Youth Services Center - Youth Care Worker

Under the direction of the Shift Supervisor, the Youth Care Worker provides supervision and assists in maintaining a safe environment for the youth in our care. This position is Covered as defined by The Board of Commissioners of the County of Allen Employee Handbook.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for supervising youth and maintaining a safe, structured, and caring environment, including wake-up, showers, meals, recreation, school, assigned work, special and seasonal activities and bedtime.
• Documents and updates files concerning the care of the youth.
• Evaluates and monitors residents’ behavior, resolves conflicts and addresses behavioral problems.
• Creates and updates student’s school charts to maintain accurate records, files appropriate paperwork for the school, and assists the Teacher with classroom duties.
• Completes a detailed safety care plan for each resident upon arrival.
• Maintains communication with co-workers and administration concerning residents’ behavior, ensuring residents’ needs are met.
• