Nexus Family Healing is looking to add a Part Time Youth Peer Specialist to our newest location in Portland, Oregon!

Nexus Family Healing, a national non-profit mental health organization serving youth and families for over 50 years, is expanding to Oregon! This small PRTF program is serving up to six youth at a time, ages 10-17 with mental and developmental disabilities who have become involved in the justice system. The program, located at Nexus' Walden Crossing, is a secure location, providing high staff to youth ratios as well as 24/7 nursing, recreational and therapeutic professionals, psychiatric services, and an array of other types of therapies.

Join an organization that makes a true difference in the lives of youth and their families!

Position Summary: The Youth Peer Specialist supports youth during their transition from residential treatment. This position works collaboratively with the care team to develop and implement a detailed care plan that supports the youth during their transition from discharge to placement. This integral role serves as a champion and advocate to the youth, by supporting the goals, objectives, and progress in the youth's care plan; empowers and educates youth to advocate for themselves long term.

Schedule/Pay/Location:

• Part-time, on-site opportunity
• Schedule varies
• Pay Rate: $23.00+ per hour
• Walden Crossing Address: 881 NE 162^nd Ave, Portland OR 97320

Nexus' Comprehensive Benefits Include:

• Paid Time Off
• 401k match
• NEW - Talkspace Therapy Benefit for the whole family
• Advancement pathways and internal promotion
• And much more!

Primary responsibilities:

Client Intervention & Responsiveness

• Meets with youth one on one who are ready for discharge from their high-end treatment facility; works to develop trust and rapport with the youth, demonstrating the ability to listen intently and learn about the youth's history and past.
• Acts with responsiveness to discern, learn, and understand the youth's experiences leading up to the discharge period; determines which information is most relevant to share with the care team, to be considered for integration into the care plan.
• Collaborates with the care team as needed to source placement opportunities that are well suited for the youth; interfaces with family, foster care, or alternate residences to source and prepare optimum placement for the youth.
• Uses influence to encourage the youth's family, foster families, or treatment facilities to consider the youth's progress and needs; educates caregivers of the resources and support provided by the program team, upon placement, to ensure the youth's success.

Care Planning & Implementation

• Collaborates with the youth's care team to develop and implement a comprehensive care plan; understands the role of each care team resource and works to connect the youth to the appropriate resource as needed.
• Maintains ongoing consistent communication with care team members, program management and youth.
• Supports the youth in developing and enhancing formative skills including resume writing, job searching, interview preparation, organizing of finances, prioritizing schoolwork, obtaining a driver's license etc.
• Provides individualized support to youth; assists in breaking barriers to achieve the youth's goals including employment, educational, relational, leadership, citizenship, social and financial goals.
• Integrates the goals and objectives of the youth's care plan, into daily touchpoints, conversations and tasks that can be achieved over time by linking youth to various community resources.

Client Advocacy & Mentorship

• Actively listens to the youth to understand their experience and unique challenges; seeks ways to empathize and relate to the youth while focusing on life skills enhancement, improvement and coping mechanisms.
• Develops trust and rapport with the youth by drawing upon personal lived experiences in an effort to empathize and relate to the client while maintaining professional boundaries
• Fosters an encouraging and nurturing relationship while balancing clear definitive boundaries with each youth; challenges clients appropriately to facilitate growth, independence and self-confidence.
• Serves as a champion and advocate for each youth by highlighting progress and providing encouragement and empowerment; seeks to create new opportunities that align with the youth's care plan and goals.
• Leverages the youth's care plan by conducting check-ins via phone and/or in-person visits; observes areas of success and opportunity and relays pertinent information to the care team.

Required Education and Licensure:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Demonstrated lived experience, coping with adolescent challenges. (Personal experience may include but is not limited to experiencing foster care, residential treatment, juvenile justice or any transferrable or relatable experience to ongoing youth struggles.)
• Demonstrated interpersonal maturity and emotional intelligence; ability to create trust and rapport with clients while setting clear, definitive, and healthy boundaries.
• Valid driver's license required and access to reliable transportation is required Must meet state regulating agency and requirements.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Previous experience working with youth who have experienced trauma and/or a mental health crisis.

Physical Demands:

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. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. The job requires extended and/or frequent periods of sitting, bending, moving, lifting, and carrying materials. Must be able lift and carry 50+lbs. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

At Nexus Family Healing, our voices and actions are focused on recognizing, affirming and respecting people of every race, ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender expression and faith.

Our ICARE Values:

• Innovation: Leading the way and implementing creative, cutting-edge ideas and approaches
• Compassion: Listening, honoring differences, and showing respect, kindness, empathy care, and concern
• Agility: Exhibiting flexibility and adapting quickly
• Responsiveness: Being quick, positive, and accurate
• Excellence: Demonstrating quality results that surpass ordinary standards

APPLY TODAY TO BE CONTACTED BY OUR RECRUITING TEAM! When you work at Nexus, you have the opportunity to change lives - including your own!

Keywords: "Trauma-Informed Care", "Residential Treatment", "Direct Care Professional", "Direct support", "Youth Support", "Youth Peer Specialist", "Mental Health", "Children's Mental Health", "Social Work", "Social Services" "Psychology", "Youth Care" "Counseling" "Community" "QMHA", "QMHP", "social justice", "LGBTQ safe", "mission-driven", "caring career", "behavioral health". "Youth Mentor"

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