Youth Care Worker

Job Description

Job Description

Overview

The Youth Care Worker provides direct care to youth in a group home setting. The Youth Care Worker functions as a caring, therapeutic team member who serves as a positive role model, implementing Trauma Informed Care and adherence of policies and procedures of the youth program to ensure the safety and well-being of the youth in our care.

Responsibilities

• Function always as a caring, therapeutic team member. Youth Care Workers serve as a positive role model in the implementation of Trauma Informed Care and adherence of policies and procedures of the youth program. Deal with youth challenges in a calm, patient and understanding manner, seeking assistance when necessary. Ensure youth are made aware of rules and outcomes around decision making, allowing youth the opportunity to explain behavior before any consequences are given.
• Youth Supervision : Milieu supervision of youth. Youth Care Workers ensure safety and compliance with program expectations. This includes ensuring chores, homework, daily hygiene, activities, and outings are completed in a timely fashion and without adverse incident.
• Acts as a positive role model to youths and other Youth Care Workers . Provides consistent modeling to clients as an effort to improve therapeutic milieu. Meet with youth regularly to establish goals within milieu. Aids youths in learning behavioral expectations of program and making positive choices in order to earn privileges and be successful in the program. Communicate any concerns regarding youth progress or safety to appropriate supervisor / manager. Actively assists youth to reach their goals by listening, teaching and counseling by following the StepStone and BrightSpring curriculum paired with Trauma Informed Care principles. Increase youth’s overall independent living skills by modeling daily or weekly household tasks via meal planning, grocery shopping, preparing and serving food / meals (when appropriate for youth), feeding, clean-up.
• Treatment Participation : Participate in treatment team and programmatic team meetings and display an understanding of each youth’s challenges, goals and progress. Ensure information regarding youth and family is kept confidential. Follows ALL aspects of the Decision Tree, including after-hours crisis and communicates any safety needs or concerns of clients to immediate supervisor or appropriate reporting entity. Transport and accompany youth to scheduled appointments and outings.
• Provide Behavioral Management : Including praise, natural consequences, education, de-escalation within the Trauma Informed Care lens and utilize Safe Crisis Management ONLY as necessary for clients who pose of risk of harm to self, peer or staff.
• Facility : Maintain cleanliness, organization, and functioning of home areas, office, and equipment. Perform home management functions such as light housekeeping, laundry, bed making, and cleaning.
• Documentation : Complete all necessary daily, weekly, and monthly documentation. Record significant events, behaviors (positive and negative), activities and youth’s movement in / out of cottage (e.g., bed checks on evening shifts, whereabouts log, sign out sheet, home visitation request, off campus work sheets).
• Medication Administration : Administer medication, complete necessary documentation, and provide adequate education to clients as required for medication management.
• Meetings & Training : Attend and provide input to team meetings, and monthly trainings. Complete training annually and as required by StepStone and state entities. Attends and participates in administrative / staff / committee meetings / trainings as required and assigned by agency.
• Trauma Informed Care : Engage and model in the teaching of TIC model

Qualifications