Title: Central Valley Regional Coordinator

Location: Fresno

Salary: Competitive -Based on experience, plus vacation, medical, dental, and vision benefits; optional life insurance; and 401 K plan.

Supervisor: Director of Programs

Agency Description:
California Youth Connection (CYC) is a non-profit foster youth leadership and advocacy organization, with 32 chapters throughout California. The mission of the organization is to empower foster youth to participate in the development of child welfare policy in California and to educate policy makers about their unique needs. CYC is seeking a full-time Regional Coordinator to assist with the overall coordination of CYC’s foster care policy agenda in the Central Valley of California.

Job Summary
Provide technical support for foster youth (ages 14-24) led advocacy and leadership development activities in county based chapters throughout California. Primary responsibilities include promoting leadership development, strengthening chapter processes, facilitating community advocacy efforts, and developing curriculum and training materials.

General Accountabilities

1) YOUTH LEADERSHIP
• Support members and volunteers in specific region of CYC’s 32 youth-led chapters to identify local policy, practice and implementation challenges foster youth face in their community and identify solutions and strategies to address those challenges.
• Support all chapters within region of responsibility and ensure access to available CYC resources and ensure full participation at all CYC events and activities.
• Supervise 4 part time youth interns to identify and complete projects supporting the regional development of CYC’s strategic goals.

2) CHAPTER DEVELOPMENT/DYNAMICS
• Meet the unique needs of each chapter through phone calls, emails, regular chapter visits, trainings and one-on-one preparation work with chapter youth leaders and volunteer adult supporters.
• Assess the technical assistance and training needs of each chapter.
• Assist chapters to develop annual training, fundraising, and recruitment goals based on needs assessments.
• Collect and manage chapter level data which includes member level information as well as participation in various events.
• Collect and analyze member level data to track member participation rates and to measure the impact of various outreach strategies.
• Provide mediation and conflict resolution training and assistance to chapter members and supporters.
• Support efforts of expanding chapter membership through the development of sub-chapters.

3) TRAINING AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
• Assist with the development and delivery of curriculum for supporter and chapter trainings.
• Conduct 4-6 regional trainings throughout the year to train CYC members, supporters and chapters on local and statewide policy development and necessary leadership skills for participating in policy work.
• Write curriculum for chapter meetings and regional trainings, facilitate trainings, and prepare youth and interns to co-facilitate.
• Develop training curricula, recruit and train members to be trainers at annual conferences and within chapters.
• Provide policy input into the development of policy and advocacy components of New Adult Supporter trainings.

4) COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
• Identify and prepare members for leadership opportunities (e.g., public hearings, presentations, workshops at conferences) by helping members develop their talking points and presentation skills.
• Engage CYC members in community stakeholder meetings by preparing members for participation in meetings and drawing connections between community work and chapter work.
• Participate in community projects related to CYC’s policy agenda and expansion of local chapter work.
• Maintain and expand CYC’s visibility and represent CYC at community events.
• Work with chapters to meet with local policymakers and administrators within region of responsibility and help support youth to advocate for needs of foster youth.
• Partner with CYC program staff to share resources and best practice, communicate local chapter work and build connections between chapters and members across the state.
• Collaborate with Statewide Policy Director and Coordinator to develop annual policy goals for the organization
• Assist youth to participate in statewide policy advocacy and leadership opportunities.
• Coordinate and transport youth to regional and statewide events on an as needed basis.
• Recommends changes to improve services.
• Responds to complaints from volunteers and the public.
• Assist in developing data about program effectiveness.
• CYC reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

5.) ADMINISTRATIVE
• Track participation by members/ supporters and update the database with attendance/participant information.
• Prepare and submit expense claims in a timely manner on a monthly basis.
• Review program budget with Supervisor on a monthly basis.
• CYC reserves the right to add or change duties at any time

Job Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Education and/or experience: Two years’ work experience in child welfare, Bachelor’s degree in political science, social welfare or communications, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience with foster care issues required. Experience working with youth required. Experience interpreting legislation, policies, and working with government preferred. Experience writing curriculum and group facilitation required.
• Management skills and/or experience: Project management skills required. Experience managing youth volunteers required.
• Language skills: Ability to read, analyze and interpret state and local legislation. Ability to translate complicated policies and ideas into youth-friendly language. Ability to effectively present information to staff, members, government staff, and the public. Ability to communicate with diverse groups with various language and education skills.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in using personal computer and various office software packages including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, calendaring, and email management. Proficiency using Windows OS preferred.

Special Requirements
• Ability to travel up to 3-4 times per month to chapters throughout assigned region (evening and weekend travel required).
• Ability to attend two conferences annually, each requiring two to three consecutive overnight stays, as well as several weekend long retreats (youth retreats for chapters/conference facilitators/various other projects and staff retreats)
• Ability to attend monthly staff meetings, generally including 10 in San Francisco and two in regional areas.
• Willing to work overtime, holidays, and weekends as requested by supervisor.

Former foster youth and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. Opportunities for travel and additional training.

Application Deadline: January 30, 2013; interviews will take place beginning of February; position start date: March 1.

How to apply:
Please send your resume, cover letter:

Mail:
California Youth Connection
Attn: Joseph Tietz, Executive Director
604 Mission Street, 9th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Email: Info@calyouthconn.org Fax: 415-442-0720



CYC is an equal opportunity employer.