Missing Youth Specialist- Omaha, NE

Job Type

Full-time

Description

Project Harmony exists to provide effective, immediate and sensitive support to child abuse victims and their non-offending family members. Project Harmony is committed to a vision with a focus on one goal: ending the cycle of child abuse and neglect. Project Harmony is one of the largest Child Advocacy Centers in the nation.

At Project Harmony, we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, we support it and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our clients and our community. Project Harmony is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national original, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

Our Culture

At Project Harmony, we are committed to building a team of dedicated, compassionate professionals who are supportive of our culture:

We are all Project Harmony: Project Harmony exists because of the unique collaboration of community partners, dedicated to ending child abuse and neglect. Our strength lies in our people, their ideas, their differences, their diverse talents and perspectives.

We bring our best everyday: Project Harmony consists of experts, problem solvers and visionaries dedicated to promoting creativity and innovation. We demonstrate personal integrity and maintain a high standard of ethical behavior. Project Harmony is dedicated to fostering a learning environment where all members of the collaborative process can flourish.

When it comes to children, we don’t compromise: Children come first in all that we do. Project Harmony provides a safe place where children have the courage to use their voices – a place where healing begins. Because of Project Harmony’s coordination of care, children entering Project Harmony go from crisis to courage. Our vision reimagines the system to make it work best for all involved, especially the child.

Job Purpose

If you are looking for a place where you can make a difference in the life of a child, Project Harmony is looking for you. We are seeking an experienced and committed Missing Youth Specialist to join our dynamic and innovative organization.

This position will focus primarily on non-system-involved youth who have been reported missing from their homes. It is a unique position, requiring close collaboration with local law enforcement, Juvenile Assessment Center, Project Harmony Mental Health Therapists and other community organizations working with at-risk missing youth. This position will provide crisis intervention, support and education to this population of children and their families.

Requirements

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Review all police reports from Omaha Police Department involving missing juveniles to determine program eligibility and acceptance.
• Collect information on missing youth from child welfare, criminal justice and Project Harmony sites in an effort to coordinate care with Child Protective Services, law enforcement, the County Attorney’s Office and other community organizations serving youth at risk for sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. Responsible for tracking cases and data to identify trends.
• Assign cases to internal staff and external partners based on acceptance criteria.
• Meet with at-risk youth brought to Project Harmony by law enforcement upon return from run, for crisis intervention and conduct a trauma assessment.
• May require meeting youth and caregivers in the home and/or community.  
• Involve caregivers in safety planning for youth and developing case plan to assist in relationship repair and stabilization.
• Compile monthly numbers from the Missing Youth Services (MYS) Program to include: case acceptance and non-acceptance, clients served, cases referred to external partners, cases referred to internal therapists, etc. and report these numbers to the Director. 
• Assist in preparing and facilitating monthly and bi-weekly Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings to include preparing agendas, inviting case professionals, keeping record of team recommendations and follow up.
• Provide immediate crisis intervention services to caregivers and youth, as needed.
• Maintain a comprehensive list of community treatment providers and resources for families.
• Participate in community engagement and training opportunities in order to educate the community about the Missing Youth Program, missing youth behaviors and trends.
• Other Missing Youth Specialist duties as assigned.

Education and Training

• Bachelor's degree preferred in Social Work, Counseling, or related field.  
• Training and experience in child abuse/neglect investigations, particularly sexual exploitation and minor sex trafficking.

Work Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working with children and families impacted by child abuse/neglect.  
• Experience and training related to sexual victimization and trafficking.
• Training and/or experience in crisis intervention.
• Previous experience in working with at risk youth of all ages.
• Previous experience in working as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Training and/or experience in serving child abuse victims.
• Case management experience, including navigating N-FOCUS and NDEN systems.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Good working knowledge of community resources and judicial system.
• Knowledge and understanding of family violence, sexual exploitation, human trafficking and the dynamics of child abuse and neglect.
• Knowledge and understanding of the criminal justice system.
• Demonstrate effective communications skills (verbal, written and active listening).
• Demonstrate understanding of and ability to work with persons of diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrate strong organizational, time management and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrate problem solving skills and ability to resolve conflicts.
• Knowledge and use of Microsoft Office Products (Word, Outlook, etc.).
• Ability to be flexible, adjust to a quickly changing schedule and handle distractions, interruptions and stressful situations.
• High level of professionalism.
• High level of initiative and energy.
• Must be a self-starter and able to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Exceptional work ethic.
• Must respect and maintain confidentiality.

Other

• Must be willing to work flexible hours and provide on-call coverage nights and weekends on a rotating basis.
• Must submit to a thorough criminal history background check.
• Must possess the ability to pass a fingerprint clearance.
• Must have access to a vehicle, possess a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.
• Position involves some travel, primarily within the state.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities associated with it.