***This is an internal opportunity, only available for current Youth Guidance employees***
About You:
You have the passion and desire to work in a dynamic non-profit organization. You have the training, talent and skills to perform the job, and want to partner with the right organization. Youth Guidance provides you the opportunity to apply your passion and skills working alongside a team of talented individuals who share the same values. The ideal candidate will exhibit a commitment to working with youth and outstanding customer service skills. You must be motivated, passionate and work well in collaborative teams. Youth Guidance is a place where you will be valued for your skills and recognized for your accomplishments. Our employees and clients will benefit from your unique approach to counseling.
Position Summary: The STRIVE Senior Counselor provides school-based individual, counseling and academic coaching to students who are in DCFS care. The Counselor is responsible for rendering direct counseling and/or support services to clients within agency policies and programs and coordinates with school and DCFS employees for service provision. The Counselor participates within a team, helps formulate team programs, and works with school administration to ensure cohesive collaboration. The STRIVE Senior Counselor also provides weekly clinical and administrative supervision to STRIVE Counselor and participates in management meetings and program outcome tracking.
Essential Duties/Responsibilities:
- Provides STRIVE services to students and families directly within school districts #299 (CPS), #205 (Thornton Township), and #209 (Proviso Township). These services will include counseling, case management, home visits, student and staff training seminars, resource development, mentoring, tutoring, college and career readiness, and/or other services, as needed.
- Interacts effectively with DCFS, the Public School System and other relevant personnel on issues related both to the STRIVE Program and to all Youth Guidance programming.
- Assures effective coordination and communication of information between DCFS, the Public Schools system and other community partners on matters regarding the STRIVE Program.
- Performs routine administrative functions including monthly/quarterly/yearly reports, client record keeping, progress notes, case reviews and research evaluation and meets all program deliverables.
- Provides training as requested by agency administration.
- Engage in operational and technical planning of team goals/objective to achieve performance metrics.
- Collaborates with team to create and develop small/large scale events for the STRIVE program.
- Provides weekly clinical and administrative supervision to STRIVE counselors.
- Participates in management meetings and program outcomes tracking along with Program Manager and Director of STRIVE.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education/Experience/Training
- Master’s Degree in social work, counseling or a related human service field from an approved accredited university is required.
- Illinois social work or counseling license preferred but not required (LPC, LSW, LCPC, LCSW, or LMFT).
- Must have at least two years of experience providing direct counseling or case management services to youth.
- Supervision experience is strongly preferred.
Skills/Abilities
- Effectively communicates in verbal and written form
- Collaborates in team settings
- Works independently and with ownership of one’s work
- Demonstrates knowledge of trauma-informed care and advanced counseling/psychology concepts
- Demonstrates cultural competency, including understanding of effects of institutional racism and systemic oppression on marginalized populations
- Demonstrates understanding of challenges facing youth and families involved in DCFS care
- Able to creatively engage youth in school and community settings
- Provides a positive, team-based approach to treatment and care of clients
- Provides supportive, reflective supervision to counselors
Core Competencies:
- Communication: Uses effective written and oral communication with internal staff, teams, and community served; demonstrates empathy and listening
- Client orientation: Recognizes needs of diverse stakeholders and approaches relationships with a service orientation, to ultimately maximize the impact
- Equity mindset: Understands and is committed to goals of equity, consistently brings an equity mindset to the organization’s work and workplace
- Growth mindset: Views growth as important for personal and professional development; seeks out opportunities to expand skills, even if the change is required, demonstrates curiosity and eagerness to learn
- Ownership and quality of work: Effectively manages own work, and work of the team to ensure delivery of high-quality work
- Supervisory skills: Effectively manages and develops others
- Mission drive: Demonstrates commitment to the missing of the organization as a whole and alignment with organization values
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- This job operates in a professional office environment, school setting, and working with the public
- Occasional local and national travel
DEI Statement
At Youth Guidance, we understand that diversity, equity, inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) are fundamental to realizing our vision of bright and successful futures for all young people. We celebrate the diversity of youth and staff and recognize them as empowered leaders, problem-solvers, and experts of their own experiences. At the same time, we acknowledge that many systems and institutions meant to support youth and staff are inequitable and unjust.
As such, we are committed to advancing DEIB through our words and our actions, both internally and externally, by:
- Strengthening cultural competence as well as policies, practices, and organizational structures that foster belonging and leverage the unique backgrounds and talents of staff;
- Offering youth-centered programs that are accessible and responsive to people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, abilities, sexual identity, gender identity and expression, language, and cultural and religious beliefs and practices;
- Influencing systems that youth, their families, staff, and communities are impacted by, such as schools, organizational networks, governmental bodies, researchers, and the funding community, to apply approaches that embrace DEIB in addressing the needs and supporting the aspirations of young people and those around them.
Youth Guidance is an equal opportunity employer and proudly values diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging. Youth Guidance does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law and is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity along all of these lines. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
EEO/M/F/D/V/SO