Youth Mentoring Case Manager

YMCA International Services is a unique branch of the Y of Greater Houston and seeks to meet the needs of Houston's significant refugee and immigrant communities. We provide comprehensive programs that focus on building human assets and fostering self-sufficiency.The goal of the Youth Mentoring Program is to match youth, (15 - 24 years old), with volunteer mentors who will support their successful integration. Youth participate in group experiential learning activities and mentoring sessions. The case manager will be responsible for assessing youth's needs, referring them to Y services or community services, developing service plans, and collaborating with mentors to help youth achieve their educational and career development goals through social, educational, and vocational supports to ensure they are on a path towards self-sufficiency and integration. Additionally, the Case Manager will work closely with other case managers, program director, and mentor specialist to coordinate a variety of virtual and in person experiential learning opportunities such as college campus tours, student panels, speaker series, museum outings, and other acculturation events for our clients. As a newly developing program, the opportunities for innovation are abundant and creativity, innovation, and outside of the box thinking is encouraged!

Duties /Responsibilities

• Determine participants' eligibility for services.
• Conduct comprehensive interviews and complete intakes with prospective clients.
• Determine eligibility, assess the needs, and create service plans.
• Create and maintain accurate case files for all eligible participants; Track participation of participants and goal progress, while ensuring that all administrative processes and other administrative issues are done to the highest standards.
• Work closely with volunteer mentors and Specialists to ensure a positive youth development experience for the client, and successful and satisfying experience for the volunteer.
• Work closely with Specialists and Program Director to foster and collaborate with community partners, educational institutions, and visual and performing arts entities to carry out experiential learning component of the program.

• Facilitate match initiation and termination or closure meetings between clients and mentors, and involve Outreach Specialist as needed to assess closure request and provide guidance and support to resolve conflict.
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team meetings with the RYM team.

• Provide monthly program data.
• Assist with and attend experiential learning activities and field trips; working closely with community partners, vendors, and specialists.
• Support and facilitate the day- to- day operations of the Youth Mentoring Grant.
• Manage logistics for mentees including providing supportive services to ensure mentees can make required mentor meetings and outings.
• Assist the Program Director in preparing both quantitative and narrative reports.
• Report suspicious and inappropriate behaviors and policy violations.
• Follow mandated abuse and incident reporting requirements.
• Meet timelines and deadlines related to supporting systems and employee compliance. Example includes but are not limited to Kronos Workforce Ready for review and approval of time sheets.
• Other duties as assigned including airport pick-ups of newly arriving refugees.

Outcomes

• Responsible for recruiting, enrolling, and maintaining enrollments for clients during the service period.
• Responsible for accurately collecting client data and supportive documentation.
• Responsible for working with volunteer mentors to coordinate, track, and support client goals.

• Bachelor's Degree in Communication, History, Education, or Social Sciences (or related field).
• 1-3 years of experience working with refugee and immigrant populations.
• Culturally aware, sensitive, and continuously works towards cultural competency as a life goal.

• Assessment and relationship development experience with child and young adult populations; understanding of child development??and family dynamics.

• Experience working with volunteers, community members, and community partners.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Must travel to local communities and neighborhoods.
• Must be able to provide flexible hours to meet client needs.
• Experience supporting youth with college and career readiness highly desired.
• Ability to create and manipulate documents and databases.

• Is flexible, innovative, practices sound judgement, takes initiative, uses time effectively, focuses on details, and draw solid conclusions.
• Ability to form and sustain appropriate child and adult volunteer-based relationships, based on positive youth development and volunteer satisfaction.
• Ability to effectively assess and execute the following relational support skills: guiding, supporting, confronting, advising and/or negotiating.

• Works well under pressure and thrives under limited guidance.
• Computer skills with Microsoft Suite, databases, and office equipment
• Bilingual capability highly desired in most common refugee languages; Spanish highly preferred.
• Texas Driver's License; clean driving record; own vehicle; and applicable auto insurance.

Additional Requirements:

Flexibility and adaptability to program needs and schedule are key. As the medium of programming and youth interests needs shift, the Case Manager will need to work creatively to adjust to new content, platforms, and approaches.

Language Skills

Ability to read, interpret, retain, and teach documents such as safety rules, operating maintenance instructions, and procedure/educational manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of children, parents, staff, members of the YMCA, and/or others, as well as in one-on-one situations.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to apply common sense, understanding, and sound mature judgment to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form, including assisting with curriculum learning. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. Ability to maintain confidentiality. Ability to be sensitive and alert to the needs, feelings, and safety of others. Ability to ensure children's safety and maintain YMCA and state standards and guidelines at all times.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, and/or feel objects, tools, and/or controls; climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and/or crawl. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms and taste and smell. The employee must frequently move and/or lift up to 50 pounds and move up to 100 pounds such as furniture, supplies, equipment, children, etc. Possess adequate vision and hearing to safely monitor environment and children.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works in outside weather conditions. Nonsmoking and drug and alcohol free work environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, occasionally loud. The employee is occasionally exposed to fumes and airborne particles, toxic, or caustic chemicals, extreme heat, and/or blood. The employee regularly is exposed to bodily excretions of children, depending on developmental level of children in the employee's care.

Note: All positions are filled in response to current refugee arrivals and their language needs; as language needs change, this will necessitate flexibility in our staffing.

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides the following

• Highly competitive compensation
• Generous and flexible PTO
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• Long-term disability, basic life insurance, and other voluntary benefits
• 403 (B) retirement plan
• Free YMCA membership

The YMCA of Greater Houston provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.