Youth Partner (Part-time)

Are you an adoptee? Koinonia Family Services is looking for a qualified individual with lived adoption experience to join us as a part-time Youth Partner. This role involves providing support to adoptive families in the San Diego area. Your role will be to provide support and guidance to youth previously adopted through the foster care system, offering them the benefit of your experiences and knowledge. You will work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to help youth develop coping skills, navigate resources, and find their voice.

Opportunity Highlights:

• A great chance to support and mentor youth.
• Hourly pay rate: $18.00 to $20.00 per hour, or higher depending upon prior wraparound experience.
• Flexible hours and schedule.
• Benefits include paid time off (PTO) and participation in our 401k plan.
• Paid holidays when your schedule is 15+ hours a week.
• Enhance your knowledge and skills by working alongside a team of professionals who provide support and services to families.
• Benefit from professional training and development opportunities.

This is a part-time position. The schedule is about 15 hours per week, with some occasional evening and weekend hours. The scheduled hours may increase as families are referred for services.

Key Responsibilities:

The Youth Partner duties and responsibilities include:

• Provide mentorship and peer support to youth enrolled in the program.
• Share relevant personal experiences to build trust and connection.
• Advocate for youth perspectives during treatment planning and goal setting.
• Provide psychoeducation, including de-escalation tools and trigger identification.
• Conduct in-person and virtual meetings with youth, with some evening availability required.
• Support youth in understanding the value of connecting with extended family and community support.
• Assist in developing strategies to achieve successful outcomes.
• Document services provided in compliance with agency standards.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will have:

• First-hand experience as an adoptee.
• A desire to help other youth navigate challenges and build successful outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• A trauma-informed perspective and commitment to advocacy.
• Sufficiently progressed in your own personal journey to positively contribute to the journeys of others.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability and maturity to provide guidance, support, and mentorship to young people.
• The ability to establish and maintain effective personal working relationships.
• A high degree of integrity and confidentiality.
• A schedule that is flexible to meet work requirements.

Join Our Team:

At Koinonia Family Services, we are committed to creating a supportive, mission-driven workplace where employees feel valued and connected to the work they do. In our recent employee climate survey, 98% of staff reported strong teamwork with their coworkers, and 97% said their supervisors treat them with respect. Employees also reported a strong connection to our mission and a clear understanding of how their work contributes to helping children and families.

Our staff consistently report that they are treated with dignity and respect and feel supported by their teams and supervisors. As a trauma-informed organization, we emphasize collaboration, professional support, and a person-centered approach to care. If you are looking for meaningful work with a team that cares deeply about each other and the youth and families we serve, we invite you to join us in bringing hope and healing to children, youth and families.

Important Note:

Qualified candidates must complete a criminal background clearance through the California Department of Justice and FBI to ensure eligibility for employment, as well as a pre-employment physical and TB test.

This position requires a valid driver’s license, auto insurance and reliable transportation as driving is an essential job function. Youth Partners are responsible for tasks such as visiting client homes, transporting youth, engaging with community partners, often in locations not easily accessible by alternative transportation methods. The nature of these responsibilities necessitates the ability to drive to ensure timely, reliable, confidential and effective support for the youth and families we serve. Koinonia Family Services is an equal-opportunity employer.