Description
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Student Services Manager is responsible for monitoring, supporting and enhancing student’s success in the program through assessing external risk factors and intervening as appropriate to support student program completion. This includes direct clinical support of students, building internal capacity and expanding access to external resources for delivering counseling and related social services. This position will also collaborate with the admissions and enrollment processes, deliver life skills programming and coaching, and manage Master of Social Work interns. This position directly reports to the Director of Student Services.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Direct Services
- Connect students to appropriate available resources and help them apply for assistance programs
- Develop and maintain a “service plan” and records for those students who need “case management” services
- Provide one-on-one brief counseling and support as needed and appropriate for students
- Conduct students assessments and evaluations and provide appropriate follow up services
- Identify student needs that can be addressed through group work, and run supportive, or psycho educational groups as needed
- Develop close, supportive, and trusting relationships with students, to make self-available as a tertiary level of support for all students
- Provide support to staff as they work with students who need social work support identified through the admissions process or in the course of their involvement in the Year Up program
- Build relationships with students both through individual meetings/sessions and being visible during lunch, breaks, and in the classroom, when appropriate
- Attend weekly meetings with staff advisors and site leader to discuss the progress of students, and to develop interventions and direction, as appropriate
Program Development
- Build new organizational relationships with community organizations and social service agencies around mental health, housing, pregnancy/parenting, financial services, family issues, substance use, etc. so that they are available for student use as needed
- Develop an integrated Life Skills curriculum that is directly applicable to the students’ lives. (i.e., anger management, sexual harassment, life transitions and pressures, etc.)
- Enter Social Work data into Salesforce and examine social work trends and issues in the community/world that may be affecting our students
- Add to and update the Year Up Resource Guide for students
- Create and maintain a Social Work Resource bulletin board in each Learning Community
- Participate in monthly cross-site discussions with other Year Up sites
- During peak admissions intake time periods (approximately two- four months during the year), play a supportive role to the Admissions Specialist by conducting one-on-one interviews and assessments of prospective students
- Advise Admissions team throughout the recruitment process to identify prospects who can be successful students in the Year Up program
- Participate actively as a member of the Students Services team, contributing ideas and recommendations for improving processes based on your work in the above areas
- Manage 2-4 Master of Social Work student interns, including identifying and creating meaningful projects for the interns that build organizational and personal capacity, facilitating intern/student direct contact and support and providing supervision to interns weekly or as needed
- Be an integral member of the learning community; serve as an advisor to 2-4 students per cycle, participate in creating and sustaining a positive educational environment with trust among students, faculty and staff
- Contribute to the entire team by helping other Year Up staff members or departments when needed
- Present with a consistently positive and can-do attitude, which is essential to success in our movement to close to the Opportunity Divide
- A passion for working with urban young adults, an unshakable belief in their potential and a strong commitment to the mission of Year Up
- History of thriving in a fast paced, high growth, team oriented, flat organizational structure where priorities change rapidly, lines of authority are blurred and everyone rolls up their shirtsleeves
- 3+ years experience as a counselor/therapist for at-risk individuals, particularly young adults, including:
- Experience developing, implementing, monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of counseling and related programs
- An existing network of contacts within and extensive knowledge of the social services resources available in the Puget Sound region
- History of cultivating relationships and building alliances with agencies and schools
- Experience developing and implementing related curriculum
- An engaging and collaborative leadership style with mature interpersonal skills and the ability to juggle and manage multiple, competing priorities and deadlines
- Impeccable reputation with regard to ethics and integrity
- Prior experience in admissions and enrollment is highly desirable
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Master of Social Work degree or a degree in a related field from an accredited program.
ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
Founded in 2000, Year Up is a non-profit organization with a mission to close the Opportunity Divide by providing urban young adults with the skills, experiences and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Year Up recognizes that the Opportunity Divide—specifically, historical barriers to education and professional work—is driven by race, ethnicity, national origin and socio-economic status. Year Up seeks to close the divide by setting high expectations and providing high support for our young adults.
Through a one-year intensive training program, Year Up provides urban young adults ages 18-24 with a unique combination of hands-on technical and professional skills, college credit, and corporate internships. Year Up lives by and adheres to a core set of values that reflects an unshakable belief in the talent and full potential of our young adults. With a $40 million operating budget, Year Up will serve more than 1,400 students in 2011 across eight sites in Atlanta, Baltimore (community college pilot program), Boston, Chicago, New York City, Providence, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. In 2009, when 75% of non-profits either did not grow or remained flat, Year Up grew its revenue by 23%, enabling us to increase the number of students we serve by 56%.
Year Up has the distinction of being rated one of the Top 10 non-profits in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, one of the 50 best nonprofits to work for by the NonProfit Times, and one of the best non-profits to work for by Opportunity Knocks. Other awards include Fast Company Magazine’s Social Capitalist Award for innovative business model and social impact in 2005, 2007, and 2008. In 2009, the Harvard Business School published a case study on Year Up’s origins and success.
Year Up Puget Sound Site:
Year Up Puget Sound opened in March 2011 and has since grown to serve 40 students per cohort. By the end of 2012, Year Up Puget Sound will double in students served annually. Year Up has an entrepreneurial, fast paced, collaborative high support/high expectations/high feedback culture. All staff members interact with students; facilitate student activities; and serve students as advisors.
Year Up values diversity amongst its students and staff members and is committed to hiring people that represent the larger community and our students. Year Up is an equal opportunity employer. People of Color and Persons from other marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
How to apply
To apply for this position, please submit your resume and a thoughtful cover letter via our website at http://www.yearup.org/about/main.php?page=career_listings
