Fair Futures Life Coach

$27.47 - $30.22 / hour

Position Summary

The Life Coach is the central staff member to a set of programmatic enrichment, prevention, and intervention strategies designed to support the holistic development of the Children's Aid Next Generation Center. The designated coach will work with foster care Middle/High School students under the daily supervision of the Social Work Supervisor who works under the direction of the Director of Youth Empowerment to develop and teach Life Skills to youth and their families, provide group sessions, foster and uphold the balance of parent and school communication, monitor student academic development, help develop appropriate social skills through events and field trips, and coordinate additional resources for students and their families relevant to familial enrichment, prevention and intervention. The incumbent will understand and promote the organization's Mission, Vision, and Core Values to ensure alignment with the functions of the position.

Children's Aid Mission

To help children in poverty to succeed and thrive. We do this by providing comprehensive support to children and their families in targeted high-needs New York City neighborhoods. Children's Aid annually serves children and their families at over 40 sites in New York, as well as through three national program models. Children's Aid is concentrating its efforts on creating cradle-through-college pathways in high-need neighborhoods, with a focus on children's health, family stability, education, and social and emotional development.

Culture and Values

We put children, youth, and families first: We listen to and incorporate the voices of children, youth and families in all that we do.

We seek equity and transformation in our communities: We courageously work within and outside systems to create opportunities for children, youth and families.

We strive for excellence: We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are committed to continuous learning and improvement.

We are powered by collaboration: Our work is stronger when we trust, partner, and respect each other and the communities we serve.

We are driven by compassion: We lead with kindness, care, and empathy and believe in the endless potential of the people we serve and our team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Help Middle school and High school students set and achieve academic and non-academic goals.
• Ensure that each student has a set of achievable yearly goals and an action plan that has been developed with the input of the student, teachers, and parents/caregivers.
• Use the tools and resources provided to track student progress around these goals that are aligned to larger outcomes in the areas of Attendance, Self-Efficacy, Life Skills, Avoiding Risky Behavior, and Health.
• Foster positive and healthy relationships with each student.
• Provide intensive one-to-one life coaching to 15-25 students identified based on a set of specific needs.
• Maintain regular communication with students' parents/caregivers to support the identified goals.
• Produce weekly reports documenting interventions and progress of the students.
• Work with his/her colleagues, supervisor, and director to identify and coordinate academic and socio-emotional resources for students and their families.
• Participate in ongoing training and professional development provided by Children's Aid.
• Use the resources provided by the Children's Aid to meet the needs of students on a daily basis.
• Attend Interdisciplinary Treatment Team (ITT) meetings.
• Ability to work a flexible work schedule; within the hours of operation of the Next Generation Center.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• 1-2 years of experience working with high school foster care youth.
• Bachelor's Degree required.
• Bilingual Spanish Speaker Preferred.

Key Competencies

• Experience with group facilitation and youth counseling.
• Exceptional leadership skills and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Commitment to professional development.
• A demonstrated commitment to goal-orientated work and focus on outcomes and results.
• A demonstrated ability to effectively work with high school students who have been traditionally under-served including English.
• Language Learners, youth with special needs, youth who have been or are currently involved in the child welfare system, children living below self-sufficiency, and children from single-parent households.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and motivate young people in urban settings.
• Ability to work independently and creatively as well as handle multiple tasks with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability and willingness to work collaboratively with colleagues.
• A thorough understanding of youth development principles and practice.
• A history of service to under-resourced communities.
• Professionalism, sound judgment, foresight, flexibility and maturity.

Compensation:

• Commensurate with experience and qualifications.
• Authorized to provide hours toward attaining Licensed Clinical Social Work designation.

It is the policy of Children's Aid to provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. Children's Aid will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or retaliation on any basis, including race, creed, color, national origin, ethnicity, alienage or citizenship status, gender/sex (including pregnancy), disability, religion, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, familial status, caregiver status, military status, marital or partnership status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking, predisposing genetic characteristics, arrest or conviction record, credit history, unemployment status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Children's Aid is committed to complying with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Children's Aid will conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or any violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy in a confidential manner and will take appropriate corrective action, if and where warranted. Children's Aid prohibits retaliation against employees who provide information about, complain about, or assist in the investigation of any complaint of discrimination or violation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

The incumbent is expected to work a schedule, whether in-person or hybrid, as determined by the department's needs to facilitate effective collaboration with the team. This flexibility is essential for maintaining seamless communication, fostering teamwork, and ensuring the smooth operation of the department's processes. The position's requirements are subject to periodic review and adjustment based on organizational needs and changes in work dynamics.