Pay: $21.00 per hour

Schedule: Full-time; Monday - Friday, 9:00am-5:30pm

Location: 314 SW 9th Avenue, Portland, OR 97205 and other New Avenues locations

Join New Avenues and…

• Make an Impact: Provide consistent support, guidance around resources, and advocacy.
• Thrive in a Supportive Team: Join a collaborative and inclusive environment where your contributions are celebrated.
• Grow as a Professional: Receive ongoing training, mentorship, and opportunities for career advancement.
• Enjoy a Robust Benefits Package: We value your well-being and offer a robust benefits package that includes:
• • Full health, vision, and dental insurance at zero cost to the employee (with options to cover family members), to ensure your physical and mental health are prioritized.
  • Generous paid time off to support your work-life balance and personal needs. Roughly five weeks of available time off in year one with an additional week added in year two.
  • Discounted gym memberships to encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.
  • Access to free counseling services to help you manage stress and maintain your emotional health.

Our Commitment to Equity:

At New Avenues for Youth, we envision a community where all young people thrive. We recognize that historical inequities and intersecting forms of oppression have created barriers for many. We are unwavering in our commitment to dismantling these barriers and fostering a truly equitable space where every voice is heard and valued.

Are you eager to be a part of the change and care that supports youth in our community? Do you have the drive or experience to be an assurance and lift for young people facing houselessness? If so, New Avenues for Youth is seeking a College and Career Access Specialist to join our Avenues to College team.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, or related field
• Experience working with youth who face multiple barriers
• Working knowledge of college access resources for youth
• Case management experience, with youth preferred
• Valid driver's license, access to an automobile, and active auto insurance required

What You'll Do:

• Be a Mentor and Guide: Build genuine connections with youth, share relevant and intentional experiences to instill confidence and build trust.
• Empower Through Advocacy: Help young people navigate complex systems, access resources, collaborate and coordinate with other providers, and make informed decisions about their own journey.
• Support Growth and Learning: Lead and participate in group lectures and activities, recreational activities, and individual support meetings that foster connection and personal development.
• Document the Journey: Maintain accurate and timely records, ensuring that our programs have the data they need to thrive and continue serving those who need it most.
• Skill-Building: This position will support youth in skill-building around college and career goals, finances and budgeting, and housing support.
• Foster Meaningful Connections: In this role, you will assist college students in navigating community resources and in cultivating professional and peer relationships.
• Be Engaging: This position will engage youth through facilitated discussions on leadership skills, study strategies, and crisis prevention.
• Be Impactful: In this role, you will help youth reach their self-identified goals in higher education. You will see the impacts you have made when they reach their goals.

Who You Are:

• Supportive: You agree to center the youth experience, build trust, and follow through on your investment to the young people that we serve.
• Compassionate: You offer empathy without judgment, listen effectively, and create a safe space for young people to share their stories and struggles.
• Resilient: You are committed to showing up consistently and holding the youth experience separate from your own.
• Growth-Oriented: You embrace continuous learning, seeking new knowledge and skills to better support yourself and the youth that we serve.
• Equitable: You understand how systemic oppression impacts the lives of youth in programs and the systems that you will support youth in navigating. You support our unwavering commitment to dismantling these barriers and fostering a truly equitable space where every voice is heard and valued.

This position requires a high level of mobility, meaning the successful candidate must be able to swiftly move and adapt to different situations and tasks. This may or may not also include different agency locations or locations within the community being served. A person in this position must be able to perform with or without accommodation the essential functions of this job including any physical requirements associated with this role. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. If the position may require the use of any personal protective equipment, New Avenues will have such equipment on hand for the employee’s use.

Any candidate deemed viable for this position based on resources and resume submission will be contacted to participate in a screen interview to discuss interest and job compatibility. Of those screened, advancing candidates will be asked to participate in a subsequent interview or interviews to evaluate job qualifications and interest further. From this process, a hiring selection will be made.

Apply Today:

If you're ready to use your desire to ignite hope and inspire change, we encourage you to apply today.

New Avenues for Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.