Youth Action Board Liason

Youth Action Board Liason Waking the Village Sacramento, CA Job Details Full-time $22 - $32 an hour 1 day ago Benefits Wellness program Health insurance Dental insurance Vision insurance Life insurance Qualifications Crisis intervention Teamwork Expense management Microsoft Office Master's degree Driver's License Bachelor's degree Full Job Description Waking the

Village:

Youth Action Board (YAB)

Liaison Program Overview:

Waking the Village (WTV) has supported the Sacramento Youth Action Board (YAB) since 2015, providing a foundation for youth with lived experience of homelessness to lead systemic change. In 2022, YAB was formally recognized as a committee of the Sacramento Continuum of Care (CoC), solidifying its role in shaping the region's response to youth homelessness. Comprised of young people ages 18-28, YAB members have reviewed and distributed over $6 million in federal funding, developed Sacramento's Coordinated Community Plan, and advanced accountability efforts through a Continuous Quality Improvement process. Their leadership has expanded youth representation across decision-making bodies and spotlighted the system gaps that too often leave young people behind. YAB is housed within WTV's Creation District, an arts and wellness program offering free, low-barrier access to workshops, a youth-led record label, and a daily drop-in art studio. Located in WTV's 7,000-square-foot youth center in downtown Sacramento, the Creation District provides a brave space where young people can heal, create, and build community while navigating the challenges of housing insecurity.

Overview of Responsibilities and Duties:

The YAB Liaison will anchor a multi-faceted role with the express mission of amplifying and elevating the voices of youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in Sacramento. In October 2022, Sacramento was awarded the highly competitive Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project Grant (YHDP), which brings $6.3 million dollars to youth experiencing homelessness in Sacramento. The YAB Liaison will work very closely throughout the YHDP process to ensure that youth voice is at the forefront of all decision making for this funding. While the YAB Liaison will wear many hats, the primary focus will be helming, organizing, and overseeing the Sacramento Youth Action Board. Within the role, the YAB Liaison will develop healthy relationships with youth participants, organize and prepare YAB meetings, serve as the primary support for the Youth Action Board, serve as a liaison between the CoC and YAB for the YHDP grant, provide outreach to recruit new YAB members, support the YAB Youth Liaison, and manage budgeting and sustainability for the Sacramento YAB. It is essential that the YAB Liaison uplifts youth leadership without overstepping—prioritizing mentorship, collaboration, and capacity-building while resisting the urge to direct or control. Given the nature of working with this vulnerable population, an ability to step into moments of wellness crises to support youth and young adults is absolutely essential. Primary Responsibilities

• While much of their work will take place at the Creation District (1219 S Street, Sacramento California)—building relationships with youth, holding meetings, and creating a consistent, welcoming space for the Sacramento YAB—some of their work will also include attending virtual meetings or spending time in the field visiting drop-in centers or other partner sites.

Note:

This role requires a full-time, on-site presence at the Creation District for the first six months to build relationships and connect with the community. In all settings, the YAB Liaison is called on to bring positive energy that helps youth nurture their dreams into reality. Steadiness, consistency, and deep belief in young people are always needed. You must be able to create joy in others and extend love, even when youth are navigating pain and trauma. In addition to relationship-building, the YAB Liaison is responsible for managing crises as they arise and supporting the daily rhythm and upkeep of the space when on site.

• Serve as the core support for the Youth Action Board.

The YAB is a group of 7 youth who have applied, interviewed, and been accepted to serve as core leaders and decision makers throughout the YHDP Grant Process and CoC system change at large. The YAB Liaison is responsible for serving as the mentor, organizer, and key anchor for this team. The YAB Liaison supports daily communication, supports facilitation of and organizes weekly meetings, mentors and supports youth before and after meetings so that they feel prepared and confident in meeting spaces, manages timesheets and tracks hours, arranges transportation, and serves as an emotional mentor and sounding board for youth leaders. The YAB liaison helps support YAB in their goals by listening to an idea and helping them make a work plan and bite size steps to see it through to the end.

• Support YAB members in the planning and organization of vibrant YAB meetings that create a space for youth to process common struggles and share their advocacy goals and aspirations.

This is a collaborative leadership role. YAB meetings are one of the few spaces where youth get to touch base on progress, goals, and vision as well as process system failure and dream-up solutions for a brighter future. YAB meetings walk a fine line between accessible (we want to create a safe and welcoming environment) and productive (let's get to work and create change). The YAB liaison is responsible for holding this balance and ensuring that meetings are tightly organized and well-prepared while still remaining flexible enough to be driven and led by youth leaders. Support YAB members in keeping track of goals and progress. Helping to uphold safe space agreements in meeting spaces and resetting energy of the space.

• Attend and advocate for youth needs in all YHDP stakeholders and other community meetings.

The YAB Liaison is an essential role in the YHDP process. They can expect to spend up to six hours a week in meeting spaces with other YHDP stakeholders and their job will be to fiercely advocate for youth voice to be heard and honored through the values of authentic youth collaboration. The YAB Liaison will be responsible for ensuring that there is a strong youth presence at all necessary YHDP meetings and that youth feel well-prepared and confident entering into meeting spaces. Support YAB members in connecting with YHDP project leads.

