Advocacy Counselor (Clinical Case Manager)

Job Title – Advocacy Counselor, Whittier Sites

Reports to – Community Manager

Status – Full-time, Exempt

Organization Overview

United Friends of the Children empowers current and former foster/justice involved youth on their journey to

self-sufficiency through service-enriched programs, advocacy, and consistent relationships with a community of

people who care.

Founded over 40 years ago, United Friends is a leading provider of youth development services to current and

former foster youth in Los Angeles County. Through its housing and education programs, the organization has

helped thousands of young people imagine and actualize their own dreams and futures. United Friends’ programs

focus on commitment, trauma-informed care, and empowerment by prioritizing a whole-person-development

approach. Through a Social Justice Positive Youth Development (SJPYD) model, we center building relationships

with youth over an extended period to achieve greater outcomes. Around those relationships, United Friends wraps

an array of supportive services to help youth successfully transition to adulthood. As a result of services, United

Friends alumni have greater housing and economic stability, higher educational attainment and a stronger sense of

community and emotional wellbeing.

Position Overview

Pathways is a low-barrier to entry housing program that provides intensive case management and support

services to transitional aged-youth (TAY), ages 18-24. The Pathways program utilizes the Housing First Approach

in which, assertive engagement with our youth is essential to ensure youth are aware of and participate in a

myriad of resources and supportive services offered by the program. The Advocacy Counselor (AC) manages a

caseload of up to 15 youth and provides housing-focused case management centered on increasing skills,

removing barriers to their goals, and successfully obtaining an education plan, employment, and stable housing.

The AC provides life skills trainings, linkages to community resources, and builds meaningful relationships with

youth to foster self-sufficiency into adulthood.

The ideal candidate will have a keen understanding of best practice service models, such as trauma-informed care,

harm reduction, and social justice positive youth development. Specific knowledge related to transitional aged

youth experiencing housing instability is a plus.

United Friends currently implements a hybrid work environment – schedule is determined at the discretion of

management and the needs of the program and/or agency. This position will work full-time hours, Monday-

Friday. Weekend and evening support may be required. The Advocacy Counselor is a part of the after-hours

rotation schedule where they are required to respond to youth-related crises and emergencies. The Advocacy

Counselor will work primarily from the Whittier housing sites. The Advocacy Counselor will work four days per

week at the housing site and work remotely one day per week. Travel between United Friends’ housing sites across

Los Angeles County is required.

Duties and responsibilities

Case Management

• Create individual case plans for youth tailored to their needs and goals towards education, employment and stable housing.
• Provide intensive case management that includes removing barriers and linking youth to relevant community resources and services.
• Establish rapport and maintain a high level of engagement to provide quality services and support.
• Develop a transition plan to thoroughly guide and support youth into stable housing.
• Coordinate weekly case management meetings to provide coaching and guidance on goals related to housing, employment, education, mental/physical health, and basic life skills, including budgeting and finance.
• Assess ongoing information to ensure youth safety, wellbeing, and progress towards case plan goals.
• Coordinate and facilitate tasks related to apartment and program readiness for youth move-ins and exits.
• Lead conversations with youth and their care team concerning their progress and needs in program.
• Monitor site safety and cleanliness, including youth units’ inspections.
• Provide de-escalation and crisis intervention as needed.
• Facilitate and attend community building activities, life skills workshops, and events for youth.
• Attend required agency and department meetings.

Documentation and Administrative Duties

• Meet all due dates for data entry and documentation requirements.
• Document all service efforts on Apricot and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) within the required timeframes.
• Attend agency required trainings and expand knowledge of services relevant to our population.
• Track youth progress towards goals and required outcomes.
• Analyze outcome data to improve service delivery.

Other

• Other duties as assigned.

General United Friends Responsibilities

• Act as a role model within the organization to uphold and implement United Friends’ organizational values:
• Embrace program evaluation that leads to excellence and impact
• Build effective and empowering partnerships with the youth, community, and each other
• Create a fun and exciting environment that inspires learning and innovation
• Communicate openly, honestly and with humility across all groups
• Work together as one organization
• Staff hold a commitment to:
• A culturally responsive Trauma-Informed Approach to our population and client centered advocacy
• Strong knowledge of the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work.
• Support in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
• Evaluating the completeness, accuracy and relevance of data to determine information value and improve client services.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work, psychology, counseling, or equivalent preferred.
• 1-2 years of experience in case management or related experience required.
• Experience providing direct services to high-risk population or youth experiencing homelessness preferred.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Highly motivated to engage in problem-solving and research innovative solutions.
• Ability to provide crisis management and de-escalation techniques.
• An ability to work in a fast-paced environment that requires effective collaboration with a multidisciplinary service team and to work independently.
• High level of accountability and responsibility for role expectations.
• Trauma-informed and client-centered advocacy
• Understand the communities served and centralize this cultural understanding into the work
• Passionate about United Friends’ mission and values.
• Must have a valid California Driver’s License and an insured and reliable vehicle.

Preferred Qualifications

• Oral and written fluency in Spanish