DIC Youth Counselor

Prince George’s County - Drop-In Center

Youth Counselor

• Works in collaboration with other team members at the PGC Drop-In Center to coordinate supportive services for clients and provides concretes support to clients, including preparation and/or service of food, access to shower and laundry facilities, support with mail, respite, hygiene supplies, vital documents, computer lab and other related supports;
• Handles orientation and intake for individuals seeking assistance;
• Participates in crisis intervention and individual counseling; performs reparative interventions as part of a harm reduction approach; and mediates client conflicts;
• Engagement of youth into program structure, using a trauma-informed, harm reduction philosophy and the principles of positive youth development;
• Supports various events at the site including holiday activities, speakers, etc.;
• Facilities wellness, recreational engagement activities, educational presentations on related topics, life skills education activities and groups, as assigned;
• Provides information to homeless youth in accessing resources and advocates for their access;
• Escorts youth to appropriate services and provides transportation as part of case plan, as assigned
• Conducts street outreach to homeless and street involved young people, as assigned
• Maintains routine administrative responsibilities to include the preparation of correspondence, maintaining files, writing case notes, mail, email, and answering the telephone;
• Participates in staff trainings, staff meetings and other related workshops; and,
• Participates in weekly supervision and case conferencing
• (Preferred) lived experience of homelessness, working through substance use, mental health, and/or physical health barriers. (Preferred) former Sasha Bruce/Prince George’s County DSS client, out of direct service programs for minimum of two years.

• Associates' Degree in social services or a related field required; Bachelors of Social Work or similar degree is preferred;
• (Preferred) lived experience of homelessness, working through substance use, mental health, and/or physical health barriers. (Preferred) former Sasha Bruce/Prince George’s County DSS client, out of direct service programs for minimum of two years.
• Deep understanding of the relationship between personal experience and professional standards;
• Understanding of harm reduction philosophy, trauma-informed provision of services and positive youth development strategies;
• Genuine interest in working with disenfranchised youth and young adults;
• Flexible schedule - position will require some weekend and evening hours;
• Bilingual skills (English and Spanish) are a plus;
• Ability to deal with a multicultural and diverse setting desired;
• Experience working with LGBTQ+ youth is a plus;
• Strong communication and organization skills;
• Dynamic energy, able to multi-task and negotiate multiple demands on attention;
• Ability to translate positive youth development techniques into practice;
• Basic understanding of computer and database systems for managing case records;