Bilingual Recreation Specialist - St. PJ's Children's Home

Archdiocese of San Antonio•San Antonio, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Assistant Program Director, the Recreation Specialist is responsible for the coordination and implementation of daily recreational activities for UAC (Unaccompanied Children) in accordance with agency policy, TDFPS Minimum Standards and ORR Policy. This includes ensuring a safe, clean and organized environment for structured and unstructured activities that enhance quality of life for UAC, support pro-social behaviors, and promote acculturation. The Mission of St. PJ's Children's Home is to be a safe and loving refuge for children in crisis and to accompany them on their journey to healing and wholeness, breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect one child at a time.

Requirements

Bilingual in English and Spanish
Minimum of High School diploma, or Equivalent plus two years of employment experience in the child welfare field planning activities for children and/or adolescents.
Minimum one-year experience in the child welfare field working with children and/or adolescents in a social service setting.
Reliable transportation
Valid driver license
Valid vehicle insurance
Able to show proof of immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases transmitted by the respiratory route if working directly with unaccompanied children
Varicella: two doses of varicella vaccine (at least 4 weeks apart) OR born in the United States before 1980 with a reported history of chickenpox (verified by an adult present at the time of illness) OR titers indicating varicella immunity OR documentation from healthcare provider verifying previous infection.
MMR: two doses of MMR vaccine (at least 4 weeks apart) OR titers indicating immunity to all three diseases
DTaP or TDap: Complete primary vaccination series. If primary vaccination series completed in childhood, one TDaP dose in adulthood.
Influenza: one dose annually during flu season.
Must have the ability to read and interpret documents such as policy and procedures and program standards
Must be able to write routine reports and correspondence and speak effectively before individuals and groups
Bilingual: Fluent in English/Spanish with regards to reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension of the spoken language
Must be able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, organize and manage responsibilities, and prioritize duties and assignments
Must possess strong assessment skills and the ability to remain calm and composed in crisis situations
Must be detail oriented, organized, self-motivated, work well independently and on a team
Must have good critical thinking and problem solving skills
A Bachelor’s degree in the behavioral sciences, human services or social services fields; or Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent plus two years of employment experience in the child welfare field planning activities for children and/or adolescents.

Nice To Haves

Ability to adjust to changing conditions and remain committed to excellence.
Ability to effectively share information and ideas of various degree of difficulty and sensitivity through different means of communication and to diverse audiences. (Verbal and/or written)
Ability to actively and skillfully process and generate information and belief using a set of core skills – analysis, evaluation, inference, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning.
Ability to be attentive to the needs of internal and external customers and being able to find resolution within the parameters of set standards and messaging in a positive manner.
Ability to listen and respond constructively with others fostering collaboration and team success.

Responsibilities

Designing, scheduling and facilitating age-appropriate activities for the residents, including cultural and spiritual activities
Ensuring educational services are provided in a manner that promotes best practices and facilitates the optimum delivery of quality trauma informed care to UAC
Ensuring that UAC receive at least one hour per day of outdoor, unstructured leisure activities and one hour per day of structured activity (outdoor recreation is increased to a total of three hours per day on weekends and holidays)
Creating a monthly recreation calendar that includes cultural and spiritual activities
Maintaining recreational supplies and equipment inventory
Ensuring that necessary supplies, equipment, and directions/instructions are available for all unstructured and structured activities
Working with the volunteer coordinator to recruit, train, and monitor viable program volunteers who have specialized skills or talent to share with residents
Working with community organizations, groups, and businesses to procure special activities and events for the residents
Collaborating with the domestic services in the planning and implementation of campus-wide activities and events
Coordinating and scheduling at least one off-campus recreational field trip per month
Serving as a chaperone and ensuring 4:1 staff ratio during off-campus activities
Assisting with ratio and supervision of UAC as needed during structured recreation activities
Creating and distributing weekly Recreation Logs for UAC
Ensuring that the Recreation Logs are completed in a timely manner and accurately reflect the recreation activities of each resident
Implementing the program’s token economy and behavior incentive system “La Tiendita”
Actively participating in the enhancement and/or improvement of the living and working environment
Attending administrative staff meetings, staff retreats, and other team building activities
Demonstrating knowledge and sensitivity of cultural norms, values and heritage
Must be sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics
Adhering to safety training and protocols on a daily basis, and taking precautionary measure to ensure the safety and well-being of self, others
Protecting the confidentiality of any information or material obtained in the service with the organization to include but not limited to client names and information, services rendered to clients, donors’ names and gifts, internal and external investigations or results of any investigations, and financial information
Adherence to the Code of Conduct and the Faith and Morals Policy is mandatory
Every employee is required to take a solution-oriented approach in their interactions and undertakings, as well as being a team member that promotes collaboration and commitment to the Mission and Vision of the organization
Attendance and successful completion of a 10- day New Employee Orientation is mandated for the position. The inability to meet this requirement will conclude employment with the Agency
Other duties as assigned by the Program Director