Youth Care Worker - Emergency Shelter (Full Time)

Lifeworks•Austin, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

LifeWorks is hiring a full-time Youth Care Worker for its Emergency Shelter team in Austin, Texas. The Youth Care Worker provides care and services to youth, typically ages 13–19, living in a 24-hour licensed residential facility. The role helps maintain facility safety and compliance while monitoring, supervising, and transporting youth and meeting their basic needs in ways that support their development and individual goals. The position supports youth through client-focused, strengths-based, and healing-centered approaches. It involves assisting with daily activities and needs, including case management, school and job-search activities, transportation, cleaning, meals, and prescribed medications. The worker engages youth in conversations about topics such as identity, substance use, mental health, healthy boundaries, and self-sufficiency, while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality. The Youth Care Worker responds calmly to high-pressure and crisis situations, uses approved de-escalation and behavior-modification techniques, and may use Handle with Care physical-restraint techniques when necessary. The role also includes intake and discharge coordination, client orientation, safety planning, documentation, facility checks, emergency drills, maintaining cleanliness, and completing required training, meetings, and professional development. This is a non-exempt position paying $23.32–$25.48 per hour, depending on experience.

Requirements

High school diploma, GED, or equivalent; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
At least one year of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
May be required to possess or obtain a valid Texas driver’s license within 30 days.
Complete 40 hours of program training within the first six months of employment and 20 hours annually thereafter.
Standard First Aid and CPR certification, as required by the individual program.
Demonstrated client focus, collaboration and adaptability, respect for differences, nimble learning, trust-building, and action orientation.

Responsibilities

Supervise clients and the facility, overseeing care and safety in accordance with the organization’s core values and mission.
Interact consistently with clients using client-focused and strengths-based approaches, support their daily activities, and help them work toward individual goals.
Assist clients with day-to-day needs, including case management, school activities, job-search activities, transportation, cleaning, meal preparation, and administration of daily medications.
Coordinate and help provide transportation to community activities, appointments, job interviews, emergency room visits, and other outings.
Engage youth in conversations about race, identity, substance use, mental health, healthy boundaries and habits, and self-sufficiency while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality.
Support youth in developing positive coping methods and healing from trauma through a healing-centered approach.
Manage emotional, physical, and verbal escalation with calm and care; use approved de-escalation and behavior-modification techniques and, when necessary, Handle with Care physical-restraint techniques.
Follow DFPS Minimum Standards for incident reporting and coordinate implementation of safety plans and action plans with team members, including case managers.
Distribute, document, and observe clients receiving prescribed medications; apply training-based understanding of psychotropic medications and medication administration or transfer.
Coordinate and complete client intake and discharge, including service consent and risk assessment for supervision guidelines.
Complete initial orientation for clients, explaining services, rights and responsibilities, policies, and guidelines.
Follow health and safety guidelines under DFPS Minimum Standards and LifeWorks safety planning.
Conduct regular perimeter walks, room checks, facility and room searches, and ongoing visual checks of the facility.
Maintain daily written records of client whereabouts and incidents, and communicate relevant information with team members while maintaining confidentiality.
Document client behavior, progress, activity engagement, school attendance, medications, and incidents through daily notes, logs, and incident reports while maintaining confidentiality.
Communicate effectively with team members and the client support team while maintaining confidentiality.
Conduct drills in accordance with Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning.
Maintain cleanliness in accordance with licensing standards, including cleaning common areas, offices, and the kitchen.
Complete required trainings, meetings, and professional development plans, including monthly supervision with a supervisor.
Perform other duties assigned by the supervisor and Director.