The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experiences. The Children, Youth and Young Adults Division (CYYAD) of DCHS seeks an Outreach Specialist, Social Services Specialist,to provide life skills counseling to youth and young adults ages 16-24, assess youth/young adults for strengths andbarriers to education and employment, provide information and referral services, and connect youth and young adults toemployment and education re-engagement programs throughout King County. The Outreach Specialist acts as an advocate and role model who provides outreach, recruitment, life skills counseling,assessment, information, referral, and support. The Outreach Specialist will develop supportive relationships with youthand young adults (ages 16-24), provide them with life skills counseling, and connect them to appropriate education andemployment services. This position requires a strong race equity lens to apply to all areas of opportunity youth work andrequires the ability to develop and strengthen relationships with school districts and youth-serving organizations. Outreach Specialists are responsible for outreach efforts that connect youth and young adults with re-engagementprograms throughout King County and provide life skills counseling and information/referral services. They serve as thekey connector between youth/young adults and the programs, services, and pathways designed to reconnect them toeducation and employment. Reconnect to Oggortunity{Re. OQQ) is an outreach strategy supporting a group of second-chance schools and employmenttraining programs seeking to serve young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are disconnected from school orwork. Candidates who have direct life experience being disconnected from education, people of color, and individuals withbilingual skills are strongly encouraged to apply. The Outreach Specialist will report to the Outreach and Recruitment. Program Manager and work as a team to ensure the success of the project. DCHS manages a wide range of programs and services to assist the county's most vulnerable residents. The departmentmaintains a pro-equity focus aimed at developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for allcounty residents, regardless of race, gender identity, or income. WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to all qualified candidates who meet the minimum qualifications. Interviews for this selection process will take place on or around 6/2/2026. APPLICATION PROCESS - If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement. The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:Neo. Gov Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted. This selection process may also be used to create a pool of candidates for current and future career service, term-limited temporary, and special duty opportunities. The pool will be active for 6 months. WORK SCHEDULE/ CONDITIONS: This position is scheduled to work 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. This position meets the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is overtime eligible with supervisory pre-approval. MISSION CRITICAL POSITION STATUS: This position has been designated Non-Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director, or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. For more detailed information, please visit HR Policy County Operations During Emergency Situations and the King County Guidelines for Workforce Management in an Emergency. The primary onsite location is TUKWILA at 645 Andover Park West, Tukwila, WA 98188. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. RECRUITER: Greg Mallory, grmallory@kingcounty.gov Job Duties Provide life skills counseling to youth and young adults ages 16-24 years who are not working and/or not in school in order to assist them with reengaging in education and/or gaining employment. Assess the full range of youth and young adult needs with a focus on education and employment, and assess and identify barriers to successful completion of employment/educational goals. Orient youth to the program(s) that will assist them in meeting their education and/or employment goals, and develop the strategy that will allow young people to engage in services. Provide relevant barrier-reducing information and serve as an advocate for the youth. Help youth access records and other information needed to obtain services. Examples include Washington State ID, Social Security Card, etc. Identify and establish working relationships with community resources that provide high-quality services to referred youth; act as a liaison between the youth and those education/employment resources. Conduct outreach to the community, including presentations, with the purpose of sharing information about Reconnect to Opportunity (Re. Opp) and re-engagement opportunities with community stakeholders. Provide mentoring and support services that enable youth and young adults to solve personal and work-related problems. Research and identify resources that would help youth work toward their education and employment goals. Develop relationships with schools and community organizations that serve disconnected youth and young adults, and reach out to them, with the purpose of generating referrals. Use social media channels to share information about Re. Opp and King County re-engagement programs. Gather information on service need trends for youth and young adults; set up new services and referrals as needed. Facilitate youth and young adults' re-engagement to education or employment by accompanying them to meetings and liaising with the program staff, etc. Keep organized records and enter participant information into the CYYAD database. Provide education and crisis intervention training referrals to the youth's family. Serve on agency committees, task forces, and community- and school-based organizations. Perform other related duties as assigned that support youth re-engagement efforts. Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills Recent relevant direct service experience. Relevant experience includes social services, outreach or human services related to employment and education. Experience with youth re-engagement and outreach for youth/young adults ages 16-24. Demonstrated ability to conduct outreach and provide peer support/life skills counseling. Deep Understanding of the challenges that disconnected youth face (i.e., interrupted schooling, homelessness, foster care, etc.) and understanding of the services/programs available to support youth and young adults, including the belief that reengagement and reconnection to services is possible for ALL opportunity youth. Demonstrated ability to assess youth/young adults for strengths and barriers to enrollment into education and employment programs. Demonstrated ability to advise youth/young adults to engage with the programs that will best meet their needs and goals through advocacy, support, and individual strategy development. Strong relationship skills, including the ability to develop and sustain relationships with people of diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds, and demonstrated ability and experience in developing and maintaining effective working relationships with community-based organizations, community service providers, training institutions, employers, young people, and co-workers. Strong oral and written communication skills and a demonstrated ability to work with internal colleagues and external partners. Ability to effectively manage time to work on multiple tasks in a high-pressure/short-deadline environment, and to adapt to changes in workload demand and priorities. Highly organized with strong attention to detail. Ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Strong computer skills and experience using a variety of social media platforms for outreach. Adaptability, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Ability to pass a Washington State Patrol Background check on a post offer/pre-hire basis.