Youth Crisis Program Supervisor

About Delaware Guidance Services

Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. (DGS) is the largest provider of outpatient behavioral health services to children and families in Delaware. We operate offices in Wilmington, Newark, Dover, Lewes, and Seaford, and we are the only statewide not-for-profit outpatient behavioral health organization for children and adolescents accredited by JCAHO. In 2020, we were honored as a Compassionate Champion for our dedication to serving youth and families using a trauma-informed approach.

Through DGS, clients and families have access to outpatient counseling, group therapy, parent‑child interaction therapy, and school-based services. Our community‑based service lines serve youth and families who require a more intense therapeutic protocol. DGS’ 24‑hour statewide Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) dispatches skilled crisis intervention clinicians to provide immediate care to children experiencing behavioral health crises. Therapeutic options are available for a wide range of diagnoses including depression, anxiety, mood disorders, eating disorders, traumatic stress‑related disorders, and suicidal ideation.

In 2021, DGS clinicians provided over 54,000 direct‑care hours to children, youth, and families in Delaware. Over 93 % of clients report improvement in their level of functioning following treatment, and therapeutic benefits derived from trauma‑informed care extend to clients’ siblings, caregivers, classmates, and peers.

Our client population is racially and ethnically diverse; 80 % of DGS clients are Medicaid recipients and 90 % have household incomes under $30,000. Many of our clients present with significant treatment challenges including learning impacts due to missed school and negative economic impact due to parental missed work. We provide care to anyone in need, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay for care.

DGS also provides services specifically tailored to meet the unique behavioral‑health care needs of child welfare‑involved families and foster youth.

DGS strives to build a collaborative, flexible, and client‑focused work environment. Employee wellness is a top priority. In addition to offering flexible work arrangements, DGS offers a comprehensive and competitive employee benefits package including the following:

• Competitive Compensation
• Incentive Pay for Specific Roles
• Generous Paid Time Off (starting at 44 days of paid leave per year)
• Up to 6 % Annual Contribution to Your Retirement Fund
• Free Professional Development Opportunities
• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Life and Long‑term Disability Insurance

• Demonstrates knowledge of individual growth and development.
• Demonstrates knowledge of family and community systems.
• Responsible for managing a clinically appropriate 24/7 crisis program for children.
• Develops and maintains procedures/policies for daily operations: mobilization of crisis workers to hospitals, schools, homes and other community agencies in order to provide risk assessments and appropriate referrals to insure the safety of the child.
• Develops procedures to enable crisis workers to access supervision on a daily basis to resolve difficulties in clinical assessments and crisis situations.
• Provides daily crisis case management and assigns cases on an as‑needed basis.
• Monitors daily crisis interventions and risk factors for individual cases.
• Responsible for making the final decision to hospitalize or to place a child in a crisis bed.
• Facilitates ongoing crisis training to encourage growth among crisis counselors.
• Provides on‑site field assistance to crisis counselors as needed.
• Implements and coordinates ongoing group and individual supervision for the crisis counselors paying attention to licensing requirements and employee career development.
• Works closely with community mental health providers, law enforcement departments, the State of Delaware hospitals and Prevention and Behavioral Health Services to facilitate appropriate services for children and their families.
• Develops and maintains ongoing procedures to manage crisis situations ranging from decompensation of the…