Youth Peer Support Specialist

As our Youth Program Specialist, you will be a key contributor to youth advocacy initiatives, developing, implementing, and evaluating impactful, youth-targeted activities crucial to our mission. You will work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Every day you will oversee the planning, training, development, and implementation of youth-targeted program activities aligned with advocacy objectives. You will actively build coalitions with youth and community partners, and provide essential assistance with program evaluation.

To be successful in this role, you must possess a strong commitment to youth advocacy and proven ability in program planning, development, and implementation. Exceptional skills in coalition building, youth engagement, and effective teamwork are essential, along with the ability to contribute to evaluation.

• Provide outreach and support services to youth served in Dignity Health Medical Foundation Behavioral Health Department who are referred by the Sacramento County Mental Health Child and Family ACCESS Team.
• Meet with youth individually and in groups to facilitate mentoring and rapport.
• Reach out to youth referred by clinical staff or otherwise identified as needing Youth Peer Mentor services. Visit referred youth in their community and/or home environment to provide hands on help with navigating transportation, school, legal, mental health, juvenile justice and other systems as needed or indicated.
• Support youth in improving, maintaining, or restoring daily living skills.
• Inform, educate and train youth in order to empower youth to help them selves.
• Identify and work to eliminate or work around systemic barriers to youth participation in agency services.
• Help youth articulate what they need from mental health services. Promote youth participation in the treatment process.
• Accompany youth to meetings such as IEP meeting or SELPA hearings. Advocate for youth interests and concerns in meetings attended. Work collaboratively with other professionals in these meetings.
• Communicate, represent and advocate for the youth perspective within the clinic setting.
• Meet regularly with referring clinicians, Supervising Clinician, Program Coordinator, and/or Program Manager as needed to consult on client care and advocacy issues.
• Attend clinical group supervision or consultation meetings as needed to present information about youth, consult on case planning, and represent the youth voice among clinical staff.
• In conjunction with Program Manager, participate in program-level planning and administrative decision making by providing the youth perspective and voice in discussions about program management and development.
• Identify information and resources in local communities which are useful to youth within those communities.
• Collect, organize, maintain, disseminate, and make accessible community resource and referral information related to youth.
• Respond to clinician requests for youth resource information by providing appropriate data or directing clinical staff to an accessible source in the form of a manual or electronic collection.
• Develop relationships with a variety of agencies and organizations that serve or advocate for youth.
• Limit scope of practice to advocacy, education, referrals and support without providing clinical advice.
• Learn, understand, and demonstrate knowledge of the scope of practice specific to the Youth Peer Mentor position. Understand the scope of other positions in the clinic, such as Family Advocate, Clinician, Front Office Staff, etc.
• Understand and be able to demonstrate knowledge of the differences between a client discussion that is of a clinical nature and one that focuses exclusively on advocacy, mentoring, education, skills training, referral or networking.
• Attend external meetings to serve as clinic representative and to provide youth voice in decision making.
• Regularly attend Youth Advocate Committee.
• Regularly attend contract provider meeting.
• Regularly attend other meetings, work groups, and committees as appropriate and/or assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Graduate or GED
• One or more years work experience, paid or volunteer, in community organizations and/or delivery of mental health or social services, especially in programs for youth
• Direct experience with receiving services in the mental health system as a youth. The Youth Peer Mentor does not work at the same agency where services are or have been received. 
• Recent experience navigating the public mental health system is especially useful
• Complete the Peer Certification and pass the test within 90 days
• Driver's License: CA
• Auto Insurance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Enrollment in a field placement traineeship or internship at Dignity Health as part of a Bachelor's/Master's degree program in an appropriate behavioral science discipline

Dignity Health Medical Foundation, established in 1993, is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation with care centers throughout California. Dignity Health Medical Foundation is an affiliate of Dignity Health – one of the largest health systems in the nation - with hospitals and care centers in California, Arizona and Nevada. Today, Dignity Health Medical Foundation works hand-in-hand with physicians and providers throughout California to provide comprehensive health care services to the many communities we serve. As Dignity Health Medical Foundation continues to grow and establish new premier care centers, we provide increasing support and investment in the latest technologies, finest physicians and state-of-the-art medical facilities. Our 130+ clinics across the state of California deliver high-quality, patient-centric care with an emphasis on humankindness. Through affiliations with Dignity Health hospitals, along with our joint ventures and partnerships, we offer a robust, state-of-the-art health care delivery system in the communities we serve .We strive to create purposeful work settings where staff can provide great care, while advancing in knowledge and experience through challenging work assignments and stimulating relationships. Our staff is well-trained and highly skilled, qualities that are vital to maintaining excellence in care and service.

One Community. One Mission. One California