Youth Navigator (Engagement and Partnerships)

Program Description: The Goddard Riverside Community Center (Goddard Riverside) and the Stanley M. Isaacs Center (Isaacs Center) are well-established Manhattan community-based agencies with a combined annual operating budget of approximately $63 million that support services to approximately 30,000 New Yorkers. Goddard Riverside and The Isaacs Center are two of New York City’s leading human services organizations meeting the needs of children, youth and families, homeless individuals, and older adults throughout Manhattan and New York City. Pathways for Youth is an effort to help young adults reach age 24 prepared to be self-sustaining by providing a primary adult support to coach and assist in life planning and navigation over multiple years.
Position Summary: The Youth Navigator is responsible for delivering direct and comprehensive developmental services to youth in the Lincoln Square Neighborhood and Upper Westside Communities through intensive outreach and engagement of hard to serve youth ages 14 to 25 to execute pathways to becoming self-sustaining adults by age 25. The position is responsible for ongoing engagement of youth employing a primary person model.
Schedule: 35+ hours per week; base schedule 1pm to 9pm Monday to Friday and rotating Saturdays 11:30 to 4:30
Salary Range: $41,500 - $50,000
Candidates must have the required qualifications to be considered for the position. The salary offer will be based on the candidate’s number of years experience in the exact or comparable position and additional preferred qualifications will be taken into account.
Roles, Responsibilities and Essential Duties
1) Outreach and Engagement
Regular canvasing and outreach throughout the target area
Build trusting relationships with young people on their own terms and turf with a goal of moving towards engaging them on a meaningful pathway
Participate in community events to identify and meet youth
Attend resident and community meetings to build relationships
Develop and execute activities including community events that create opportunities to engage young people
Document encounters and develop well detailed plans for maintaining connections with youth
In partnership with leadership, develop a strategic plan for ongoing outreach
2) Goal-setting, Coaching, and Navigating
Work in partnership with individual young people to understand challenges, barriers, hopes, and dreams
Create exposure opportunities that help young people see and experience pathways available to them
Work with individual young people to develop goals and associated milestones
Coach young people on a pathway to success using achievements of SMART goals
Provide necessary supports and resources to reduce barriers to success
Lead and coordinate small group sessions for mutual aid, positive peer support and relevant topics
Build a comprehensive resource network necessary to support the needs and aspirations of youth and their families
Help to build bridges in the family unit that regenerate, sustain, and grow familial supports
Help young people to develop life skills, tangible skills, and networks of access
Provide critical information and referrals, and ensure follow-up
Serve as a caring and consistent mentor and adult in the lives of the young people (goal is mentoring a core group of 30)
Document interactions and progress
3) Crisis Response
Respond to emergency situations and crises as needed with guidance from supervisor. This may include hours outside of the traditional workday.
Recognize and anticipate conditions that will result in a crisis and take steps necessary to avert the crisis
Build a network that will aid in managing crisis.
4) In collaboration with senior management, engage in activities to support program evaluation
5) Other duties as required including participation in mandatory and voluntary trainings
Qualifications/Educational Requirements
High School Equivalency or diploma preferred
Experience working in diverse and challenged communities
Experience working with urban youth
Familiarity with public housing developments and the conditions of life in public housing, especially Amsterdam Houses and Amsterdam Addition
Must love and respect young adults and have the necessary balance to encourage them while fostering personal accountability
Patience, reliability, and ability to provide a consistent and caring presence
Tolerance for ambiguity and stress and ability to persist through challenges
Healthy respect for confidentiality
Ability to engage in self-reflection
Ability to read and write, and communicate in English
Bi-lingual Spanish -Preferred but not required
Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should be:
Able to work in the Microsoft Office Suite, should especially be proficient in Word and Outlook
Able to use or learn other electronic databases, programs, and funder-related software as needed
Physical Requirements
Walking; Climbing stairs
Work Environment
Field Work
We are committed to building an inclusive workplace community grounded in respect for differences. We support hiring a broadly diverse team of qualified individuals who will contribute to our organizations.
Goddard Riverside and Isaacs Center provide equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of duties and responsibilities that will be required of this position and title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be requested to perform job related task other than those specifically presented in this description. This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Read more