Direct Care Staff

Nevada Partnership For Homeless Youth • Las Vegas, NV

13d

About The Position

NPHY is the most comprehensive service provider for the thousands of homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through our core programs and touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. NPHY’s programs stabilize homeless teens’ lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. Through our work with homeless youth, NPHY creates productive, healthy adults who contribute to society. Strengthening and complementing our high-quality direct services for homeless youth, NPHY is dedicated to advocating for the Vegas Valley’s homeless youth population and serves as a leader in systems-level efforts to eliminate homelessness among Nevada’s youth. Agency Culture NPHY offers a positive mission driven work environment: we encourage each staff member to cultivate their unique talents and training and come together as a strong, synergistic team to better serve homeless young people. While working in a challenging yet rewarding field, you will be surrounded by compassionate, energetic, fun, happy, and friendly staff members who are like-minded people and love what they do. In addition to everyday interactions with youth, NPHY offers countless opportunities for youth and staff to experience new and fun things together to help the NPHY community create stronger bonds and model positive relationships and healthy boundaries with the young people we serve. NPHY also offers quarterly training to better equip our staff with up-to-date continuing education, skills, and resources to best serve and respond to a wide array of situations and needs. NPHY believes in learning, growing, and challenging ourselves to always be and do better, and strives to lead our staff and community to always seek new and innovative ways to best serve our target population. NPHY doesn’t just accept diversity--we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees and clients, our programs, and our community. NPHY is proud to be an Equal Opportunity workplace. NPHY is committed to upholding a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment in which all employees, volunteers, and clients feel valued and respected, and we strive to recruit diverse employees and volunteers to reflect the diversity of our clients. Position Definition Under the direction and supervision of the Programs Operations Manager the Direct Care Staff is a full-time (or part-time) hourly professional position. Shifts include working nights, weekends, and holidays. Primary responsibilities include supervising and ensuring the safety of at-risk, runaway, and homeless youth, ages 12-24, enrolled in NPHY’s Housing Programs and Emergency Shelter Program, ensuring basic needs are met, and providing client-centered care using Trauma-Informed approaches, Positive Youth Development, and other best practices. The Direct Care Staff position is also responsible for responding to crisis calls through the Safe Place program and connecting the youth to NPHY’s Emergency Shelter Program or other community agencies offering critical resources for youth.

Requirements

• A minimum of a High School Diploma or equivalent is required, with strong interest in non-profit, behavioral health, mental health, social work, PSR/BST, or human service fields.
• Must be strong at multitasking, work effectively in a high-stress environment with the ability to make logical decisions in times of crisis, and work well in a team and independently.
• Must have knowledge and experience working with Office Suite programs, Google Workspace, the internet, email, as well as software and technology typically found in the workplace.
• Must be able to stay alert and awake throughout the duration of each shift.
• Ability to complete data entry accurately into various systems and reports is required.
• Must be at least 25 and can successfully pass a drug-test and criminal background check.
• Current Nevada Class C driver’s license, with acceptable driving record, and current Clark County Food Handler Safety Card.
• Must be able to arrive on time for all scheduled shifts.
• Must be experienced in conflict resolution and crisis intervention.
• Must be dependable and punctual and be able to work alone during scheduled shifts with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to work flexible schedules including holidays and overtime, on a regular basis.
• Ability to drive a motor vehicle (during all hours of day and night), walk, lift, and carry items up to 40 lbs., push, stoop, kneel, and stand for long periods of time is required.
• Must have knowledge of or the ability to learn confidentiality laws and have the ability to adhere to them.
• Direct Care Staff will work out of various confidential locations and may require travel between sites while on shift.

