Youth Essential Coordinator: Reflections Program

— Location: Oliver Middle School —

Under the umbrella of the Behavioral Health Program, Reflections serves as one of REAP’s core programs as a proactive, student-centered approach to supporting students identified as having behavioral and disciplinary challenges. By using targeted interventions grounded in restorative justice and social-emotional skill building, Reflections holistically addresses the strengths, challenges, and experiences of students struggling with behavior and engagement, while also opening opportunities for leadership and active participation within their school communities.

The Reflections Youth Essential Coordinator (YEC) is a critical role responsible for facilitating Reflections programming at assigned public schools in the Portland Metropolitan area. This position involves providing student-level interventions that are alternative to exclusionary discipline and working closely with staff, administrators, and other stakeholders to ensure that students and school communities have the resources necessary to succeed academically and socially.

• Provide direct support to students referred to Reflections programming by school admin through the administration of Reflections interventions: Elevate, Mindful Moments, and Restorative Circles.
• Manage a caseload of students referred for disciplinary and behavioral needs.
• Provide individual and group support to students through a restorative justice lens, focusing on behavioral management, social-emotional skill building and emotional resilience.
• Exercise conflict resolution and de-escalation with students struggling with emotional dysregulation and peer-to-peer conflict, acting as a mediator and point of contact for escalated situations.
• Support and hold students accountable to social and academic goals, creating incentives and leadership opportunities that foster growth and personal development throughout their involvement in the Reflections program.
• Support and empower students by teaching self-advocacy skills, emotional awareness, and confidence building.
• Provide academic support for students struggling with classroom engagement through the form of classroom push-ins and work space.
• Collaborate with school staff, counselors, and other wraparound professionals to create, contribute to, and execute individualized support plans and provide student advocacy.
• Participate in school staff and community partner meetings to establish program presence, progress, and foster opportunities for care coordination and student support.
• Engage with parents and guardians by communicating disciplinary processes, discussing student behavior, providing updates on intervention plans, and collaborating on strategies for support at home.
• Connect and refer students to external resources including behavioral health services provided by the REAP Behavioral Health Program (BHP).
• Prepare reports on behavioral trends, intervention outcomes, and recommendations for future supports.
• Help evaluate school discipline policies from an equity lens to create solutions and foster behavior norms that contribute to a positive school culture and support the diverse needs of students and school community.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of activities and interventions per the existing Reflections curriculum, working with other program staff to continuously determine best practices and improve service delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field.
• At least 2 years proven experience working with youth, particularly in a behavioral or disciplinary support setting.
• Experience de-escalating challenging behaviors and utilizing intervention strategies to support youth with diverse needs.
• Knowledge of restorative justice and restorative justice practices, social-emotional learning, conflict resolution, and effective intervention strategies.
• Ability to assess and respond to the diverse needs of students, including those from varying cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Ability to develop and implement effective behavioral and emotional support strategies while using a strengths-based approach.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with students, families, and school staff.
• Strong facilitation skills and ability to manage group dynamics, address conflict, and foster an inclusive environment.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse, multidisciplinary teams and advocate for student needs.
• Flexibility and adaptability to respond to the evolving needs of students and the program.
• Emphasis on setting clear social emotional boundaries with staff and students.
• Strong organizational skills with the capability to manage multiple tasks, projects, and deadlines effectively.

Preferred but Not Required

• Working knowledge of networking and fundraising skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Prior experience with documentation for case management and grant related purposes.
• Bilingual capabilities.