the public.

• Provide in-home support to families by conducting home visits and connecting to useful resources.
• Assist for continued progress of student intervention casework in the coordination and transition levels within the school system.  

Project Oz Specific:

• Complete and submit time logs and other agency reports, forms, and logs by agreed upon dates.
• Participate in community outreach, panels, and other committee meetings as directed by leadership.

• Act as a professional and ethical Project Oz representative and as a community resource.

• Attend all required staff meetings and weekly program meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by program director or executive team.
• Act as a Mandated Reporter as outlined by DCFS rules and regulations.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in social work or related field.
• Reliable personal transportation, valid Illinois driver’s license, and satisfactory driving history, along with documentation verifying current automobile insurance. May transport clients in own vehicle.
• Must be flexible and able to occasionally travel and work weekend and evening hours.

Preferred:

• Related professional experience working with youth of diverse backgrounds.

• Ability to recognize trauma symptoms and support healing and recovery for youth exposed to trauma.
• Knowledge of childhood trauma and/or experience working with youth that have been exposed to trauma.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong negotiation and mediation skills.

• Ability to solve practical mathematical problems.

• Knowledge of Microsoft® Teams software and/or Outlook, Excel, and Word.

Additional Details

• Background checks – Must pass required criminal and character background checks. 
• Mandated Reporter – Act as a Mandated Reporter as outlined by DCFS rules and regulations.
• Training – Crisis-intervention and restorative practices.
• Travel – Job may require travel via commercial transportation and/or driving motor vehicles. Must occasionally drive in heavy traffic and/or inclement weather conditions.
• Physical Requirements – Must be able to stand, walk, and sit. May occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Hours – Job may require irregular work hours and travel outside of normal business hours.

Competencies

• Adaptability – Alter approach as the situation demands. Work effectively within a variety of situations and with various individuals and groups.
• Integrity – Act ethically and honestly in all employment activities and build professional relationships by promoting mutual trust.
• Communication – Express ideas and facts effectively, contribute to open exchange of ideas, and exhibit an understanding of audience needs.
• Relationship Building – Build and maintain relationships (internally and with key external groups) that support and improve personal/team effectiveness.
• Teamwork – Work toward common goals by demonstrating sensitivity to others’ needs and supporting, encouraging, and sharing information with colleagues.
• Initiative – Recognize what needs to be done and accomplish it proactively.
• Resourcefulness – Identify critical information, effectively use available resources, and seek ways to improve agency processes.

• Dependability – Reliable, responsible, and helpful on the job while fulfilling obligations in a timely manner.
• Self-Control – Maintain composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
• Problem Sensitivity – Ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

• Trauma Sensitivity – Ability to communicate with clients and others with sensitivity understanding that someone may have been exposed to trauma.

Skills

• Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Social Perceptiveness – Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Strategic Thinking – Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish work.