Nice To Haves

• Education or previous work experience related to emergency shelter, residential programs/group homes, and crisis intervention preferred
• Experience working with homeless youth, victims of crime/human trafficking/domestic violence, runaway youth, or youth in crisis preferred
• Knowledge and training on the matters relating to homelessness, LGBTQ, human trafficking, runaways, immigration, substance abuse, behavioral health, mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice system preferred
• Knowledgeable around best practices and approaches such as Trauma-Informed Care, Positive Youth Development, Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, and Housing First model
• Experience working as a Basic Skills Training (BST) or Psychosocial Rehabilitation (PSR) worker preferred but not required
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively both orally and in writing
• Able to maintain a high level of professional and ethical standards
• Knowledge/experience working with the general public (customer service oriented)

Responsibilities

• Support the Emergency Shelter, Housing, and Safe Place programs by working collaboratively with the overnight Direct Care Staff team to fulfill all essential responsibilities.
• Provide supervision and support overnight, weekends, and holidays to youth accessing temporary shelter and housing services by ensuring basic needs and program guidelines are met.
• Respond immediately to crisis calls received through NPHY’s hotline, safely pick up youth from Safe Place partner sites, and provide trauma-informed crisis intervention services to youth.
• Maintain professionalism while making youth safe and feel at ease during all interactions, especially during the intake process.
• Complete initial intake for youth who are accessing the Safe Place program and connect the youth to a safe destination including NPHY’s Emergency Shelter program, alternate shelters in the community, family reunification, etc.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of community resources, especially in shelter programs.
• In response to calls from NPHY’s hotline, provide accurate information to refer the potential youth to the Safe Place program and other resources as appropriate.
• Maintain timely, clear, clean, and organized case files, logs, documents, reports, and all agency-related and confidential materials.
• Provide meals to youth in the Emergency Shelter by cooking, planning and preparing meals at every shift; support meal planning, budgeting, and grocery shopping for youth enrolled in Housing Programs.
• Supervise and assist with nightly activities for the youth including proper hygiene practices, medication management, preparation for school/work, and engaging in community activities.
• Provide transportation for youth enrolled in programs including medical, treatment, and therapy appointments, school, employment, to and from the NPHY Drop-In Center, hospitals, airport, bus stations, and any other arrangements assigned by the youth’s assigned Case Manager.
• Assist youth in completing their tasks/goals from their case plans including basic living and independent living skills, education/employment goals, health, medication management, safety planning, and accessing mainstream benefits.
• Assist in the design and facilitation of Life Skills and Basic Skills Training that focus on personal hygiene, positive coping skills, time management, communication skills, conflict resolution, health and wellness, cooking, cleaning, and emotional well-being.
• Complete routine cleaning of all properties to ensure a clean and safe living space; assist the youth in cleaning and organizing their living spaces.
• Participate in regular meetings including shift meetings held at the beginning and end of shift, supervision meetings, and program team meetings to ensure quality of services.
• Maintain accurate inventory of food and supplies at each property, and stock pantries at the emergency shelters with sufficient food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and cleaning supplies.
• Use proper de-escalation techniques to assist youth through emotional, behavioral, and/or mental health crises.
• Demonstrate good role model behavior while working with the youth in daily living skills, leisure, and recreational activities.
• Act as a mentor to youth to support their development and growth through their healing process, which may include supporting youth emotionally and building positive rapport and trust while establishing healthy boundaries.
• Ensure the safety, maintenance, and well-being of the company properties and fleet of vehicles by following all agency procedures.
• Report any incidents of damage or misuse following proper agency protocol.
• Assist in coordinating, transporting, and monitoring youth at agency events.
• Maintain clear and transparent communication between all overnight staff, Case Managers, and Management by utilizing email, web-based calendars, and other communication tools.
• Transcribe case notes, complete data entry into databases, submit daily and monthly reports, and ensure accuracy of information.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth offers a competitive benefits program including three weeks Paid Personal Leave and fourteen paid holidays per year.
• NPHY also offers fully paid life, medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for its regular full-time employees.
• Employees can also participate the company-sponsored 403(b) [retirement plan] with a 3% match and voluntary insurance plans.
• NPHY is also proud to offer holistic benefits to invest in YOU, click here for more information.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED