Job Title:                 Assistant Youth Director/Community Liaison

Department:            Center for Youth Development

Position Status:       Full-time & exempt (35 hours per week)

Direct Reports:        Program Assistants and Volunteers

Reports to:               Chief Youth Development Officer

Organizational Overview

LifeBridge Community Services Inc. has been in continuous service to residents of Bridgeport CT since 1843.  The organization’s mission is to “Partner with Bridgeport’s youth and families to build resilience” with a vision to help each person realize their fullest potential in a strong community.

Resiliency, according to the American Psychological Association, is the process of “adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems or workplace and financial stressors”.  Simply put, resiliency means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences while still being able to focus, plan, learn, problem-solve, grow and achieve.

To achieve its mission, LifeBridge developed the Center for Youth Development which contains the following components: The Urban Scholars Program (USP) and Family Resources (includes Community Closet and family supports).  The incumbent will work in partnership with the Chief Youth Development Officer to provide the Urban Scholars Program.

USP is a new after school and summer day camp learning center operates throughout the year.  USP currently provides services to approximately 75 middle school youth ages 11 to 15 with the aim of retaining students through high school completion as the program grows and evolves.  The purpose of USP is to help young people (1) develop healthy relationships with caring adults in a safe space (2) find their voice, (3) learn appropriate ways to deal with their challenges, (4) build peer relationships, (5) express their creativity, and (6) continue to engage in their learning. USP expects to welcome young people at varying academic levels and will provide fun, hands-on projects that incorporate tutoring and academics to foster learning engagement, peer collaboration, and perseverance.

Job Function

The purpose of this position is to help lead the development and growth of the Urban Scholar’s Program. The position plays an integral role both internally and within the community.  They are a credible messenger allowing them to foster trusted relationships and communication between the center and community partners. The ideal candidate brings expertise and experience in: 1) program design and operations, 2) community outreach, 3) case management, and 4) youth development.

Major Responsibilities

1. Program Design and Operations: Helps provide leadership in implementation of operational plans including but not limited to selection of service offerings, design of service offerings, data and outcomes management, student and family recruitment and retention strategies.
2. Leadership: Serves as the Assistant Youth Director, providing oversight to the program in the director’s absence. Fulfills the responsibilities of Head Teacher for the child care license.
3. Compliance: Helps to implement and monitor licensing requirements ensuring compliance with both the school-age child care license and the youth camp license.
4. Community Development: Establishes and maintains relationships with schools, faith community, police department, public housing, community agencies, and other venues of influence; representing LifeBridge, establishing referral sources, and supporting partnerships. Actively recruits youth within the community and implements selection and enrollment process.
5. Case Management/Parent Liaison: Establishes relationships with participants. Maintains case records within electronic case management system, documenting youth progress, key interactions with parents/guardians, and referrals. Monitors youth records for completeness. Identifies scholar stories that highlight impact.
6. Youth Development: Develop program curriculum focused on social and emotional development. Deliver program directly to youth and work with program assistants for program delivery. Documents program delivery and impact.
7. Other duties may be necessary.

Authorities

1. Recommends admission into Urban Scholars Program, makes internal referrals for behavioral health services and family resource services, and provides external referrals for other needed services.
2. Exchanging information with schools related to USP admission and documentation of outcomes based on agency policy. Exchanging information with internal behavioral health clinicians to facilitate effective case management based on agency policy.
3. Releasing a participant to an adult, other than parent or guardian, with the documented approval of the participant’s parent/guardian.

Qualifications

1. A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, recreation, group social work or related field that is focused on youth development, both emotionally and academically.
2. Demonstrated leadership experience in youth-oriented, educational or social service programs.
3. Experience working with youth and families that LifeBridge expects to service in its Center for Youth Development.
4. Experience in community development.
5. Either one summer as a Camp Director, or supervisory training and experience in an organized youth program.
6. Must have strong oral and written communication skills and the demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with multiple audiences (e.g., youth, families, funders, community partners).
7. Must have at least 270 hours of documented supervised experience in working with unrelated school-age children (within the age range of 5 years – 13 years old). This supervised experience could be student teaching or a practicum assignment.
8. Must have, or complete within six months of hiring, approved First Aid and CPR certification. Certification must be maintained throughout employment.

Confidentiality:  The employee will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement.  Violation of this agreement may result in disciplinary action up to an including immediate dismissal.

Physical Requirements: Frequent sitting and ability to talk and hear.  Frequently required to walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; stoop, crouch and kneel. The member must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 + pounds. The member will be required to travel locally by vehicle, work in an office setting sitting behind a computer, as well as interact with clients.  Required to be free from communicable diseases and work closely with clients.

Work Environment:  The noise level in the work environment is typical of any typical outpatient medical or mental health setting/outpatient treatment facility/or youth center and ranges from low to high. Frequent interaction with individuals in the program and community.

Agency Disclaimer: The President & CEO may modify this job description based upon agency needs.