Mental Health Worker-Group Home

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch•Billings, MT

About The Position

Mental Health Workers work directly with youth in therapeutic group homes, helping them build relationships, develop life skills, practice emotional regulation, and work toward individual treatment goals. The role is hands-on and relationship-based, supporting a safe, structured, and supportive home environment where youth can experience consistency, connection, accountability, and opportunities for growth. The work includes supporting youth through daily routines and challenging moments, as well as cooking together, practicing independent living skills, helping with homework, participating in community outings, and building trust through conversation. Youth served may have behavioral, emotional, developmental, or trauma-related needs, and may sometimes experience difficulty with emotional regulation, relationships, boundaries, or behavior. The role may occasionally involve responding to verbal or physical aggression, self-harm concerns, elopement, or other behavioral health crises. Workers receive training and respond as part of a team using therapeutic approaches and established safety procedures. The position requires compassion, dependability, patience, flexibility, appropriate professional boundaries, teamwork, and willingness to learn. The full-time starting salary range is $18.12–$20.39 per hour, and the relief starting salary range is $17.12–$19.27 per hour. Starting salary is determined based on education and relevant experience.

Requirements

Must be 21 years old or older.
Must pass criminal record and child abuse registry background checks as required by the State of Montana.
High school diploma required.
Ability to empathize with youth experiencing mental health challenges and provide compassionate care.
Ability to communicate effectively with youth, their families, and treatment team members.
Understanding of professional boundaries and ethical guidelines in mental health care, including confidentiality and respect for patient autonomy.
Ability to maintain accurate and detailed records of youth interactions, treatment plans, and progress notes in compliance with YBGR requirements.
Self-motivated, self-disciplined, diligent, and forward-thinking.
Ability to prioritize the team and define success collectively.
Ability to interact and communicate effectively with others, collaborate, resolve conflicts, and navigate social situations.
Demonstrate the values of Faith, Integrity, Relationship, and Stewardship.
Willingness and ability to obtain First Aid/CPR and Violence Intervention Prevention certification.
Ability to remain calm and think clearly during challenging situations, build relationships without taking difficult behavior personally, balance empathy with healthy boundaries and accountability, collaborate with a team, accept feedback, and continue developing skills.

Responsibilities

Build healthy, professional relationships with youth using trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches.
Provide supervision, support, structure, and guidance throughout daily routines.
Help youth identify and practice coping, communication, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills.
Support individual treatment goals and implement established treatment and behavioral interventions.
Use everyday activities to reinforce therapeutic goals and healthy decision-making.
Support youth through emotional and behavioral challenges using de-escalation, relationship-based approaches, established safety procedures, and crisis-response skills when needed.
Facilitate recreational, therapeutic, and skill-building activities.
Teach and model independent living skills, including cooking, cleaning, hygiene, organization, budgeting, and caring for a shared living space.
Administer medications according to organizational policies and procedures.
Transport youth to school, appointments, activities, family visits, and community outings.
Complete timely and accurate documentation related to youth progress, behaviors, significant events, medications, and services provided.
Communicate and collaborate with coworkers, managers, treatment team members, families, schools, and other involved professionals as appropriate.
Participate in staff meetings, training, supervision, and ongoing professional development.
Help maintain a clean, safe, welcoming, and home-like environment.