Intervention Specialist - SF Justice Initiative

HOURS:95pm (w/ flexibility for school program/agency & community events)
STATUS/SCHEDULE: NonExempt Union/FT 40 Hrs/wk)
SUPERVISOR: SF Justice Initiative Program Manager

AGENCY DESCRIPTION:

Huckleberry Youth Programs (HYP) is a critical provider of essential safety net services for highneeds youth and their families in San Francisco and Marin County. For over 50 years HYP has developed and maintained prevention programs that promote the health and leadership of youth and as a result divert youth from violence crime and gang involvement as well as other harmful behaviors including running away drug/alcohol abuse risky sexual activities and involvement in the juvenile justice systems. HYP employs approximately 75 employees and operates on a $9 million annual budget. We offer excellent employee benefits including full medical/dental/vision/acupuncture and chiropractic coverage and generous vacation time. For more information about our various programs please go to our website at www.huckleberryyouth

POSITION SUMMARY:

The SF Justice Initiative is a multipronged strategy to disrupt the schooltoprison pipeline for middle schoolers by supporting them in their schools and preventing them from entering the juvenile delinquency system. This initiative will disrupt the schooltoprison pipeline by: Establishing a parentbased coalition to hold SFUSD accountable for its treatment of middle school students and to advocate for policies that support studentsespecially students of color and students with disabilitiesin school and outside of the juvenile justice system; Building the capacity of youth and families by offering support and guidance to families navigating school discipline or special education issues; Empowering youth and families to advocate for systemic change by supporting youth leadership development and developing demands for public investment in preventive and early intervention services for middle school students at risk of being pushed out of their schools; Ensuring legal representation for young people and families in school disciplinary proceedings special education advocacy and related issues including school enrollment regional center eligibility and service provision and other civil legal needs in order to improve the likelihood that students and families can thrive; Providing robust schoolbased support to students facing behavioral and attendance challenges at multiple middle schools with high suspension rates including case management therapy and mentoring. This initiative includes a collaborative partnership with Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth Young Community Developers(YCD) Legal Services for Children Disability Rights California and Youth Law Center.

The role of the Intervention Specialist (IS) will be to provide mentorship care management advocacy and support to middle school youth who experience truancy behavioral and/or disciplinary issues in select schools with historically high rates of suspension. Huckleberrys comprehensive programming will include: academic support social emotional learning/development (SEL/D) activities counseling case management regular family engagement and field trips for programintensive participants. Huckleberry will also provide lowertouch support to a wider range of middle school students including tabling and prevention education workshops to increase student wellbeing. All activities are designed using restorative and transformative justice best practices to help youth build and strengthen the knowledge tools and skills they need to feel a sense of belonging reconnect to school and community support boost academics and reduce instances of disciplinary action at school. The Intervention Specialist will act as a bridge between the initiative partners the youth their family community and the school partner sites. They must be able to work within a collaborative process include families in services and negotiate successfully with multidisciplinary systems such as middle and high schools.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Facilitate the recruitment and outreach of prospective youth and family participants.
• Conduct face to face and/or virtual assessments of youth to identify their needs and goals to develop a care plan.
• Work collaboratively within the team to develop interventions and supports for the youth and their families.
• Develop and facilitate care planning with specific goals related to their academic and socialemotional learning and development (SEL/D).
• Network with other youth providers to establish liaisons and resources.
• Maintain ongoing caseload and consistent and timely written and electronic documentation of contacts with youth their families and community partners.
• Engage participants families in the program regularly.
• Make and maintain contact with school officials counselors and other service providers/adult allies associated with the youth.
• Act as liaison to the school site and administration.
• Cofacilitate plan and coordinate life skills workshops and field trips/outings for participants.
• Participate in ongoing personal and professional development training and other opportunities.
• Conduct home community and school visits on a weekly basis for participants.
• Participate in site staff team agency meetings/training and SF Justice Initiative meetings.
• Support the team with administrative responsibilities as needed such as reception filing organizing supplies office cleaning etc.
• Other assigned duties as needed to run effective programming.

COMPETENCIES:

• Maintain an awareness of the agencys mission and work to promote the positive individual and social change goals it embodies. Strong commitment to the wellbeing of youth social justice and a positive youth development approach.
• Ability to authentically and meaningfully engage youth and work in partnership with youth.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and work independently.
• Ability to work and advocate in a collaborative process and negotiate various systems.
• Maintain a creative teambuilding cooperative approach to job performance and seek to bring a constructive problemsolving orientation to all tasks.
• Be comfortable with a fastpaced environment that is frequented by youth.
• Able to address crises as they emerge in multiple settings.
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality at all times.
• Exercise discretion and professional judgment at all times in keeping with the responsibility carried personally and by the agency for the care and welfare of youth and families.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

1. Bachelors degree in social work human/social services criminal justice or related fields and/or a minimum 13 yrs previous experience working with youth families and case management intervention strategies or other highly qualified interventions with adolescents.
2. 2 years prior experience working with youth from diverse backgrounds using a youth development approach.
3. Committed to managing multiple projects/tasks working independently as well as being able to work cohesively in a culturally diverse team environment.
4. Effective in being mobile to provide services in multiple locations.
5. Willing and able to work and partner with SF Justice Initiative partners school partner sites other community based organizations and law enforcement representatives on a regular basis.
6. Excellent critical thinking problem solving oral and written communication skills & organization.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

1. Knowledge of communitybased agencies serving adolescents in SF Bay Area strongly preferred
2. Past experience successfully working with marginalized communities is strongly preferred.
3. Experience working with the SFUSD or other urban based public school districts
4. Bilingual and ability to provide all activities in the Essential Functions category in Spanish Cantonese and/or Mandarin stipend provided.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

This position primarily works out of the partner school sites. Staff will continue some hybrid work including remote and inperson service delivery. Our office is located at 44 Gough St. This role routinely includes driving and transporting youth. The position also includes the use of standard office equipment such as computers phones photocopiers filing cabinets and fax machines. The office is located in Hayes Valley/Civic Center neighborhoods of San Francisco and is accessible by public transportation but also has a parking lot for staff.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The employee must be able to lift and/or carry up to 10 pounds unassisted on an occasional basis. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to talk hear and sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand walk and use hands to find handle or feel objects tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to drive a vehicle.

ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY QUALIFICATIONS:

1. TB Clearance
2. Valid CA drivers license clear DMV record and reliable transportation
3. 2 years of driving experience
4. Reliable transportation
5. Fully vaccinated for COVID19

SECURITY CLEARANCE:

1. Must pass the DOJ/FBI background check. Due to our requirements with licensing candidates with backgrounds including items on this nonexemptible crimes list will not be eligible for exemption at this time.

OTHER DUTIES:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

Huckleberry Youth Programs is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal opportunity to its employees and applicants for employment without discrimination on the basis of race; color; ethnic background; religion; gender; gender identity or expression; sexual orientation; national origin; ancestry; age; marital status; pregnancy childbirth or other related medical condition; disability including HIV related conditions; or status as a covered veteran. This policy applies to every aspect of employment including but not limited to: hiring advancement transfer demotion layoff termination compensation benefits training and working conditions.

FAIR CHANCE:

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.