• Manage a detailed YAB budget and youth hours.

The YAB Liaison is responsible for ensuring YAB operates within its budget and that financial processes remain transparent and youth-inclusive. This includes documenting and tracking all expenses, submitting receipts, managing invoices, and communicating with YHDP leads regarding any necessary budget amendments. A critical part of this role is tracking YAB members' payroll hours, helping ensure youth stay on track with hour expectations, and proactively identifying meaningful projects or tasks that align with their interests and goals. The Liaison will regularly check in with members about their hours, offer guidance on how to fulfill them, and provide support to ensure youth engagement remains purposeful, empowering, and compensated.

• Provide active outreach to new YAB members.

The YAB Liaison is responsible for ensuring the YAB is always representative of the population of youth experiencing homelessness and system challenges in Sacramento. It is the job of the YAB Liaison to ensure that membership reflects and includes the voices of youth from all backgrounds and experiences. This may mean that YAB Liaison takes YAB members to visit different school districts, works with YAb to organize magnet events, builds connections at juvenile detention centers, and fosters vibrant community partnerships with all youth serving agencies and programs in Sacramento.

• Respond to emergency wellness challenges that appear during the day.

In a diverse community of youth experiencing the daily trauma of homelessness and housing insecurity, there is bound to be challenges or difficult interactions or small emergencies that arise throughout the work. All WTV staff responds to these moments that might include having a youth get a phone call with bad news, guiding a parent with a baby with a 104 degree fever, helping a youth cope with a break up, assisting a youth with a flat tire, helping two youth communicate frustration in a productive way, or advising a youth whose health insurance just got cut off. WTV staff is constantly stacking on hats, learning new skills, and modeling persistence and grace in the face of challenges.

• Professional development, mentorship, and leadership cultivation.

The YAB Liaison plays a vital role in supporting youth to take on meaningful leadership roles in shaping, evaluating, and evolving the YAB program. This work is not about hand-holding, but about walking alongside youth as they step into their power—offering guidance, resources, and space to lead with confidence and authenticity. Rather than defaulting to doing things for youth, the Liaison invests time in developing their skills, including mentoring YAB members to facilitate meetings, lead initiatives, and take ownership of the work. They honor youth ideas—even those that feel ambitious or complex—and help translate vision into action. In collaboration with program leaders, the Liaison nurtures a culture where youth voice isn't just heard, but drives lasting change.

• Support YAB members in facilitating listening circles and administering surveys to gain youth insight and feedback on specific topics.

The YAB Liaison is often called upon to support community providers in gaining youth feedback on projects, legislature, systems, and programming. The YAB Liaison is responsible for ensuring the feedback is gained in an authentic and youth centered way. This means that youth have voice and choice over which topics they choose to discuss, they are given transparency over where their feedback will be shared, and they are offered follow-up sessions to learn how their feedback has been implemented and honored.

• Collaborate closely with the CoC Youth Analyst as a core teammate in advancing youth voice across Sacramento's homelessness response system.

The YAB Liaison will meet weekly with the Youth Analyst to align on goals, co-create strategy, and coordinate youth engagement in all major CoC projects. This includes supporting youth participation in efforts such as the annual Point in Time (PIT) Count, identifying and mentoring youth representatives for the People with Lived Experience (PLE) Committee, and contributing to grants and advocacy initiatives like the YHDP. This is not a siloed role—the Liaison and Analyst are collaborative partners working in tandem to embed lived expertise into systems-level decision-making.

Note:

The YAB Liaison will work a hybrid schedule, with their home base at the Creation District programming hub (1219 S Street). Possibilities of the

Position:

Each director puts their own stamp on the work. We welcome this and welcome the possibilities that could be.

They include:

• Hosting dynamic YAB events such as arts showcases, dances, and holiday parties to showcase youth talent and foster youth relationships.
• Developing artistic installations and visual elements at the Creation District to amplify the aesthetics of the studio space and showcase youth and staff creativity.
• Leading regular group counseling. Common themes for youth include struggles with depression or anxiety, attachment issues, stress management, difficult relationships with boyfriends and/or the fathers of the children, eating issues, healthy sexuality, sobriety support, anger management...
• Leading recreational experiences such as ROPES courses, camping trips, holiday events, theatre, community service trips, hiking, rafting, museum trips, and assisting in acquiring funds or donations for such outings.
• Spearheading a cottage industry such as silk screening or summer camps that generate income for the nonprofit while also providing youth a forum to develop job skills and earn an income.
• Leading groups, workshops, and events that build community and develop creative skills. Past examples have included, Creation District Garden Club, Clothing Swap, Instrument Repair Day, Photographers Meetup, Street Mural Tour, LGBTQ+ History Day in SF, Scavenger Hunt at the Crocker ect.
• Developing and maintaining a dynamic website where youth share their journey through digital storytelling and/or blogs. Essential Qualities
• Hard Working

• Energetic and Outgoing:

  By nature, working at the Creation District studio demands a vibrant presence and someone who isn't afraid to give a warm welcome, join in on a silly dance, greet each young person by name, and wear a sequin cape upon youth request.

