Youth Peer Advocate II - Critical Time Transition Program

Job Summary

The Youth Peer Advocate II empowers youth experiencing social, medical, emotional, developmental, substance use, and/or behavioral challenges, in navigating multiple child serving systems to increase engagement and support them in becoming an active participant in their own treatment. This position supports youth as they develop new skills and learn positive approaches and methods for addressing their needs while learning self-advocacy skills. This position will also participate in meetings (e.g. the county’s System of Care); providing the youth perspective and sharing their expertise in family-driven, youth-guided care. In addition, this position will lead projects, mentor level I staff, and facilitate Youth Advisory Board.

This role requires “Lived Experience” and flexibility with working hours, including evenings, as determined by family needs that arise outside of regular service hours.
Note that this position is in our new Critical Time Transition Program, which is slated to fully open in Fall 2025.

Essential Job Functions

• Assist youth in developing skills to advocate for needed services and benefits to effectively resolve unmet needs, learn how to effectively communicate their individual perspective to providers and families and have a voice and choice in matters related to their lives.
• Assist youth in developing skills for coping with and managing psychiatric symptoms, trauma, and substance use disorders.
• Connect youth to community resources, services and natural supports by assisting in
  the development of a network for information and support.
• Facilitate youth trainings and youth advisory board to increase knowledge and skills by providing opportunities for advocacy, learning effective communication skills, and practicing social skills with other youth.
• Form and maintain relationships using effective communication and collaboration acting as a bridge between youth, family, and providers.
• Administer assessments and help youth and family to identify gaps in services needed and assist in planning to eliminate gaps.
• Develop treatment and safety plans in collaboration with the youth and family. 
• Promote effective family-driven, youth-guided practice.
• Attend and/or facilitate meetings to promote youth voice and infuse the youth perspective at all levels: individual provider, agency, local planning, state and national policy making.
• Maintain all necessary records, forms, notifications, authorizations, reports and summaries in client files to ensure compliance with all Federal, State, Funder, Medicaid Managed Care and Hillside standards.
• Participate in agency and team meetings, in-service trainings, supervisory and team building activities.
• While this job description covers many aspects of the role, employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned.
• Youth Peer Advocate II additionally:
  • Mentor Youth Peer Advocate I staff.
  • Lead/conduct Youth Peer Advocate staff training and manage projects, as directed.
  • Serve as a resource to guide team performance.

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum 1 year of personal “lived experience” required as a young person with social, emotional, developmental, medical, substance use, and/or behavioral challenges, or has received services in juvenile justice, foster care, special education or addiction recovery. 
   
• Youth Peer Advocate II: Minimum 18 months of related experience required.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Youth Peer Advocate (YPA) Credential required within 6 months of hire.
• Unrestricted, valid NYS driver’s license for minimum of 1 year with a clean driving record and minimum insurance coverage that meets agency standards. 
• Program requires age range of 18 to 30 years old.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

In addition to demonstrating the Hillside Professional Competencies of Communicates Effectively, Personal Excellence, Cultural Competence, Builds and Leverages Relationships, and Optimizes Decision Making, the following occupational competencies must be demonstrated:

• Ability to act as an adult role model for children/youth/families in all behaviors including communication, hygiene, and appearance, management of self, response to stress / challenges and in the demonstration of positive relationships with others
• Ability to engage children/youth/families in trust-based, productive relationships in order to help children/youth and families prepare for transitions, interact in the community, and promote respect and independence
• Abil