RaisingHOPE, Inc., empowers children in the foster care system to achieve their dreams through resources and relationships. Specifically, RaisingHOPE provides mentorship and life coaching, life skills courses, housing navigation, transportation assistance, general financial support, and advocacy to improve the lives of teens and young adults who are experiencing the challenges of the child welfare system.The youth we serve are racially and culturally diverse and from low-income families. Many are experiencing abuse and neglect, living with disabilities, and recovering from trauma. This includes former foster youth struggling to provide for themselves and reach their goals.RaisingHOPE, Inc., is a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt nonprofit organization with an annual budget of $700,000. Approximately 30% of our budget is from contracted services, with 70% from philanthropic sources. A dedicated Board of Directors governs RaisingHOPE. Board members bring diverse knowledge and connections from within California’s child welfare, legal, business, nonprofit, therapeutic, and education communities.

The Life Skills Program Coordinator is a key member of the RaisingHOPE staff. The Life Skills Program Coordinator is responsible for program administration, life skills curriculum, volunteer coordination, and special event execution for the organization. Other essential duties include casting a vision for the future of the program and continually working to maximize the effectiveness of the program and benefit to youth. The position reports directly to the Executive Director.

Priorities For Life Skills Program Coordinator

• Participate in strategic and program development: Participate in strategic planning to develop a shared vision and strategic direction for the future of the Life Skills Program. Bolster internal organizational systems and communications.
• Support individual youth: Nurture RaisingHOPE’s collaborative volunteer environment. Empower our youth by educating them in a way that is engaging and yields tangible progress toward independence. Support our youth individually and appropriately as needed.
• Maintain excellence in services: Continue to support RaisingHOPE’s program delivery with an eye on trends in independent living, education, child welfare, and life skills.
• Create and build a network for youth through training and activities: Build relationships with the community to recruit volunteers, trainers, teachers, and youth for the Life Skills Program.

Required Experience, Knowledge, and Education

• Organizational Leadership and Management: Minimum 2 years management experience or equivalent in a program of similar size and complexity to Life Skills is preferred. Includes demonstrated ability to deliver and maintain program directives, motivate/lead/support a team of volunteer mentors, and partner with other staff.
• High-Integrity Leadership: Maintain the highest level of ethical integrity both in the workplace and outside of the workplace as it reflects on the organization.
• Strong Skills Set in Working with Teens and Young Adults: The ability to connect with teens and young adults in a way that engages and draws youth in to benefit from the Life Skills Program. The ability to balance fun and charisma with maturity and professionalism. The ability to balance grace and compassion with healthy boundaries.
• Communications and Relationship Building: Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills—including internal and external communications. Proven ability to maintain a healthy balance in the relationship of teaching and guiding as well as encouraging positive boundaries. Demonstrated strong training ability using created materials as well as engaging training.
• Knowledge of the Child Welfare System: Experience with and/or knowledge of child welfare. Familiarity with the processes and players involved in child welfare and foster care.
• Equity and Inclusion: Cultural self-awareness and demonstrated ability to address issues of privilege, diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Life Skills program. Life experience or work experience with RaisingHOPE client communities (i.e. those involved with foster care or the juvenile justice system, communities of color, people with disabilities, and low-income communities).
• Dedicated to RaisingHOPE: Free of personal or professional conflicts of interest.

Preferred Experience, Knowledge, And Education

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, public policy, or related field
• Knowledge of trauma-informed practices.
• Experience developing and managing a program budget.
• Experience and working with teens and young adults and an understanding of the balance between accountability and grace according to their unique situations.
• Very organized.
• Flexible and the ability to manage challenging situations as they arise with a calm, capable, and kind demeanor.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Create marketing flyers for class sessions
• Schedule and communicate with guest speakers; update and maintain speaker database
• Maintain and update volunteer information
• Develop annual budget in partnership with the Executive Director
• Maintain and update student database
• Develop Class Curriculum and Class Plans in accordance with county requirements and youth needs
• Coordinate transportation in partnership with Compass Program Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator.
• Write up and provide County ILP incident reports as needed
• Communicate consistently with County ILP including weekly post-class updates. Communicate with County social workers regarding individual youth as needed.
• Follow up with students between classes (feedback, reminders, and upcoming class information)
• Submit receipts and reimbursement requests to Finance Manager as needed
• Participate in County Independent Living Program quarterly meetings with the Executive Director including but not limited to preparation of ILP Reports, Student attendance, class completion rates, student feedback, Photos, marketing materials, and upcoming special events.
• Coordinate College Campus Tours including campus reservations, hotel accommodations, chaperones, security, transportation, meals, and required documentation.
• Conduct periodic surveys of youth and compile data for reports to county leadership as well as RaisingHOPE leadership.
• Communicate with Children and Family Services and other partners in the youth’s support system in order to maximize outcomes.
• Field youth and partner questions and concerns; provide support and boundaries for youth.
• Plan and execute special events to show appreciation for volunteers and class teachers.
• Keep data organized and up to date so that it can be accessible to anyone within the organization.
• Maintain statistical data for reporting to county partners and for use in marketing and program improvement.
• Participate in marketing and other communication efforts by submitting stories, photos, and videos to RaisingHOPE marketing and social media teams and participate in special campaigns.
• Attend staff meetings, communicate and partner with other staff to provide best practices for youth.
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Lifting: Raising or lowering an object from one level to another (includes upward pulling) 25-50 lbs
• Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Talking is important for those activities in which workers must impart oral information to clients or to the public, and in those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.

Additional minor day-to-day physical demands are available upon request.

The statements contained herein describe the scope of the responsibility and essential functions of this position but should not be considered to be an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program – Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $60,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• Do you live in Ventura County or the Conejo Valley portion of Los Angeles County?
• Do you have experience developing curriculum for trainings?

Education:

• Bachelor's (Preferred)

Experience:

• Youth Engagement: 1 year (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Newbury Park, CA 91320