Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ Volunteer Corps

Sasha Bruce Youthwork

Sasha Bruce Youthwork is one of the largest and most experienced providers of services to youth in Washington, DC. Our mission is to improve the lives of runaway, homeless, abused, and neglected and at-risk youth and their families in the Washington area. We achieve this by providing shelter, counseling, life skills training and positive youth development activities to approximately 1,500 youth and 5,000 family members each year. Our work helps young people find safe homes, achieve and maintain good health and mental health, create and strengthen supportive and stable families, explore opportunities in education and careers, and become tomorrow’s leaders. Through 18 professionally staffed programs located throughout the city, Sasha Bruce Youthwork helps young people and families discover their own abilities to transform their lives.

ADDRESS: 741 8^th Street, SE Washington, DC 20003

WEBSITE: www.sashabruce.org

Position 1: Residential Service Counselor

In 2005, one-third of homeless people in DC were children. Some of these children are part of homeless families, and others are unable to live at home for a variety of reasons - kicked out of the house by a parent or guardian who sees no other options and has limited parenting skills, leaving voluntarily because they’re being abused or neglected, or leaving simply seeking more safety, independence, or opportunities than they found at home. Whatever the reason, a young person who needs a place to stay can find a home at Sasha Bruce, the only open-access shelter for youth in the city. All of our programs offer counseling and classes that can lead young people back to a more stable and supportive family situation, or on a path to true independence and self-sufficiency.

Responsibilities:

Facilitate/Coordinate Groups: The counselor will share responsibility of coming up with appropriate topics for group discussions. The counselor will co-facilitate these groups with either Sasha Bruce staff or guest facilitator. The counselor will share responsibility in documenting group.
Administrative Work: The counselor will be responsible for keeping accurate tokens and attendance records, records of daily activities, to be included in a required weekly/monthly reports. The counselor will be responsible for updating and identifying community resources for services relative to youth and families. The counselor will maintain an accurate data collection of information on residents.
Clinical Services/Case Management: The counselor will provide case management services to youth referred for residential services. This may include individual and family counseling, targeting and providing services as needed, tracking and documenting the client’s behavior, and being accessible to the client and families for counseling.
Educational Advocacy: The counselor will be responsible for planning educational activities or events for youth in the residential facility that are not physically enrolled in a school setting. The counselor will work along with the primary counselor in the emergency shelter in an effort to assist with getting those youth enrolled in school who are not in school. This responsibility may include making school visits, meeting with school officials, making calls to schools, obtaining report cards and soliciting support from the SBY agency educational advocate.
Assist in the planning of monthly calendar: The counselor will share responsibility of planning a monthly calendar to be completed prior to the end of the previous month. This includes brainstorming ideas, researching, planning activities and making community contacts. The counselor will be responsible for making follow up calls to confirm activities and send thank you letters to individuals or organizations as needed.

Training and supervision

The counselor will meet with the Program Director or Clinical Coordinator on a weekly basis. The counselor is expected to attend weekly staff meeting, monthly in-service training, weekly consultation training and any other SBY training as requested.

Interested candidates should apply for this creative, enjoyable, learning and challenging position that will provide personal growth and development.

QUALIFICATIONS OR SKILLS:

Position 2: Intensive Third Party Monitoring Program Assistant

This program is a partnership with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to prevent recidivism among committed or detained adolescents through intensive case management, counseling and family reunification. The ITPM program provides case management, assessment, counseling, skill training, crisis response, family preservation services, mentoring and monitoring services for youth involved in the D.C. juvenile justice system. Youth referred to the program are usually stepped down from secure custody, group homes, shelter homes, and residential treatment centers.

Case Management Duties:

Assist with case management, broker services, and monitor clients in ITPM.
Participate in all SBY consultations, trainings, in-services, conferences, any other training identified by the Program Director.
Assist with the development of program ideas and activities.
Assist with supervision and Management of the SBY Go-Go Band during practice and scheduled events.
Assist Program Director with assigning monitors for face to face contact with clients on a daily basis.
Responsible for Submission of SBY Daily Census to DYRS on a daily basis.
Attend ITPM Staff meetings and trainings
Attend all scheduled meetings, court hearings and school/IEP meetings; assist in gathering statistical data for reporting purposes.
Other duties as assigned to include some administrative responsibilities.
Will assist with special events such as field trips, groups and planned activities and SBY events.

QUALIFICATIONS OR SKILLS:

Position 3: Aftercare Service Counselor

SBY’s Afterschool Project uses one-to-one mentoring relationships, tutoring and experiential learning focusing on areas of interest to out-of-school youth. Staff and volunteers with experience in life skills counseling, vocational training, civic engagement, academics, arts, recreational activities and information technology meet with teens on a daily basis in late afternoons at our shelter to share their perspective and to challenge youth to pursue achievement in these areas. Besides helping young people become re-engaged in school and providing them with ongoing tutoring, our Afterschool Project seeks to build participants’ leadership skills. Peer staff and participants develop a democratic process to identify and promote individual leaders, who facilitate activities that include focuses on pregnancy, school enrollment, involvement with the Juvenile Justice System, communicable diseases, or drug abuse

Responsibilities:

Supervise activities Monday through Friday 10am-6pm: The counselor will be responsible for organizing the aftercare participants when they arrive, beginning of the activities, give instruction when needed, provide snacks, give out tokens, and supervise the departure of the participants.
Facilitate/Coordinate Groups: The counselor will share responsibility of coming up with appropriate topics for group discussions. The counselor will co-facilitate these groups with either Sasha Bruce staff or guest facilitator. The counselor will share responsibility in documenting group.
Administrative Work: The counselor will be responsible for keeping accurate tokens and attendance records, records of daily activities, to be included in a required weekly/monthly reports. The counselor will be responsible for updating and identifying community resources for services relative to youth and families. The counselor will maintain an accurate data collection of information on aftercare participants.
Clinical Services/Case Management: The counselor will provide case management services to youth referred for aftercare services. This may include individual and family counseling, targeting and providing services as needed, tracking and documenting the client’s behavior, and being accessible to the client and families for counseling.
Educational Advocacy: The counselor will be responsible for planning educational activities/events for youth in the emergency shelter that are not physically enrolled in a school setting. The counselor will work along with the primary counselor in the emergency shelter in an effort to assist with getting those youth enrolled in school who are not in school. This responsibility may include making school visits, meeting with school officials, making calls to schools, obtaining report cards and soliciting support from the SBY agency educational advocate.
Assist in the planning of monthly calendar: The counselor will share responsibility of planning a monthly calendar to be completed prior to the end of the previous month. This includes brainstorming ideas, researching, planning activities and making community contacts. The counselor will be responsible for making follow up calls to confirm activities and send thank you letters to individuals or organizations as needed.

Position 4: Volunteer Coordinator

Responsibilities:

Recruit, screen, interview, process and place potential applicants to volunteer in one of the SBY programs, work with the youth and families, and/or work in the Administration office.
To serve as a liaison between area Universities, Colleges, and organizations, to participate at volunteer fairs and other forums and events where we may potentially recruit volunteers.
Provide support to the recruitment and placement of College and University interns as needed
Assist in recruiting and assigning volunteers to special projects (e.g. gardening projects, Holiday)
Brainstorm, create, and recommend special projects or activities to involve volunteers, young people, and agency staff.
Submit monthly reports reflecting volunteer program activities to the Associate Director
Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS OR SKILLS:

Last updated Friday, February 13, 2009

1 Westmoreland Circle
Bethesda, MD 20816
301-229-7766
Email the church office: churchinfo@westmorelanducc.org
www.westmorelanducc.org

An Open and Affirming Congregation