Vacancy expired!
Description
About Treehouse:
Join a team that is passionately committed to helping every child in foster care succeed in school and in life! Treehouse staff and volunteers improve educational outcomes for youth in foster care by providing direct service education support and access to essential needs that all kids equally deserve. We also work at the legislative level to help develop, lead, and pass landmark reforms to reduce the inequities in the system that limit our youth from achieving their full potential.
Treehouse is a well-loved, community-based agency uniquely committed to partnering with schools, government agencies, caregivers, social workers, and funders to change the trajectory of kids in foster care by helping them graduate high school at the same rate as their peers with a plan for the future.
The Position:
Treehouse currently has an opening for a full-time (40 hours per week)
Education Specialist with experience in Indian Child Welfare:
The position is located in South King county. This is a regular, fulltime (40 hours per week), non-exempt position, Monday through Friday during business hours, with occasional evening and weekend hours. This position requires a specific knowledge of truancy intervention or dropout prevention and/or experience as a strong advocate with tribal relationships who could advocate for more of a school-wide proactive strategy to address attendance with sensitivity to cultural norms, values, and traditions. We are looking for a candidate who can demonstrate a commitment to becoming a stakeholder in the tribal community over an extended period of time. This candidate would specialize in the tribal community, but may also be asked to assist in other school districts if the need arises. We are also looking for a candidate who values and demonstrates persistence in relationship building, and consistence with holding key partners accountable.
Essential Attributes - This position offers exciting opportunities to:
Model adaptability by quickly adjusting to program requirements and changing priorities in order to support youth, caregivers and social workers.
Demonstrate motivation by taking on additional responsibilities including becoming an advocate for Treehouse in the community, motivating youth, and researching creative resources for positive educational outcomes.
Demonstrate compassion by using empathy instead of sympathy in holding high expectations of youth, and by strengthening the natural supports of caregivers by listening and helping to problem solve so they can support their own needs. Value diversity and embrace opportunities to learn about people from various cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
Exhibit commitment by developing and maintaining strong relationships with youth, caregivers, school personnel, social workers and partner organizations.
Systematically evaluate and define the educational needs of youth through communication with the youth, social worker, caregiver, school staff, and other service providers.
Work collaboratively with all stakeholders to establish the supports and resources needed by each youth to maintain academic process and meet the goal of on-time graduation with a plan for the future.
Demonstrate the ability to be resourceful through proactive problem-solving and by updating job knowledge through various methods. This may include accessing community resources, participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional organizations.
Display accountability by consistently delivering on goals, with a high commitment to consistent data collection, data entry and ongoing self-evaluation of data outputs.
Participate in respectful, two-way communication, including giving and receiving constructive, candid feedback with manager, peers and supporting teams.
Improve effectiveness of department by staying abreast of best practices and current research to enhance critical thinking skills. Attend internal and external training's and conferences to remain active in the current industry.
Essential Functions:
Manage an assigned youth caseload in designated schools, using established case procedures. Procedures include:
Review educational history and systematically evaluate educational needs of each youth on your caseload through regular interaction with youth, caregiver, social worker, school staff and other service providers.
Assess each youth’s needs using established measurement tools.
Acquire consent forms, collect school records, and administer required pre/post tests on schedule.
Monitor Attendance, Behavior and Courses (ABC) risk factors and facilitate interventions to address risks as necessary. Coach/mentor youth on problem solving, self-advocacy, academic mindset, self-regulation, persistence, and positive behavior. Inform and encourage each youth to be involved in appropriate school or community based activity. Refer youth for resources to support education, social/emotional or other needs.
Provide advocacy around school enrollment and continuity, appropriate education services, and appropriate discipline.
Work closely with appropriate individuals/groups to help ensure each youth’s educational rights are upheld under federal and Washington State law.
Schedule and facilitate inter-agency meetings, negotiate services, facilitate transportation plans, assist with credit transfer or retrieval, negotiate disciplinary appeals, etc.
With each youth, establish and monitor progress on Student Centered Plan for High School completion and the future.
Manage effective relationships at assigned school buildings with school personnel.
Develop and support an appropriate team for every youth by building effective ongoing relationships with social workers, caregivers, school staff and other collaborators.
Maintain complete, accurate and updated case records for each youth in programs database.
Use the program database as a case management tool to monitor and record efforts on a daily basis.
Report on youth progress to supervisor and team on established schedule.
Provide formal reports to social workers and caregivers.
Provide recommendations on success stories to represent organizational mission upon request.
Secondary Functions:
Attend all-staff and team meetings.
Supervise assigned volunteers to support the needs of youth on your caseload.
Support overall Treehouse operations as an ambassador for the mission.
Attend training's and workshops as requested.
Other duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education, General Education, School Counseling, or Social Services related field or equivalent work experience.
2-3 years professional experience providing educational or social services support to youth. Foster youth or youth from other vulnerable populations preferred.
Experience providing support services to youth and caregivers from diverse and traditionally undeserved populations, including students of color, low-income students, or students with disabilities.
Ability to set boundaries and utilize support services to manage personal impact of working with at risk youth.
Must thrive working independently outside of a business office while maintaining relationships with coworkers and managers.
Knowledge of educational and community resources available to promote educational attainment for youth.
Ability to maintain records and data to support effective evaluation processes and analysis, and use program data to inform decision making and service delivery strategies.
Strong organizational skills, ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours.
Daily attendance and punctuality required.
Demonstrated ability to build working relationships with individuals of various ages, cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds and abilities.
Ability and aptitude with Microsoft Office Suite and other technology necessary for successful dayto-day functioning in business environment.
Reliable transportation, current driver's license and at least minimum WA State driver insurance coverage required.
Must clear nationwide criminal background check and driving record background check.
Physical and Mental Requirements:
Mental Effort – Requires attention to detail, interacting with others in-person and through email, using critical thinking and listening skills, active participation at meetings.
Physical Requirements – May include long periods of sitting, working on a computer, walking to various work areas, going up and down stairs, talking on the phone, working with other office/computer equipment, attending meetings and sitting at desk or table while listening, talking and taking notes.
Working Conditions – This position primarily works remotely and independently at multiple school and public settings. Frequently visits and attends meetings in a business office environment.
Vacancy expired!