Lead Youth Worker

STARTING AT $17 AN HOUR!

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Lead Youth Worker at the direction of the Treatment Supervisors will provide direct, on-shift leadership, guidance, training and support to Youth Workers. This is to be accomplished through modeling the essential function of the Youth Worker positions and serving as a mentor/trainer while on shift. Lead Youth Workers will assist the Treatment Supervisors in, supporting, and directing the Youth Workers to ensure that the organization’s mission is implemented, and the culture of Children’s Square U.S.A. is taught and modeled for all staff. Lead Youth Workers will also maintain compliance with mandatory trainings, provide feedback to Treatment Supervisors regarding staffing performance, and work in the programs as assigned.

Hiring for FrontEnd (Sunday through Wednesday) and BackEnd (Wednesday through Saturday) PM (2pm-midnight) shifts.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Culture: Promote a positive culture within the Psychiatric Residential Treatment and shelter programs.

1. Teaches the tenets of the Psycho-Educational Treatment model.
2. Emphasizes building relationships and teaching during interactions with students and with other staff
3. Teaches staff to implement the program schedule of therapeutic and educational activities that teach living skills and promotes positive changes for students.
4. Teaches staff to implement the organizations policies and procedures, licensing and accreditation guidelines, and to accomplish tasks needed to provide a safe, therapeutic, esthetically pleasing environment.
5. Promotes an aesthetically pleasing, clean, healthy, and safe environment, and assist staff in understanding how this is conducive to positive change in students.

2. Assist the Treatment Supervisors in training, supporting, and guiding the Youth Workers to ensure the organization’s mission is implemented.

1. Demonstrates competence in managing strengths and weaknesses in personnel and cultivating an individual’s ability to perform the job.
2. Teaches new staff on their shift how to be an effective Youth Worker, using a variety of methods, including constructive criticism.
3. Work in the cottages as a Youth Worker with other Youth Workers as assigned.
4. Provide onsite guidance with the staff
5. Complete the orientation checklist with new staff as assigned and make certain completed checklist is turned into Human Resources
6. Provide on the job training with new staff by working with them, side by side, during their initial days of employment.
7. Let supervisors know about potential disciplinary issues relating to staff.
8. Implements the program structure.
9. Models appropriate behavior for Youth Workers and maintain the Pillars of Excellence.
10. Provides pertinent job performance information to Treatment Supervisor to assist in completing job performance evaluations.

3. Scheduling: Assist Treatment Supervisors in maintaining required or therapeutic staffing ratios; assigning additional staff as needed to ensure the safety and welfare of students and staff, and to maintain the integrity of the programs.

1. Advocates and communicates with Supervisors to let them know when there is a concern regarding safety and programming.
2. Helps cover open shifts to ensure that therapeutic or required staffing ratios are maintained.
3. When the supervisor is not present, moves or assigns staff to other units, or calls in additional staff as needed to address unexpected staffing issues or crisis.

Other Responsibilities:

1. Other duties as directed by supervisor

1. Complete assignments in a timely and accurate matter.
2. Is willing to take on additional responsibility

2. Complete training necessary to perform position consistent with program and agency development plans.

1. Identifies training appropriate to this position
2. Takes responsibility for scheduling and attending appropriate training

Qualifications:

• Satisfactory rating on overall performance evaluation as a Youth Worker on most recent evaluation (if internal), comparable experience in childcare or experience supervising staff in the human service field.
• Knowledge of childcare practices, development issues and group processes and practices which are important to the position.
• Knowledge and demonstrated skills related to theory and practices in working with youth who have mental health diagnosis.
• Personal characteristics and experiential background that will indicate the ability to provide appropriate care for children, to gain their respect, to guide them in their development and to participate in their overall treatment programs.
• Necessary stamina and temperament to work with children and adolescents (birth to 18 years of age) who are experiencing crisis and/or emotional and/or behavioral disorders.
• Ability to be a leader and mentor/role model for Youth Workers and students.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to appropriately handle confidential information.
• If required and authorized to drive on organization business, must have automobile insurance that meets agency policy.
• Valid driver’s license with a driving record that is insurable under organization’s insurance.
• Ability to understand and consistently implement policies and procedures of the organization.
• Ability to provide appropriate care and supervision of children at all times.
• Ability to be trained in basic first aid, identification of medial needs, medication management, and CPR.
• Ability to interact and work cooperatively and effectively with other personnel, students and their families.
• Ability to show sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics within the service population.

ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND TYPICAL WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Duties are performed in a variety of environment ranging from highly stressful to potentially aggressive (physical interventions) to casual and leisurely, in both indoor and outdoor settings.
• Must be prepared to actively participate in a wide range of activities including but not limited to; sports activities, meetings, travel, etc.
• Ability to successfully complete the Crisis Prevention Intervention and conduct physical interventions as taught by the instructor.
• Corrected hearing and vision within normal range. 
• Ability to be awake and alert for entire shift, which may be up to 10-12 hours.