Adventure Recreation Youth Support Specialist

Position Title: Adventure Recreation Youth Support Specialist

Are you passionate about using adventure as a path to growth? We’re looking for someone who can inspire youth through activities like kayaking, hiking, and creative pursuits, all while fostering a safe, therapeutic environment. As an Adventure Recreation Youth Support Specialist, you'll guide young people (ages 12-18) in exploring their potential, building resilience, and developing life skills. If you're ready to make a meaningful impact through outdoor recreation and compassion-driven support, we’d love to have you join our team.

New Directions is an equal opportunity employer committed to championing the principles of anti-racism, justice, and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse cultures and backgrounds, for all positions, who will uphold our values and contribute to our mission. We aim to have a leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.

Pay and benefits

• 120 hours of paid time off your first year, not including an additional 13 agency holidays.
• Access to life, dental and medical insurance.
• 401k with up to 3% agency matching.
• $19.00 - 20.00/hr for your first year. Additional raises guaranteed for full time positions.
• Consistent schedule for full time employees. Flexible schedule for on-call employees.
• Join our company, where over 30% of our staff have been with us for 10 years or more.
• $250 bonus after 6 months.

Minimum Education and Skills

• High school Diploma/GED(required).
• Valid driver's license(required).

We want to emphasize that the preferred qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping our future colleagues develop these preferred skills. We strongly encourage those who are passionate about fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable human service organization to apply.

Full Job Description
Job Title: Adventure Recreation Youth Support Specialist
Department: Residential Services

Title of Immediate Supervisor: Recreation Supervisor

POSITION SUMMARY: The Adventure Recreation Youth Support Specialist is responsible for assisting in the planning, organizing and directing activity programs with a therapeutic lens for youth growth and development. While planning and facilitating a variety of recreation activities offered, will consider the physical, creative, cognitive, social, spiritual, and community-based needs of New Directions’ youth. Responsible for ensuring safety, collaboration, and goal setting within all programming.

RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:
1. Plan, organize, and conduct a variety of therapeutic recreational activities for individual youth and groups daily.
2. Create and maintain a trauma informed environment to support youth in achieving self-regulation and reaching their therapeutic goals.
3. Provide therapeutic crisis intervention in the event of acute emotional and/or physical acting out, educate, provide and utilize sensory items as appropriate to assist in self-regulation.
4. Assist and facilitate regular activity debriefing with youth.
5. Communicate observations and pertinent information especially following an incident to the multidisciplinary team: Social Workers, Sr. Youth Support Specialist, Youth Support Specialist Supervisor, Residential Director and/or other members of the treatment team for treatment collaboration and safety planning.
6. Maintains program records, contact hours and data tracking for Performance Quality Improvement which also supports accreditation compliance.
7. Plan, schedule, and conduct formal sessions that teach skills for a variety of activities, educational programs and opportunities in camping, kayaking, swimming, hiking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing, challenge course and general adventure.
8. Organize and direct clubs and other special interest groups by season including but not limited to activities such as arts and crafts, book club, and living skill activities.
9. Maintain level of comfort and basic knowledge with therapeutic animals.
10. Introduce and involve youth in community based recreational and charitable activities.
11. Assist with supervision of youth as needed during mealtimes, de-escalation, transport, and support staff for special events. Assist in agency needs for transportation.
12. Provide input into the design of weekly/seasonal recreation services to ensure that programming matches the interest and needs of the youth and campus.
13. Explore ways to effectively provide opportunities to the youth as well as ways to expand program options.
14. Monitor environment and activities for the safety and welfare of the participating youth.
15. Assists in the maintenance, storage, and use of recreation equipment to ensure the safety and health of all of participants.
16. Document youth attendance, progress notes and incidents.
17. Maintains Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and First Aid/CPR certification provided by the agency.
18. Attend all mandatory in-service trainings, supervision meetings and other relevant trainings to maintain levels of expertise in the field.
19. Assures challenge by choice programming.
20. Performs other duties as requested by immediate supervisor(s).

Minimum Education and/or Professional Qualifications/Skills
• High School Diploma/GED
• Personal or professional experience with indoor & outdoor sports and/or arts such as biking, skiing, hiking, painting, pottery, dance, gardening, general fitness and adventure activity
• Must be able to build appropriate, respectful relationships with youth, guide their development, manage groups effectively, participate in overall treatment plan, and be able to exercise common sense and professional judgment.
• Any equivalent combination of education and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the job, including challenge course facilitation and Lifeguard certification within 6 months of hire.

New Directions Youth & Family Services, Inc is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable persons with disabilities to perform essential functions.
1. Ability to work effectively with youth, families, staff and community contacts from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
2. Commitment to youth development.
3. Ability to deal effectively with youth and/or families.
4. Ability to accept supervision and perform as part of a team.
5. Ability to be flexible and adapt to change.

6. Ability to interface with people (groups and individuals) and communicate within various mediums (logbooks, E-mail, telephone).
7. Must have a valid driver’s license for 3 or more years, adequate auto insurance and meet the criteria for driving set forth in the New Directions Driver’s License policy and Auto Insurance policy.
8. Ability to pass annual physical for Category 3 job classification in accordance with New Directions Employee Health policy.
9. Must comply with Agency safety standards and be responsible for own actions and conduct concerning safety and healthy working conditions.