YouthCare works to end youth homelessness and to ensure that young people are valued for who they are and empowered to achieve their potential. Founded in 1974, YouthCare was one of the first programs to serve runaway and homeless youth on the West Coast. The goal was to help young people find safety today and build a future for tomorrow. Over four decades, we’ve defined best practices and developed programs that are a national standard for excellence. Using a youth-centered approach, we ensure that young people experiencing homelessness ages 12-24 have the hope, skills, and confidence to gain long-term stability.

Micro-Level Learning Requirements (Individual and Direct Practice):

Building Trust and Rapport: The MSW Practicum role involves building trust and rapport with young people experiencing homelessness, which is a micro-level skill. This aligns with the micro-level learning requirement of developing therapeutic relationships with individuals.

Engagement and Support: The role requires engaging, supporting, coaching, and developing young people, which is also a micro-level skill. It involves working closely with individuals to address their unique needs.

Crisis Intervention: Providing crisis intervention to young people is another micro-level skill. It involves addressing immediate individual crises and managing them effectively.

Case Management: The position involves completing necessary paperwork and data collection, which is a micro-level task, focusing on individual case management.

Individual and Group Programming: Developing and delivering group and individual programming to foster life and social skill development aligns with micro-level interventions, focusing on individual and small group needs.

Mezzo-Level Learning Requirements (Group and Community Practice):

Collaboration and Coordination: Working cooperatively and collaboratively with site staff, partners, and volunteers to create a nurturing environment for young people is a mezzo-level skill. It involves working with various stakeholders to provide support and services to a group of individuals.

Support with Basic Needs: Coordinating basic needs, such as meals and referrals, for young people also falls under mezzo-level practice. It involves addressing the needs of a group of individuals.

Supporting Education and Employment: Collaborating with Workforce Service staff and Case Managers to engage young people in education, employment, and life skill plans aligns with mezzo-level practice, as it involves supporting a group of young people in achieving these goals.

Team Participation: Engaging and participating in staff meetings and being an instrumental team member in supporting young people involves mezzo-level practice, as it involves working with a team to support a group of individuals.

Macro-Level Learning Requirements (Community and Policy Practice):

Quality Improvement: Executing Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) tasks and adhering to agency policies and procedures aligns with macro-level practice, as it involves ensuring the quality of services provided at an organizational level.

Advocacy and Reporting: Compliance with mandated reporting requirements and reporting suspected abuse aligns with macro-level practice, as it involves advocating for the welfare of vulnerable populations and reporting issues to the appropriate authorities.

Cultural Competence: Commitment to anti-racism and equity and accepting a variety of lifestyles, behaviors, and cultural practices demonstrates a macro-level understanding of diversity and cultural competence.

Community Engagement: Collaborating with other YouthCare programs, families, school district professionals, crisis services personnel, and staff from other agencies shows a macro-level approach to community engagement and partnerships.

Policy Adherence: Adhering to state requirements, such as background clearances and safety protocols, is a macro-level practice that ensures compliance with larger policies and regulations.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
• 1 year of experience successfully working with vulnerable young people or young people in a crisis, during outreach efforts or in residential setting.
• Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) background clearance process and must be at least 21 years of age. DCYF Clearance must be maintained for entirety of employment when working with under-18 clients.
• Ability to maintain accurate and timely files, records, logs, and reports.
• Ability to establish new partnerships and foster positive relationships with existing partners.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries with clients while building trust and respect.
• Ability to verbally and physically respond to an aggressive person in ways that de-escalate, establish and maintain staff and young peoples’ safety.
• Ability to develop and lead programming/classes/activities
• Ability to assume responsibilities or duties within the agency not specifically delineated in this job description for short periods of time or on an infrequent basis.

CONDITIONS OF PRACTICUM PLACEMENT:
• Commitment to YouthCare’s initiative to build cultural proficiency across the agency. Acceptance of a variety of lifestyles, behaviors, and cultural and spiritual practices.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
• Ability to perform range of physical motions, exerting up to 50 pounds. Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds; standing, walking, sitting for long periods of time, kneeling, squatting, and stooping; running for brief periods of time; and go up and down stairs.

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Please email Gabrielle Darcuiel - gabrielle.darcuiel@YouthCare.org

Please include your resume, and brief cover letter outlining your experience working with youth and young adults and those facing homelessness. If you do not have experience working with this population, please write a brief cover letter about your interest in working with Youth and Young Adults and how your prior experience is transferable.