General Summary

The Independent Living Skills Coordinator (ILSC) will be responsible for working with Eastern Michigan University students who are transitioning into independent living and adulthood. The ILSC will be responsible for implementing the Mentorship, Access, and Guidance while in College (MAGIC) program for foster youth in transition.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Assess needs of students referred to our program that aged out of foster care utilizing but not limited to, the Casey Life Skills Assessment Tools.
• Develop workshops for the population.
• Assist students in preparing individualized service plans based on the assessment: outlining their strengths, areas of improvement, short term and long term goals.
• Review plans monthly with each participant to monitor progress and refocus as necessary.
• Submit required monthly and bi-annual reports to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
• Support youth in all areas of life including education, budgeting/ financial management, identifying/maintaining appropriate relationships, career planning, parenting, medical/mental health, finding community resources/funding, and accessing Youth in Transition (YIT)/Education and Training Voucher (ETV) funding.
• Establish working relationships with appropriate and relevant campus departments and community partners to access services for youth and educate others on population's needs.
• Assist youth in moving toward self-sufficiency within both campus and community environments.
• Develop a written plan to administer specific assistance funds to eligible youth for emergency purposes.
• Provide eligible youth crisis counseling and intervention during business and non-traditional work hours.
• Assist youth to secure basic needs, such as housing, utility costs, food and clothing, as needed.
• Provide support and encouragement to youth utilizing group settings, such as educational and recreational activities.
• Develop specialized training for mentors to ensure an awareness of the needs and issues of eligible youth in a postsecondary institution.
• Secure and train mentors who have experience working with eligible youth. Mentors may be volunteers from the school or community.
• Utilize a variety of communication methods to maintain contact with eligible youth, including social networking, telephone, face-to-face meetings, texting, etc.
• Other department related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

A minimum of two (2) years of experience either working in or with foster care or child welfare services and systems is required.

A master's degree in one of the following human services areas: Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, Family Ecology, Consumer/Community Services, Family Studies, Family and/or Child Development, Guidance/School Counseling, or Counseling Psychology is required.

Must have working knowledge of trauma-informed care.

Advisory board, outreach and recruiting, and ongoing fundraising efforts are required.

Must be clinically and trauma trained.

Knowledge or understanding of the specific needs that foster youth encounter when entering college is required.

Extensive experience in crisis response and conflict resolution is required.

Must possess strong interpersonal, organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.

Additional Information:

This is a grant-funded position, contingent upon continued funding.