Salary

$28.69 - $36.37 Hourly

Location

WA 98188, WA

Job Type

Special Duty Assignment or Term Limited Temp (TLT)

Job Number

2024KR22773

Department

DCHS - Community & Human Srvcs

Division

Children & Youth Services

Opening Date

10/25/2024

Closing Date

11/9/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines

Full- or Part-Time

Full Time

Summary

King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community.

The Children, Youth and Young Adults Division (CYYAD) of DCHS seeks an Outreach Specialist, Social Services Specialist, to provide life skills counseling to youth and young adults ages 16-24, assess youth/young adults for strengths and barriers to education and employment, provide information and referral services and connect youth and young adults to employment and education re-engagement programs throughout King County.

The Outreach Specialist acts an advocate and role model who provides outreach, recruitment, life skills counseling, assessment, information, referral and support. The Outreach Specialist will develop supportive relationships with youth and young adults (ages 16-24), provide them with life skills counseling, and connect them to appropriate education and employment services. This position requires a strong race equity lens to apply to all areas of opportunity youth work and requires the ability to develop and strengthen relationships with school districts and youth serving organizations.

Outreach Specialists are responsible for outreach efforts that connect youth and young adults with re-engagement programs throughout King County and provide life skills counseling and information/referral services. They serve as the key connector between youth/young adults and the programs, services, and pathways designed to reconnect them to education and employment.

Reconnect to Opportunity (ReOpp) is an outreach strategy supporting a group of second-chance schools and employment training programs seeking to serve young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are disconnected from school or work. Candidates who have direct life experience being disconnected from education, people of color, and individuals with bilingual skills are strongly encouraged to apply. The Outreach Specialist will report to the Outreach and Recruitment Program Manager and work as a team to ensure the success of the project.

DCHS manages a wide range of programs and services to assist the county's most vulnerable residents. The department maintains a pro-equity focus aimed at developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all county residents, regardless of race, gender identity or income.

This recruitment is to fill a Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position that is anticipated to end two years after the start date. If filled by a King County employee who has passed their initial probation, the TLT will be as a Special Duty Assignment (SDA).

Job Duties

To be considered minimally qualified, applicants must demonstrate a background that provides the knowledge, skill and ability to:

• Provide life skills counseling to youth and young adults ages 16-24 years who are not working and/or not in school in order to assist them with reengaging in education and/or gaining employment.
• Assess full range of youth and young adult needs with a focus on education and employment and assess and identify barriers to successful completion of employment/educational goals.
• Orient youth to the program(s) that will assist them in meeting their education and/or employment goals and develop the strategy that will allow young person to engage in services.
• Provide relevant barrier reducing information and serve as an advocate for the youth.
• Help youth access records and other information needed to obtain services. Examples include Washington State ID, Social Security Card, etc.
• Identify and establish working relationships with community resources that provide high quality services to referred youth; act as liaison between youth and those education/employment resources.
• Conduct outreach to the community, including presentations, with the purpose of sharing information about ReConnect to Opportunity (ReOpp) and re-engagement opportunities with community stakeholders.
• Provide mentoring and support services that enable youth and young adults to solve personal and work-related problems.
• Research and identify resources that would help youth work toward their education and employment goals.
• Develop relationships with schools and community organizations that service disconnected youth and young adults, and reach out to them, with the purpose of generating referrals.
• Use social media channels to share information about ReOpp and King County re-engagement programs.
• Gather information on service need trends for youth and young adults; set up new services and referrals as needed.
• Facilitate youth and young adults' re-engagement to education or employment by accompanying them to meetings, liaising with the program staff, etc.
• Keep organized records and enter participant information into CYYAD database.
• Provide education and crisis intervention training referrals to youth's family.
• Serve on agency committees, task forces and community- and school-based organizations.
• Perform other related duties as assigned that support youth re-engagement efforts.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Have relevant related employment experience that includes social services, outreach or human services, or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the job. At least two years of experience with youth re-engagement, particularly outreach for youth/young adults ages 16-24.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct outreach and provide peer support/life skills counseling.
• First-hand understanding of the challenges that disconnected youth face (i.e. interrupted schooling, homelessness, foster care, etc.) and understanding of the services/programs available to support youth and young adults, including the belief that reengagement and reconnection to services is possible for ALL opportunity youth.
• Demonstrated ability to assess youth/young adults for strengths and barriers to enrollment into education and employment programs.
• Demonstrated ability to advise youth/young adults to engage with the programs that will best meet their needs and goals through advocacy, support, and individual strategy development.
• Strong relationship skills, including the ability to develop and sustain relationships with people of diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds, and demonstrated ability and experience in developing and maintaining effective working relationships with community-based organizations, community service providers, training institutions, employers, young people, and co-workers.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work with internal colleagues and external partners.
• Ability to effectively manage time to work on multiple tasks in high pressure/short deadline environment, and to adapt to changes in workload demand and priorities.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Strong computer skills and experience using a variety of social media platforms for outreach.
• Adaptability, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn.
• Valid Washington State Driver's License and reliable transportation in order to travel throughout the county in a timely manner.
• Ability to pass a Washington State Patrol Background check on a post offer/pre hire basis.

ADDITIONAL POSITION INFORMATION:

• This position has been designated Non-Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. For more detailed information, please visit HR Policy County Operations During Emergency Situations and the King County Guidelines for Workforce Management in an Emergency .
• This position is scheduled to work 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm. This position meets the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is overtime eligible with supervisory pre-approval.
• This position is not represented by a union.
• The work associated with this position will be performed in office, on-site, typically at our YouthSource Tukwila location.

WHO MAY APPLY:
This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. Interviews for this selection process will take place on or around the week of November 25 or December 2, 2024. Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must submit an online King County application and respond to the supplemental questions. Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the requested and relevant information in the online application and supplemental questionnaire. Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state, "see my resume" are considered incomplete and will not be considered to be competitive. If you have any questions, please contact Kjerstin Richards , krichards@kingcounty.gov .

Supplemental Information

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play. Guided by our "True North" , we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12paid holidays each year plus twopersonal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental,family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position.Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.