Are you undeterred by rebellious teens and young adults who may ignore your texts and defy all reasonable advice? Do you have X-ray vision that can see the trauma and pain that hides behind stubbornness and self-sabotage? Does the idea of a young adult who ages out of foster care without support stir up a sense of injustice inside of you?
If so, you may be the perfect fit for our full-time role as Youth Transitions Coordinator for Fostering Hope. Our innovative program helps youth from foster care to beat the odds and become successful adults. We use a Trauma-Informed approach that bucks many of the common assumptions about how a program should operate. Our program is rooted in science but resembles family. We measure a youth’s progress in years, not weeks or months. We track small victories, knowing what they are leading to. And we capture lots of data so we can show the rest of the world what’s possible with time and love (like a graduate rate of 88%!).
This person will work on a team of three who specialize in working with about two dozen teens and young adults in foster care who will not or did not find permanency. The ideal candidate is highly relational. They have the desire and ability to build lasting relationships with teens/young adults who have experienced trauma and to help coach nonprofessional volunteers, work supervisors and others to do the same. Relational stability matters to the participants; ideally, the candidate is able to stay in this position at least two years.
These Core Beliefs inform how we interact with all our participants:
Key Responsibility
Create/maintain an environment where participants can develop competency in relationships, employment, housing and transportation. As a member of the care team, grow and sustain a pre- and post-emancipation support system that supplements that of the child welfare system and utilizes the aid of community volunteers. The Coordinator monitors the activities and progress of a group of youth in the process of building their capability to live independently and connected to the community.
The role will change as the program matures and relationships form with the participants. Initially, it will require working one-on-one with young adults to offer a safe, stable, nurturing relationship that anchors them as they navigate through the challenges of emerging adulthood. As the Coordinator solidifies connections with volunteers, community resources and foster parents, the role will change from direct implementation to recruiting, training and facilitating volunteers from communities of faith to accompany and guide the young adults, brokering the community network of resources as needed.
Qualifications/Experience
Characteristics