Youth Care Specialist - Overnights - Shelter

Child Saving Institute•Council Bluffs, IA

23h•Onsite

About The Position

The Youth Care Specialist position involves learning all functions of the role to provide a safe, therapeutic, and learning environment for children and youth aged 0-19. This includes providing supervision within the required program structure, maintaining visual oversight, ensuring program integrity, and fostering therapeutic relationships. The role also requires providing therapeutic intervention, identifying opportunities for teaching life skills, and effectively documenting client information. Professionalism, crisis management (if CPI trained), and adherence to agency policies and standards are essential. Additionally, the specialist will perform other duties as directed by a supervisor and complete necessary training for staff development, including 24-hour checklist, defensive driver, car seat, and transportation training prior to independent work with youth.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent
Minimum of 21 years of age.
Motor vehicle record of 3 points or less.
Must be able to provide proof of active auto insurance.
Knowledge in childcare practices, developmental issues and group processes and practices, child abuse and neglect, child development, behavior management and verbal and physical intervention.
Commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems
Belief in a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person and that person have the capacity to grow and change
Ability to develop respectful relationship with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence
Ability to collaborate with coworkers and other professionals
Ability to maintain a helping role, intervene appropriately to meet service goals, and set appropriate limits.
Necessary stamina and temperament to work with children and youth (birth – 18 years of age) who are experiencing crisis and/or emotional behavior disorders.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure using whole numbers.
Ability to communicate with children, parents, police, CPS, and staff.
Ability to care for children through nurturing and provide age-appropriate discipline techniques.
Ability to collaborate cooperatively with team members.
Patience and emotional stability.
Non-judgmental, positive attitude.
Flexibility, creativity, and dependability.
Ability to appropriately manage confidential information.
Ability to understand and consistently implement policies and procedures of the agency.
Ability to provide appropriate care and supervision of youth at all times.
Ability to interact and work cooperatively and effectively with other personnel and students.
Ability to interact with clients with sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics in the service population.
Ability to complete 20 CEU’s annually

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Experience in Human Services with children at risk and residential work strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain visual supervision and know where children and youth are at all times through implementation of the program schedule, positive interactions with youth, and participating in activities with the youth.
Maintain integrity of the program structure and ensure the therapeutic environment of the program by following the program schedule, helping youth meet outside expectations, and providing learning opportunities and experiences for the youth.
Adhere to contractual requirements.
Provide medication management according to program procedures.
Develop and maintain effective therapeutic relationships by treating youth with respect, providing positive feedback, and displaying empathy.
Provide therapeutic intervention.
Identify and use opportunities for teaching life skills in everyday activities.
Effectively communicate written information (client files, medication logs, pass reports, caseworker calls, etc.) throughout shift to establish and maintain an accurate record of each child’s placement.
Maintain accurate records needed by agency (incident reports or restraint reports, etc.)
Promote a professional, positive work environment by reporting to shifts, trainings, and meetings on time, following agency protocols, and being flexible to meet client and program needs.
If trained in CPI, Handle crisis using CPI and other techniques in a way that positive therapeutic relationships are maintained.
Document crisis situations according to agency policy and procedure.
Implement agency Policies and Procedures, licensing, and accreditation standards, and maintain a clean and aesthetic environment.
Perform other duties as directed by supervisor.
Complete training necessary to perform consistent with program and agency staff development plans including identification of training appropriate to this position; and taking the responsibility for scheduling and attending appropriate training.
Complete 24-hour checklist training, defensive driver training, car seat and transportation training and orientation prior to working independently with youth.