Find & Apply For Youth Counselor / Worker Jobs in Columbus, Minnesota

Help youth take responsibility, repair harm, and reconnect with their families and communities. Who We Are Lakes Center is a mission-driven nonprofit serving youth and families across Washington, Chisago, and Anoka counties through counseling, education engagement, prevention, outreach, and juvenile justice programming. We walk with youth and families during pivotal moments, when connection and care can change the course of a life. The Opportunity Lakes Center is seeking a Juvenile Justice Coordinator to lead individualized intervention and diversion services for youth referred by schools, law enforcement, counties, families, and community partners. This person will engage youth and caregivers, assess strengths and needs, develop individualized accountability and support plans, provide direct intervention, coordinate services, document progress, and support successful case completion. The coordinator will also help lead an important program transition. After learning and reliably operating Lakes Center's current intervention and diversion services, this person will help move the program toward a more restorative model involving circles, conferencing, repair of harm, meaningful community participation, and stronger opportunities for youth to rebuild trust. This is a strong fit for someone who enjoys direct work with adolescents and families while also helping improve programs, build partnerships, and create new systems. What You'll Do

• Receive completed intake handoffs and follow up promptly with youth and caregivers to begin services.
• Assess youth strengths, needs, risks, barriers, and readiness for change using restorative, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate practices.
• Develop and manage individualized intervention or diversion plans with clear goals, accountability activities, supports, timelines, and completion expectations.
• Provide individual and family sessions focused on decision-making, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, substance-use education, and restorative reflection.
• Build consistent relationships with youth and caregivers and connect families to appropriate services and resources.
• Coordinate with schools, law enforcement, county partners, courts or corrections, service providers, and other authorized referral partners.
• Maintain timely and confidential case documentation, track outcomes, communicate authorized updates, and complete case-closure activities.
• Respond appropriately to safety concerns, behavioral crises, and mandated-reporting situations in accordance with Lakes Center policies and supervisory direction.
• Help manage Chisago County's Restorative Practices Advisory Committee (RPAC) and support implementation efforts in partnership with the Community Outreach Manager. Help Build a More Restorative System
• Learn the current juvenile intervention and diversion model before helping redesign it.
• Review and strengthen existing classes, curricula, materials, and outcome measures based on evidence, community needs, referral patterns, and participant feedback.
• Help develop restorative case pathways that may include circles, restorative conferencing, community-supported accountability, and repair agreements.
• Develop Procedures for screening, consent, preparation, documentation, and case closure.
• Help recruit, train, coordinate, and support volunteer facilitators and community representatives in partnership with Lakes Center leadership and staff.
• Pilot new approaches carefully, gather feedback from participants and partners, and use results to improve the model before wider implementation. What You Bring
• A bachelor's degree in social work, criminal justice, psychology, human services, or a related field. Equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
• At least two years of experience working directly with adolescents and families in juvenile justice, diversion, schools, behavioral health, child welfare, community-based services, or a closely related setting.
• The ability to build trust with youth who may be reluctant, escalated, disconnected, or participating because of outside pressure.
• Knowledge of adolescent development, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice, cultural humility, confidentiality, mandated reporting, and professional boundaries.
• Strong case-management, organization, documentation, communication, public-speaking, and relationship-building skills.
• The ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and a mobile caseload, exercise sound judgment, and collaborate across systems.
• A valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and the ability to travel throughout the service area.
• The ability to successfully complete required background checks and maintain training or credentials required by program partners or contracts. Preferred Experience
• Restorative justice experience, including training in circle facilitation and/or a restorative conferencing model. Candidates without formal training may be considered and must be willing to complete employer-provided or approved training after hire.
• Experience with school districts, law enforcement, county systems, community corrections, or cross-system referral teams.
• Experience developing youth curricula, launching a new service model, coordinating volunteers, or building community-based restorative processes.
• Training in mediation, motivational interviewing, adolescent substance-use intervention, evidence-based diversion, or de-escalation.
• Experience with grant-funded programs, outcome measurement, compliance, or report preparation.

Work Schedule and Environment This is a full-time position based in Forest Lake, serving northern Washington County and all of Chisago County. Work occurs in the Lakes Center office, schools, family or community settings, and approved remote locations. Regular local travel is required. The schedule must be flexible enough to meet with youth and caregivers outside typical school or work hours, and occasional evening or weekend work is expected for participant needs, meetings, or community events. The position may involve emotionally charged situations and contact with youth and families experiencing crisis, conflict, or system involvement. Compensation $60,000

• 65,000 annually , depending on qualifications and experience.

How to Apply Submit a resume and a brief cover letter describing your interest in the position and relevant experience through this job posting. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. Equal Opportunity Lakes Center is an equal-opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available to qualified individuals with disabilities. Join Lakes Center in building a response to youth behavior that balances accountability, support, repair, and belonging.