Youth Advocate

Job Announcement: Youth Advocate

Status: 30 hours/week non-exempt
Salary: $19.50 hourly
Location: Esperanza United’s main office is located in Saint Paul, MN
Reports to: Prevention and Social Change Manager

Position overview
The Youth Advocate will assist youth and adolescent mothers who have experienced gender-based violence, sex trafficking or are at risk to be trafficked, to develop, pursue and achieve their goals to live free of violence while promoting Esperanza United mission.

About us

Esperanza United mobilizes Latinas and Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence. Formerly Casa de Esperanza, Esperanza United was founded in 1982 by a small group of persevering Latinas as an emergency shelter in St. Paul, Minnesota. We continue to ground our work in community strengths and wisdom, as we serve Latin@s locally and nationwide.

Core responsibilities

• Assist youth and adolescent mothers who are victims of gender-based violence, sex trafficking or are at risk to be trafficked to develop, pursue and achieve their goals to live free of violence while promoting Esperanza United mission.
• Assist Prevention and Social Change staff facilitate or co-facilitate group meetings/ support groups with Latina adolescent mothers at three alternative programs targeting adolescent mothers.
• Provide presentations to primarily Latin@ youth groups in middle and high schools addressing dating violence, sexual exploitation/trafficking and provide resources to address these issues.
• Support youth coordinator to enhanced relationships with middle and/or high schools with large populations of Latin@ students.
• Participate in quarterly meetings with school social workers and Esperanza United project staff.
• Team up and participate in activities with Youth Coordinator and Prevention and Social Change staff to fulfill funding requirements, including advocacy hours at corresponding schools.
• Participate in weekly/bi-weekly supervision and team meetings/professional development trainings through Family Advocacy and Prevention and Social Change.
• Safety, support & response
• › Assist participants to identify goals and methods to achieve them.› Provide meaningful direct advocacy and support to Latin@ youth ages 24 and under who may be experiencing dating violence.
• › Provide supportive listening. Assist family members to develop and reinforce safety plans.
• › Provide information about and help youth participants access relevant resources such as orders for protection, public benefits, medical care, housing assistance, legal protections, etc.
• › Prepare for, provide transportation, and accompany youth participants to appointments and court appearances, as needed.
• › Support youth participants with immigration relief measures, especially related to domestic violence/sexual exploitation and trafficking.
• › Intervene on behalf of youth survivors/families in crisis situations with police, medical professionals, employers, creditors, social service caseworkers, attorneys, etc. when necessary
• › Provide supportive listening to survivors and crisis callers. Assist survivors to identify goals and methods to achieve them.
• › Support answering crisis and business calls on the 24-hour bilingual crisis line when needed. Provide supportive listening and resource information.
• › Maintain knowledge of current resources. Help maintain relationships with other organizations, as well as identify new relationships, to maximize benefits and services available.
• › Keep up to date with organizations to maximize benefits and services available for youth survivors of sex trafficking and gender-based violence.
• Planning, Administrative & Intervention
• › Provide clear and timely data entry and work documentation for reporting purposes.
• › Contribute to analysis of the Family Advocacy and Prevention and Social Change Initiatives, the organization as a whole, and of community trends.› Participate in in-service and other job-related training.
• › Assist staff in providing presentations and training to community partners and CYE grantees on trauma informed, culturally relevant advocacy using our Latin@ Advocacy Framework.
• › Work with supervisor to develop an annual work plan based on grant expectations and programmatic benchmarks.
• › Conduct monthly, quarterly and yearly reporting based on funder specifications and other organizational needs.
• › Perform a variety of administrative duties as needed.

What you can expect in this position and from the organization

• Working through a strength-based lens and empowerment families to self-determine solutions that will work best for their unique lives.
• 40-80 hours of initial training, shadowing, and hands-on learning at the start of the position.
• Satisfaction that you are supporting positive change in people’s lives and helping the movement to end domestic violence. Build and improve community collaboration to support Latin@ youth who are at risk or experiencing sexual exploitation or gender- based violence.
• Your opinion to be valued and considered when making local and national organizational decisions.

Qualifications

• Education and experience

› High school diploma, or GED, and two years’ experience in an intervention setting, or

› A combination of equivalent experience and education.

Skills and Abilities

• › Strong written, verbal and interpersonal skills in Spanish and English required.
• Knowledge of the Latina community. Bi-cultural experience preferred.› Knowledge of dating violence issues preferred.
• › Ability to listen, intervene/de-escalate, and resolve conflicts effectively and independently.
• › Ability to manage multiple priorities to ensure deadlines are met.
• › Knowledge of and ability to use computers/technical resources to effectively accomplish work.
• › Flexibility with work schedule and other jobs responsibilities.
• › Ability to provide transportation for participants and travel to various locations for meetings or events and must have valid driver’s license and adequate auto insurance.

T*eamwork environment*

• › Contribute to an effective work team. Participate in ensuring team focus on the agency mission and forwarding the agency strategy of influencing change in the gender violence field.
• › Promote cooperative efforts in effective communication, meeting challenges and decision-making.
• › Assist coworkers in remaining outcomes- and mission-focused.
• › Contribute to sustaining a positive work environment that embodies Latin@ cultural strengths, interdependence and communalism.

Work environment
Esperanza United strives for diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, (dis)ability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, language, place of residence, political affiliation, veteran status, status regard to public assistance, or any other class protected by local, state, or federal law.

The above statements are not intended to encompass all functions and qualifications of this position; rather, they are intended to provide a general framework of the requirements of the position. Job incumbents may be required to perform other functions not specifically addressed in this job description.

To apply
Send your resume and cover letter to humanresources [AT] esperanzaunited.org with the subject header “Your Name Application - Youth Advocate”.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: $19.50 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location