Homework Starts with Home Child and Youth Advocate

Who We Are

Solid Ground (SG) is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose proven, holistic approach helps families build the strong foundations they need to emerge from homelessness into a brighter future. Through safe, affordable housing and innovative supportive programming, Solid Ground helps families transition to a higher-level of self-sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for the next generation.

Why You'll Love Working Here

At the heart of Solid Ground is the belief that housing stability is fundamental to the healthy development of children and to a family's ability to be contributing members of the community. Solid Ground currently runs eight programs in suburban Ramsey and Washington Counties and housing over 660 individuals annually. Our mission is to prevent and end homelessness for families with children in the communities we serve through housing, resources, and opportunity.

Wages and Benefits

$23.00 - $25.00 per hour; Paid vacation time, sick time, plus ten paid holidays and two floating holidays; competitive health, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account (HSA), and options for flexible spending accounts (FSA). There is employer paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee. The employer pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and short and long-term disability insurance. SG sponsors a retirement plan with automatic enrollment at 3% and a 3% employer match after one year of service, plus immediate vesting.

Schedule

This is a hybrid position with at least 2 full days in the office. This position works during normal business hours and may include some evening hours.

A Typical Day in the Life...

A typical day as Solid Ground's Homework Starts with Home Child and Youth Advocate provides an opportunity to assist children and their parents in achieving stability and self-reliance through education, community resources and supportive services. Responsibilities will include the following:

• Meeting regularly with parents, children, and youth to assist them in developing and achieving goals related to education, health and wellness, positive child and youth development, and parenting.
• Building trust and providing mentorship and advocacy to children and youth.
• Assisting with enrolling children in the local school system, helping with understanding Individual Education Plans, attending school meetings and parent-teacher conferences, Child Protection meetings, and court hearings related to Child Protective Services.
• Monitoring attendance and academic achievement of all school-age children and helping them improve their academic success by meeting the students at the school (as allowed) and addressing barriers to school success.
• Assisting families in obtaining and maintaining supplemental benefits including WIC, Childcare Assistance, and early learning scholarships.
• Assisting families in completing the Early Childhood Screening for all children ages 3-5.
• Assisting families in obtaining birth certificates and other legal documents for all children.
• Assisting families in registering for summer school, community education, and other extracurricular activities.
• Assisting families in locating and touring childcare facilities and preschools and connecting to financial assistance as needed.
• Completing ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE for all birth-to-five-year-old children and making appropriate referrals when needed.
• Assisting families in locating a medical home for their children and following up on well-child checks, medical needs, and mental health services.
• Assisting older youth with exploring higher education options including financial aid, college tours, and trade school opportunities.
• Supporting older youth with employment skills, finding jobs, and maintaining employment.
• Collaborating with school social workers, teachers, and McKinney-Vento Liaisons to support students socially and academically.
• Providing community resources and referrals as well as coordinating services with various community partners to provide a well-rounded approach.
• Coordinating and documenting all work done on behalf of participants to maintain accurate progress and recordkeeping for participants, the agency, and funders.

Who You Are

• You hold a bachelor's degree in child development, social work, or a related field, plus you have one year of experience in a social service position; alternatively, you have a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge.
• You possess knowledge of the human services nonprofit sector, with experience working in a nonprofit setting preferred.
• You demonstrate the ability to de-escalate situations using age-appropriate techniques.
• You demonstrate knowledge of and commitment to advancing equity and inclusion.
• You understand the education system and the stages of child development.
• You demonstrate knowledge of pluralism and diversity issues with the ability to effectively communicate and work with a diverse population.
• You possess knowledge of poverty, chemical and mental health, domestic violence, and other issues affecting program participants to ensure that programs and services meet participants' needs.
• You have the ability to travel to various scattered site locations and transport children and/or families as needed.
• You possess strong communication skills in both oral and written communication on an interpersonal and group level.
• You possess knowledge of community resources or demonstrate the ability to learn area resources.
• You work effectively both in a team environment and independently with minimal supervision.
• You have the ability to manage multiple priorities to ensure work is completed in a timely manner.
• You have a valid driver's license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet Solid Ground's driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit (not applicable for new hires living out of state).

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of Solid Ground. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We value the contributions of a diverse workforce, and we welcome and encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

Solid Ground participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify's official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify's Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.