Youth Care Specialist All Shifts

Description

The Youth Care Specialist (YCS) oversees the daily supervision of clients and provides a therapeutic environment to meet client needs, including physical, mental, academic, medical, relational, spiritual, and emotional care. The YCS assists clients with daily living tasks, learning daily living and self‑care skills, providing behavioral support and guidance to achieve service plan goals. The YCS is also responsible for maintaining a safe and therapeutic environment that ensures the overall safety of clients in care and maintains the physical care of the facility in accordance with minimum standards.

The YCS provides supportive learning experiences, behavioral support, and empathic adult guidance to clients. The YCS delivers services within a Trauma‑Informed Care framework, assisting clients to achieve their goals and family reunification (unless alternative placement is necessary). The YCS works with clients to build on the client’s strengths, assisting them to create solutions, and discovering hope for their future. The YCS may be instructed to work in other units, as needed, at the direction of their supervisor or on call.

The YCS is sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.

• Education: High school diploma or GED. Bachelor’s degree in a human service field from an accredited college or university preferred.
• Experience: Six months of direct care and positive guidance experience of youth, young adults, or families in a residential or professional setting preferred. Effective listening and communication skills. Understanding of children, youth, and families in crisis.
• Other: Valid Texas driver’s license within 90 days of establishing Texas residency. Must have an acceptable driving record and be willing to transport clients. Must be able to successfully complete behavioral management de‑escalation course.

Exposure to children with behavior problems, including possible physical aggression. Exposure to illness and blood. Residential programs run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Residential programs do not close for holidays or inclement weather. Extended walking and standing daily. Must always be physically able to use authorized crisis intervention techniques.

Maintain confidentiality and follow policies related to personnel records and client records.

• Professionalism – consistent and reliable job performance, awareness, and use of professional ethics to guide practice.
• Applied Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach – skills to develop a Positive Youth Development plan and identifying the client’s strengths to best apply a Positive Youth Development framework.
• Cultural and human diversity – gaining knowledge and skills to meet the needs of clients of a different race, ethnicity, nationality, religion/spirituality, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation.
• Applied human development – understanding the developmental needs of those at risk and with special needs.
• Relationship and communication – working with clients in a collaborative manner.
• Developmental practice methods – utilizing methods focused on genuine relationships, health and safety, intervention planning.
• Trauma‑Informed Care – understanding trauma and the capacity to implement the most effective and current trauma‑informed interventions within assigned programs.
• Ability to move and work in other units as needed at the direction of their supervisor or on call.

• Complete client intakes and assist with completion of intake documents as assigned.
• Provide clients with all basic needs, including a clean and safe living environment.
• Provide level of supervision to clients based on the level of supervision needed, including timely bed checks, as required.
• Provide behavioral support and crisis intervention as needed.
• Follow and implement the daily and recreation schedules.
• Plan and implement client activities that support life skills or provide experiential opportunities.
• Maintain a helping role and intervene appropriately to meet service goals.
• Transport clients to…