Youth Care Specialist - Shelter

Child Saving Institute • Council Bluffs, IA

4d • $20 • Onsite

About The Position

Our story begins in Omaha in 1892, when, due to epidemics, poverty and the difficulties of pioneer life, many children were left in need of parental care. CSI met the need in a revolutionary way – putting the well-being of children first and working to be a voice for the voiceless. We seek to champion children and families by providing the mental, emotional and physical spaces they need to feel empowered and to thrive.

Child Saving Institute (CSI) is looking for someone who has a mind full of wonder and a heart-filled desire to make a difference! We’re on a mission to champion what’s best for each child and family. As a Youth Care Specialist, you’ll be an essential part of our team. Your responsibilities will include supervising and providing therapeutic support to children and youth ages 0–19 in a safe and structured environment. In short, our Youth Care Specialist will build trusting relationships, implement daily programming, and support each youth’s emotional and behavioral development in times of stability and crisis.

What makes CSI special… GROWTH: We value continuous learning and support professional development. FUN: We foster a collaborative culture where connection and laughter are encouraged. PURPOSE: Every shift has the potential to positively impact a young life.

Here’s who we are looking for… Someone who: • Has a positive and reliable work ethic • Holds experience working with children and families • Demonstrates sound judgment and crisis management skills • Builds effective, therapeutic relationships with youth

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent, Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience in Human Services with children at risk and residential work strongly preferred.
• 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.
• Strong direct service professional skills, including: o Commitment to empowering others to solve their own problems o Belief in a nurturing family as the ideal environment for a person and that person have the capacity to grow and change, o Ability to develop respectful relationship with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence, o Ability to collaborate with coworkers and other professionals, and o 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
• Ability to regularly stand, use hands to handle or feel objects or children; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Ability to walk and occasionally sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.
• Corrected hearing and vision within normal range.
• Ability to successfully complete the CPI course and conduct physical interventions as taught by the instructor. Examples: (a) wrapping arms around child’s limbs and maintain clasped hands against opposing pressure; (b) kneeling to break a child’s fall while arms are wrapped around a child; and (c) ability to assume a sitting position while arms are wrapped around a child.
• Ability to be awake and alert for an entire shift, which may be up to 10 to 12 hours.
• Ability to regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to perform a variety of physical demands based on activity level of clients.
• Ability to work in outside weather conditions while performing the duties of this job.
• Ability to actively participate in a wide range of activities including but not limited to basketball, swimming, fishing, volleyball, movies, staffing, team meetings, etc.
• Ability to safely operate a vehicle.

Responsibilities

• supervising and providing therapeutic support to children and youth ages 0–19 in a safe and structured environment
• build trusting relationships
• implement daily programming
• support each youth’s emotional and behavioral development in times of stability and crisis

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees