Residential Child Care Unit Supervisor

LYDIA HOME ASSOCIATION•Evanston, IL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Residential Child Care Unit Supervisor serves as part of the leadership team for the residential milieu. This role involves interviewing, hiring, orienting, disciplining, and terminating Residential Counselors. The supervisor is responsible for building supervisory relationships through regular supervision and job training, assisting staff in improving skills, and ensuring adherence to agency procedures and treatment model principles. They oversee unit routines, manage staff scheduling to maintain ratios, and ensure coverage includes staff trained in first aid and CPR. The position requires effective collaboration within the youth's treatment team (triad: Unit Supervisor, Case Manager, Therapist), chairing bi-weekly unit meetings, and co-creating treatment and behavior plans. The supervisor trains staff on required paperwork, monitors its timeliness and quality, and ensures Medicaid service documentation benchmarks are met. They facilitate communication, monitor staff morale, and assist with work-related stress. Financial management of the unit, including approving expenditures within limits, is also a key responsibility. The supervisor personally develops and oversees Residential Counselors' relationships with each child, ensuring they are healthy, engaged, culturally sensitive, and nurturing. They maintain knowledge of Lydia Home’s treatment and behavior management models, ensuring staff implement therapeutic strategies appropriately. The role involves overseeing a safe, calm, and predictable therapeutic milieu environment, role-modeling positive interactions, and upholding standards for discipline and skill-building. Crisis management is a significant part of the role, requiring de-escalation techniques and therapeutic holds/restraints in accordance with TCI. The supervisor coordinates daily routines and recreational activities, ensuring they are trauma-informed and developmentally appropriate. They oversee and maintain records of clients’ behaviors, incident reports, and privileges, and communicate changes to staff. Provision of food, clothing, and other client needs is also overseen. The supervisor completes required documentation, including Medicaid-compliant case notes, and models cooperative work with the youth’s support system. They participate in personal and professional growth through training and meetings, and serve as Onsite Supervisor on a rotating basis to handle crises, emergencies, coverage needs, and after-hours questions. Housekeeping duties are assigned and performed to maintain a clean environment. Staff and clients must follow procedures during emergency situations. Participation in supervision, quality assurance/improvement activities, and tracking behavioral patterns are expected. The supervisor must be familiar with and follow agency, residential, and governing agency policies and procedures, including mandated reporting and client confidentiality (HIPAA).

Requirements

Two years of full-time experience in a residential child care program
Demonstrates skill in working with and managing the type of youth served in the program
Must be in good physical and mental health [DCFS Rule 404]
Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills
Demonstrates leadership and organization skills to effectively guide the milieu staff team
Able to demonstrate sound professional judgment and problem-solving ability
Has the following characteristics: Able to nurture, set healthy limits, teach/model skills, open to learning and supervision, reliable, builds respectful rapport, collaborative while providing appropriate care to clients/their families, and works effectively with interdisciplinary treatment team members internal/external to the organization
Must have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance in order to transport clients
Demonstrates sensitivity and respect of diverse individuals and communities served by, working in partnership with, or employed by Lydia Home
Must be able and willing to support the mission of Lydia Home Association (LHA)

Nice To Haves

To provide billable Medicaid services, per DCFS Rule 132 must have a Bachelor’s degree in the human services field, OR a Bachelor’s degree in a non-human services field plus two years of supervised clinical experience in a mental health setting

Responsibilities

Serve as part of the leadership team for the residential milieu, attending supervisor meetings, strategizing with management, and implementing decisions.
Interview, hire, orient, discipline, and terminate Residential Counselors, managing personnel actions and documentation.
Build supervisory relationships with Residential Counselors through regular supervision and job training, providing feedback and formal performance evaluations.
Oversee unit routines, ensuring consistency in interactions, implementation of therapeutic principles, and adherence to treatment/behavior plans.
Responsible for scheduling staff to ensure ratios are maintained, arranging coverage, managing on-call needs, and ensuring staff adherence to schedules.
Effectively work as a member of the triad with the youth’s treatment team (Unit Supervisor, Case Manager, Therapist), chairing bi-weekly unit meetings.
Train milieu staff on required paperwork, monitor timeliness and quality, and ensure Medicaid service documentation benchmarks are met.
Facilitate communication between the unit and other staff within the program and agency.
Monitor staff morale and assist milieu staff in working as a cohesive team and navigating work-related stress.
Manages unit finances and ensures spending is within limits, approving routine expenditures.
Develop and oversee individual relationships between Residential Counselors and each child, ensuring healthy boundaries, engagement, cultural sensitivity, and nurturing interactions.
Maintain a sound knowledge base in Lydia Home’s treatment and behavior management models and ensure staff implement therapeutic strategies appropriately.
Oversee that the therapeutic milieu environment is safe, calm, and predictable, role-modeling positive relationships and upholding standards for discipline and skill-building.
Responsible for managing crisis situations and overseeing the management of such incidents by staff, using de-escalation techniques and therapeutic holds/restraints.
Coordinate daily routines and oversee milieu/recreational activities, ensuring they are trauma-informed, developmentally-appropriate, and culturally-sensitive.
Oversee and maintain records of clients’ behaviors, incident reports, and earned/lost privileges.
Oversee provision of food, clothing, bedding, school materials, and other client needs.
Complete documentation requirements in designated time frame, including Medicaid compliant case notes.
Model and oversee Residential Counselor’s ability to work cooperatively and respectfully with the youth’s support system/caregiver(s).
Follow and implement instructions regarding medical care given by the nursing staff, and provide first aid and medications under medical supervision.
Participate in personal and professional growth through attendance at trainings, staff development activities, and unit meetings.
Serve as Onsite Supervisor on a rotating basis to handle crises, emergencies, coverage needs, and after-hours questions.
Ensure housekeeping duties are assigned/performed to keep the unit clean, orderly, and pleasant.
Ensure staff and client’s follow procedures during emergency situations.
Participate in supervision on an informal and formal basis.
Participate in quality assurance/quality improvement activities, tracking behavioral patterns and effectiveness of prevention/intervention efforts.
Perform other duties as assigned.