Parenting Specialist Mornings & Evenings

Parenting Specialist – Friday-Sunday (Mornings & Evenings)

Ministry: Good Shepherd Children and Family Services

Reports To: Parenting Specialist Coordinator

Date: 01/01/2025

This position is responsible for the client’s day-to-day care. Interaction between parenting specialists and clients requires respectful, collaborative, strength-based interventions responsible for maintaining youth safety through continuous supervision. In supporting and promoting these relationships, each parenting specialist will demonstrate a high standard of professional and ethical behavior that coincides with the philosophy, mission, and values of the agency. The Parenting Specialists will be expected to have previous experience working with child development needs, be able to maintain good judgment with minimal supervision, provide creative and engaging activities for the clients.

Each Parenting Specialist will be trained and expected to provide one on one coaching and teaching in line with the evidenced-based curriculum Nurturing Skills.

As a parenting specialist you must contribute positively to the therapeutic culture of the program by:

• Ensuring that the units promote mutual respect, trust, personal safety and security.
• Maximizing relationship building, teachable moments and strength-based interactions.
• Promoting positive change, growth, and development.
• Role modeling appropriate values and behaviors.
• Providing structure and assisting in goal attainment.
• Providing supervision by always knowing and being where the residents are at all times.

• Identifying strengths and using strengths to improve their overall well being
• Using active listening, positive regard, and trust to provide an environment that is safe to work on nurturing issues (therapeutic milieu)
• Utilizing “teachable moments” by turning situations into learning opportunities to foster autonomy.
• Focusing interactions with residents on values, not rules and promoting discipline, not punishment.
• Spending 1:1 time with the youth and identifying areas of progress and developing a plan for areas needing improvement. Utilize at least 80% of time with productive one on one time with the youth and 20% of work time on unit expectations and paperwork.
• Developing, maintaining and continually striving to enhance working relationships with referral sources, residents, Good Shepherd colleagues at all levels, families, and other stakeholders

To provide safety and security to all residents.

• Read all emails, communication logs and unit boards to keep a brief on resident’s progress and program updates daily.
• Participate in all debriefing activities daily.
• Work collaboratively with the Lead Parenting Specialists to develop and follow unit schedule daily.
• Be familiar with treatment plans and residents’ life goals.
• Remain active and engaged in programming and supervision at all times. Participating and engaging in all activities and groups.
• Be consistent with praise, expectations, and consequences.
• Orient each resident by explaining program expectations, reviewing resident handbook, and having an open-door policy for communication
• Complete all necessary paperwork as it pertains to the shift. Documentation in FAMCARE includes communication logs, progress notes, incident reports, CACFA sheets, bed/room checks, and any other paperwork needed to communicate progress.
• Complete accurately any billable minutes within the progress note.
• Report any concerns regarding health, safety, or well-being of resident to appropriate authority (utilize concern forms)
• Conduct security and safety checks in search of contraband
• Utilize training and professional judgment and follow chain of command when needed

Follow Program expectations to ensure positive outcomes and proper documentation

• Be active in educational plans by encouraging regular daily attendance, assisting in transporting to and from school, participating and engaging in day programs. Participating in study hours daily, assisting residents with homework and preparing residents for tutor time.
• Facilitate,…