Homes Full-time Youth Care Specialist - Vigo County, IN - Terre Haute, IN

Incumbent serves as Youth Care Specialist for the Vigo County Homes for Children, responsible for striving to fulfill the parental role for residents under live-in conditions, and working toward resolution of behavioral and emotional problems of residents, and serving as treatment team member.

This role adheres to a live in shift rotation.

Examples of Duties:

Supervises residents; including advising and counseling, serving a treatment member, providing tutoring, intervening and redirecting as needed, and remaining aware of residents problems. Coordinates and participates in daily recreational and exercise activities. Distributes allowances to residents. Monitors employment of residents.

Educates residents on emergency procedures, and conducts fire drills.

Enforces Group Home rules and procedures, including acting within limits of established discipline policy, and reporting serious problems to Executive Director.

Attends weekly staff meetings and meetings called by Treatment Director, including arranging meetings with staff and children to resolve treatment issues.

Maintains various records, including daily logs, medication logs, mileage logs, clothing list, and personal files.

Works and/or interacts in conjunction with Central Office for ordering, storing food and supplies, including storing medicines and toxic material properly.

Transports residents to various appointments.

Serves as liaison between parents and children.

Adheres to 24-hour work schedule and performs housekeeping duties.

Performs related duties as assigned.

Typical Qualifications:

High School diploma or GED, with previous experience, or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Must be at least 21 years of age.

Ability to obtain and maintain all required certifications and training programs, such as first aid/CPR, Universal Precautions, nutrition education.

Ability to meet all employer and department hiring requirements, including passage of a drug test.

Thorough knowledge of youth behavior, issues and trends, and accepted theories, practices, and interventions for counseling youth and their families, with ability to apply theories and interventions to both family and individual circumstances.

Working knowledge of and ability to comprehend and use a variety of informational documents, reference books and manuals, including policy manual, school handbooks, and first-aid manual.

Knowledge of and ability to learn and understand counseling and “street slang” terminology, language, principles, and techniques, and ability to expound on knowledge of topics related to child counseling.

Knowledge of standard English grammar, spelling and punctuation, and ability to prepare and submit daily reports detailing behavior and interventions of individual residents.

Knowledge of basic filing systems and ability to create and maintain accurate and complete department files and records.

Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing with co-workers, other County personnel, school officials, support staff, medical professionals, law enforcement personnel, counselors/therapist, residents and their families, and the public, including being sensitive to professional ethics, gender, cultural diversities and disabilities.

Ability to deal swiftly, rationally and decisively with potentially violent individuals and deescalate volatile situations by means of conversation/negotiation.

Ability to provide public access to or maintain confidentiality of Department information and records according to state requirements.

Ability to comply with all employer and Department policies and work rules, including, but not limited to, attendance, safety, drug-free workplace, and personal conduct.

Ability to compare or observe similarities and differences in data, compile, collate or classify data, analyze and evaluate data, and make determinations based on data analyses.

Ability to work alone with minimum supervision and with others in a team environment.

Ability to work on several tasks at the same time and work rapidly for long periods, occasionally under time pressure.

Ability to apply knowledge of people and/or locations, and plan and layout assigned work projects.

Ability to perform arithmetic calculations.

Ability to occasionally testify in legal proceedings/court as required.

Ability to work extended, weekends, and/or evening hours, and occasionally travel out of town for transporting residents, but not overnight.

Possession of a valid driver’s license and a demonstrated safe driving record.

Supplemental Information:

Incumbent maintains communication with co-workers, other County personnel, school officials, support staff, medical professionals, law enforcement personnel, counselors/therapist, residents and their families, and the public for purposes of exchanging and explaining information and coordinating client services and activities.

Incumbent’s work may occasionally involve non-routine problem-solving to gain cooperation of potentially violent clients in situations that may jeopardize the safety of incumbent or others.

Incumbent reports directly to Program Director.

Incumbent performs duties in residential youth group home, involving normal hazards associated with a t-risk adolescents, such as verbal abuse, communicable diseases and potentially violent/hostile individuals. Incumbent duties involve sitting/walking at will, standing/walking for long periods, lifting/carrying objects weighing more than 25 pounds, close/far vision, driving, depth perception, speaking clearly, and hearing sounds/communication. Incumbent works extended, weekends, and/or evening hours, and occasionally travels out of town for transporting residents, but not overnight.

Vigo County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.