Job: DHS Youth Advisor

Job Description

Job type: Part time, Hourly, 20-40hrs./mo.

Wage: $15-$20/hr.

Location: Chaffee County, CO.

Job Description

This part-time position will work in partnership with Chaffee County Youth Alliance (CCYA) and Family and Youth Initiatives staff, Extraordinary Teen Council based in Salida, and 5th Quarter in Buena Vista, local youth-serving organizations, and the community. The focus of the work includes, but is not limited to, providing youth perspective and recommendations to CCYA and community partners on coalition and community practices, policies, programs, and processes in accordance with Positive Youth Development (PYD) principles. We believe that young people have the ultimate expertise in the lives of youth and youth culture. Including a young adult on our team and integrating their expertise into our operations will improve the programs and policies that affect the lives of Chaffee County youth. This position will include hourly pay. The CCYA Youth Advisor will provide direction, planning, and co-facilitation of CCYA operations and activities, and is responsible for providing youth expertise and feedback. Inherent to this job is a focus on the development of professional skills in speaking and writing, such as group/team facilitation, providing recommendations, presenting as a youth expert, collaboration, strategic planning, and other relevant skills needed to effectively carry out the duties of this position.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES: The following duty statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include other non-essential or marginal duties that may be required. The county reserves the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of this job at any time. 

• Support Teen Council operations
• Assist with organization of weekly teen council meetings 
• Organize skill building, leadership and strategy planning work sessions 
• Serve as CCYA youth Ambassador by assisting with the organization and promotion of pro-social events and activities; embody CCYA values 
• Recruit youth to participate on in the teen councils 
• Serve as an advocate for Positive Youth Development (PYD) Trainings 
• Attend PYD 101 Training. Attend PYD Train the Trainer and acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to become a PYD trainer for Chaffee County and co-facilitate local training with adult trainers when appropriate 
• Assist with planning and facilitation of PYD meetings and trainings 
• Provide and amplify youth voice within CCYA coalition 
• Attend CCYA meetings/activities to provide input from the youth perspective 
• Advise on best practices for increasing authentic engagement of young people in CCYA activities and operations (ie: strengths-based opportunities for youth to support and engage with the coalition’s work) 
• Provide oversight on strategy workgroups including social media and youth-focused communications to ensure content is appropriate 
• Transport teen council members to meetings and pro-social events if necessary 
• Other duties as assigned.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

• Ability to read and understand written materials, and compose information instruction in written form. 
• Ability to remember schedules, programs, policies and other details, and apply good time management and organization skills. 
• Ability to apply problem solving skills. 
• Ability to work with other people taking into consideration, their needs, their personal styles, and the requirements of the jobs. 
• Ability to understand the administration of policies, practices, programs, and communications.

PREFERRED 

• Experience and interest in providing youth voice and youth perspective. 
• Excellent grammar and writing skills. 
• Public speaking skills 
• 18-25 years of age

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

• Minimum education: High School /GED education (present or past)

MATERIAL AND EQUIPMENT USED: Computer, printer, fax, copy machine, telephone, digital camera and other general office equipment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work may be confined to a standard office environment at times, however group activity environments vary. Employee may be exposed to:

• Conditions such as fumes, noxious odors, dusts, mists, gases, and poor ventilation that affect the respiratory system, eyes, or the skin. 
• Varying weather conditions 
• Possible bodily injury from recreational activities, transportation accidents, moving mechanical parts of equipment, tools, or machinery.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The following are some of the physical demands commonly associated with this position.

Mobility: 

• Stands 30% of the time, walks 30% of the time, and sits 40% of the time. 
• Ascends or descends ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like using feet and legs or hands and arms. 
• Maintains body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching, or running on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. 
• Bends body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist, requiring full use of the lower extremities and back muscles. 
• Bends legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees. 
• Bends body downward and forward by bending legs and spine. 
• Reaches, extending hand(s) in any direction.

Lifting:

• Exerts to 25 pounds of force occasionally, or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, or greater than a negligible amount up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Dexterity:

• Handles, seizes, holds, grasps, turns, or otherwise works with hand or hands. 
• Fingers, picks up, pinches, or otherwise works primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm.

Vision: The vision requirements for this position are as follows: 

• Close vision (clear at inches or less). 
• Distance vision (clear at feet or more). 
• Color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors). 
• Peripheral vision (ability to observe an area that can be seen up and down or to the left or right while eyes are fixed at a given point).

Communication:

• Individual must be able to clearly understand the English language and be understood while speaking the English language.
• Bi-lingual capability a plus.

Driving: A clean driving record and the ability to operate a motor vehicle IS required and necessary.  

Employee/ Client Records: Employee positions as well as programs at Family Youth Initiatives are partially or fully funded by grants. Employees understand and agree to “audits” by grantors which include reviewing employee’s personnel files including results of background checks and other personal information as well as audits of case files and programs.

Arrests: If employee is arrested for any offense, employee must report offense to both immediate supervisor, Supervisor for Family Youth Initiatives and Child Welfare and present a copy of the arrest record BEFORE returning to work. The Supervisor(s) will confer with Chaffee County Health and Human Services Director and make a fitness determination for continued employment.

**Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee, time to time; the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Click “Visit” below for more detail on this specific job.