Mentor for Reentry Action for Youth (RAY)

JOB TITLE: Mentor for Reentry Action for Youth (RAY)

EMPLOYER: Asian Youth Center

REPORTS TO: Program Manager/Assistant Program Director/Program Director

LOCATION: Antelope Valley Area

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 1, 2025

FLSA STATUS: Hourly, Full-Time, Non-Exempt, At-Will

SALARY: $29.00

SUMMARY: Assist in implementing direct social service and mentoring appropriate for re-entry, at-risk, high-risk, probation, foster care, and/ or low-income youth and their families to facilitate growth opportunities and reduce criminal involvement and recidivism. This program seeks to provide reentry services to youth to overcome barriers to success in their family, school, community, employment, health, and life. This position will require only in-person work in the community and at the Asian Youth Center (AYC) office in the Antelope Valley area.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Mentor, motivate, inspire, and empower clients by establishing a trusting relationship with client;

• Assess youth needs through an individualized care plan and provide appropriate in-house services, linkages, and referrals for identified social service needs.

• Assist in the provision of individual client support services to remove barriers and access basic needs such as food, hygiene items, medical/dental/optical, housing support, substance abuse programs, recreational/social activities, etc.

• Assist youth with appointment, accompaniment, transportation assistance, and coaching.

• Connect youth to employment and education pathways. Assist youth with gainful employment or enrollment in educational or vocational programs.

• Coordinate public relations and community outreach activities;

• Provide services on a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends as required;

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation; Ensure that accurate and timely reports are submitted as required by AYC and the funding source;

• Monitor progress toward and ensure accomplishment of program goals and outcomes;

• Assess and respond to client satisfaction feedback regularly and positively;

• Attend required meetings and trainings;

• Comply with Quality Assurance plans and implement appropriate evaluation activities;

• Represent AYC at community collaborative and outside meetings as assigned;

• Other related duties as assigned by the Program Manager/Director or as identified in program manuals or funding source contracts.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Lived experience in the criminal justice system (candidates should have a personal history of incarceration and successful re-entry into the community following incarceration or indirectly impacted by incarceration of a family member);

• Ability to motivate, lead, and team build with staff;

• Experience working with diverse communities;

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and attention to detail in documentation;

• Computer literate; and

• Certificates, licenses and registrations required: Adult, Child, and Infant CPR/AED & First Aid Certification; valid California driver's license, excellent driving record, reliable transportation and auto insurance.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least six months of related working experience with high-risk, at-risk, probation, foster care, and/or low-income youth and/or parents;

• Bachelor's Degree (BA) in Criminal Justice, Social Work, Education, or similar field from four-year college or university, or one to two years of related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience;

• Bilingual in Spanish;

• Experience with group facilitation, group presentations or experience with home-visitation

COMPETENCIES:

• Cultural Competence - Demonstrates knowledge of EEO policy; Shows respect and sensitivity for cultural differences; Educates others on the value of diversity; Promotes a harassment-free environment; Builds a diverse workforce.

• Ethics - Treats people with respect; Keeps commitments; Inspires the trust of others; Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values.

• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

• Attendance/Punctuality - Is consistently at work and on time; Ensures work responsibilities are covered when absent; Arrives at meetings and appointments on time.

• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.

• Dependability - Follows instructions, responds to management direction; Takes responsibility for own actions; Keeps commitments; Commits to long hours of work when necessary to reach goals; Completes tasks on time or notifies appropriate person with an alternate plan.

• Initiative - Volunteers readily; Undertakes self-development activities; Seeks increased responsibilities; Takes independent actions and calculated risks; Looks for and takes advantage of opportunities; Asks for and offers help when needed.

• Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.

• Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.

• Organizational Support - Follows policies and procedures; Completes administrative tasks correctly and on time; Supports organization's goals and values; Benefits organization through outside activities; Supports affirmative action and respects diversity.

• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.

• Professionalism - Approaches others in a tactful manner; Reacts well under pressure; Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position; Accepts responsibility for own actions; Follows through on commitments.

• Quality - Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Applies feedback to improve performance; Monitors own work to ensure quality.

• Quantity - Meets productivity standards; Completes work in timely manner; Strives to increase productivity; Works quickly.

• Safety and Security - Observes safety and security procedures; Determines appropriate action beyond guidelines; Reports potentially unsafe conditions; Uses equipment and materials properly.

• Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed.

• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Frequently required to stand

• Frequently required to walk

• Frequently required to sit

• Frequently required to talk or hear

• Occasional exposure to outside weather conditions

• While performing the duties of this job, the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate to loud

• The employee must occasionally lift and /or move more than 35 pounds