• Organized:

  The YAB Liaison will be responsible for managing many projects at once. An ability to stay on top of meeting schedules, track and document budget materials, and stay on top of program goals and deadlines is a necessary skill set in this role.
• Strong tech literacy is essential—leaders should be comfortable navigating Google Drive, managing Zoom meetings, sending calendar invites, and using digital tools to keep communication clear and collaboration smooth.
• Able to think creatively and problem solve when issues arise
• Able to work independently and see a plan through

• Creative and Committed Leadership:

  We welcome vision and an ability to bring a strong commitment for nurturing an idea into reality.

• Professional:

  An ability to establish healthy, clear boundaries and model emotional intelligence is essential

• Brave:

  Our youth take incredible risks and tackle the challenges of personal growth as they pursue their goals. As a staff, we must model the same courage to grow.

• Joyful:

  Our youth count on us for smiles, hearty hellos, and a positive attitude that never quits.
• Unafraid to speak the truth: We must not tip toe around our youth. They deserve to be confronted when they are ducking responsibility, making unhealthy choices, or sabotaging their own success. We must have the conversations they need to explore behaviors that undermine their goals and growth.
• Open minded and accepting: We respect the choices our youth make. We respect their cultures, their histories, their religious beliefs or their atheism, their politics, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, and their visions for the future.

• Flexible:

  Your best laid plans will intersect with the busy, complicated lives of youth and young adults navigating homelessness and housing insecurity. 104 degree fevers, wellness crisis, job schedules, weird rashes, Medi-cal appointments, and family emergencies can change your day in no time.
• Desire to be a part of a work environment where every person supports, encourages, problem solves, and envisions growth together.
• Willingness to embrace and address each day's challenges be they a sick child, a discouraged youth, a troublesome computer, or a dead car battery. We are looking for a Studio Director who can solve problems and who addresses needs as they arise, rather than one who simply reports problems. Requirements or Strengths
• While not a requirement, this role strongly prioritizes applicants who have lived experience with homelessness or housing insecurity. We place a high value on applicants with experience in serving homeless youth and young adults.
• Prefer experience and/or training using a Youth Development model that puts youth in charge of decision making and governing of their community. Knowledge of Harm Reduction, Trauma Informed Care and Motivational Interviewing are all assets.
• Experience as a teacher, social worker, counselor, or youth professional or intern working with youth, in particular youth coping with trauma such as homeless youth and teen parents.
• Prefer a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work, Human Development, Community Development, Sociology, Psychology, Education, Women's Studies, Child Development or other related field of study Staff Development and Workplace Opportunities
• Monthly staff meetings of all staff for case review, program planning and training.
• Opportunities to attend training and workshops in areas including Youth Development, Trauma Informed Services, and areas relevant to daily work Additional abilities required by the position
• Ability to lift at least 40 pounds
• Ability to determine own physical limits so that injury does not result when leading service projects, recreation, or program activities.
• Ability to walk up and down stairs or a request for an accommodation
• Ability to safely transport self and others in agency vehicles. Must have a clean driving record that will ensure our agency insurance can cover staff to transport.
• Ability to manage stress of multi-tasking, leading youth, and counseling youth
• Ability to establish healthy boundaries and maintain personal wellness while shepherding clients through past and current experiences of trauma.

To apply:

Please send a thoughtful cover letter and a resume. We strongly encourage folks to use the cover letter as a way to highlight experiences and philosophies relevant to the position, and to share why the job calls to you.

Compensation:

The compensation will be based on our agency pay scale and range from $22 to $32 depending on related education and field experience. Employees are eligible for medical, vision, dental, and life insurance benefits on first of month after 60 day welcome period. WTV pays 70% of the premium with a $500 monthly cap.

Nonprofit Overview:

Waking the Village operates programs for youth (18 to 24 years old) and children overcoming homelessness. Learn more at www.wakingthevillage.org and on our Facebook page at Equal Opportunity Employer Waking the Village is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. WTV believes that all people are entitled to equal opportunity for employment or connection to services provided by our agency. We follow state, local, and federal laws prohibiting discrimination in hiring, employment, and service provision. We do not discriminate against employees, clients, volunteers, or applicants in violation of those laws. We extend this policy to volunteers and interns working for Waking the Village and all clients served by our agency. Waking the Village reaffirms its long-standing policy prohibiting discrimination in employment and the provision of services on the basis of the fact or perception of: Race, Color, Ancestry, National origin, Religion, Sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), Disability, Age, Citizenship status, Genetic information, Marital status, Sexual orientation and identity, Gender Expression and Gender Identity, AIDS/HIV, Medical condition, Political activities or affiliations/ opinion, Military or veteran status, Status as a victim of domestic violence, assault, or stalking.

Job Type:

Full-time Pay:

$22.00 - $32.00 per hour

Work Location:

In person