Youth Specialist

Description

Job Title: Youth Specialist

Salary: $17.69 - $23.94 per hour – Non-Exempt, DOE

Status: Temporary, Full-Time

Hrs./WK: Forty (40) 

Department: Wellness 

Job Location: Tucson, Arizona 

Nature of Work: 

Embraces and Embodies Tucson Indian Center’s (TIC’s) Identity Document’s Mission, Purpose and Vision Statements; Core Values, Guiding Principles and Strategic Goals. The incumbent is responsible for coordinating the planning, implementation, completion, and evaluation partnership of the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Native Pride Project (NPP) goals, objectives, and activities. The purpose of the NPP is to promote early intervention strategies and implement positive youth development programming to reduce risk factors for suicidal behavior and substance abuse. The incumbent will implement evidence-based and practice-based approaches to build resiliency, promote positive development, and increase self-sufficiency behaviors among Native youth. The incumbent will promote family engagement in youth/young adults around suicide prevention in the Tucson urban Indian community, addressing that strong connections to family and community support are a key protective factor for suicide. The incumbent will increase access to prevention activities for youth to prevent methamphetamine use and other substance use disorders that contribute to suicidal behaviors, in culturally appropriate ways.

Essential Functions:

1. Program Coordination: Leads the NPP program and program contributors in planning, implementation, completion, and  evaluation of program deliverables. 

2. Recruitment: Recruit youth and other participants for multiple evidence-based suicide prevention interventions.

3. Youth activities & events: Complete multiple youth suicide prevention activities, such as afterschool/summer school programs, youth camp/youth conference, family/community events and other activities.

4. Monthly support group: Implement a monthly support group for young adult urban Indians, providing education to build resiliency, promote positive development, and increase self-sufficiency behaviors.

5. Evaluation: Evaluate, in partnership with the evaluator, the effectiveness of the Native Pride Project activities throughout the program year to continually strengthen the program intervention. Gather and incorporate input from family members on the evaluation and findings of the effectiveness of the Project at least once each program year.

6. Interviews & Safety Interventions: As required in the evaluation of the NPP, conduct multiple interviews with youth, gather evaluation information and conduct suicide prevention interventions and other safety interventions when necessary. 

7. Family engagement: Promote family engagement through family and community engagement activities that utilize early intervention strategies to increase protective factors and reduce risk factors for suicidal behavior and substance abuse.

8. Partnerships: Maintain effective and collaborative relationships with multiple school programs, local neighborhood organizations, Indian Health Services, local Tribes, and others. 

9. Suicide Intervention trainings: Train urban Indian youth, family members, and TIC staff in suicide prevention skills using evidence-based curriculum such as the “Question, Persuade, Refer” (QPR) and Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Have program participants complete required pre- and post-tests for deliverables.

10. Methamphetamine & substance abuse trainings: Train urban Indian youth, family members, and TIC staff in methamphetamine and substance abuse knowledge and skills.

11. Reports: Prepare and submit monthly reports on all program activities, measuring completion of all program deliverables. 

12. Newsletter: Writes, edits and publishes the monthly Native Wellness Voice Newsletter.

13. Social networking: Submits content for the TIC social networking sites such as TIC Facebook pages and website.

14. Performs other duties as assigned or requested. 

Requirements

  Required Knowledge, Skills and Ability:

• Knowledge of the protective factors and risk factors for suicide and substance use disorders among the Tucson urban Indian community. 
• Ability to coordinate a grant program and comply with reporting requirements.
• Ability and skills to recruit, engage, and retain youth and other community members in multiple health and suicide prevention activities. 
• Skills facilitating American Indian health promotion interventions. 
• Knowledge regarding program evaluation and data collection.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Required Experience and Training:

1. Bachelor’s Degree in health, human services or business fields, such as public health, social work, education, or business: OR
2. Associate's Degree in the health, human services or business fields, or certificate of health professional training such as a Nurse’s Aide, Patient Care Technician or Community Health Representative, and a minimum of three (3) years of experience in the health, human services or business fields;  OR
3. High School Diploma or equivalent with six (6) years of work experience in health, human services or business fields. 

Additional Requirements:

• Must possess and maintain a valid Arizona Driver’s License.
• Must pass Driver Insurance Carrier’s requirements.
• Must obtain a HIPAA certification within 2 weeks of hire.
• Must obtain certifications in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and First Aid within 3 months of hire.
• Must pass Arizona DPS Fingerprint Clearance (Class I & II).
• Must pass and submit to periodic/random drug testing.

Working Conditions: 

• Exposure to communicable disease & bloodborne pathogens, unpredictable environmental conditions, physical requirements. 
• Exposure to communicable diseases such as COVID-19 or bloodborne pathogens is a risk of this position. 
• Unpredictable environmental conditions range from working in a climate-controlled office/clinic setting to working in a patient’s home, outside, in extreme temperatures, or in spaces with poor ventilation.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and drive in the Tucson Urban area.
• The employee is occasionally required to sit; balance; stoop, kneel, or crouch.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.

Supervisory Status:

Non-supervisory

Reports to Wellness Grants & Services Manager

Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act (Title 25, U.S. Code, Section 472 and 473). The Tucson Indian Center is committed to achieving the full and equal opportunity without discrimination because of Race, Religion, Color, Sex, National Origin, Politics, Marital Status, Physical Handicap, Age or Sexual Orientation. In other than the above, the Tucson Indian Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Additional consideration is also given to Internal candidates and honorably discharged and protected veterans.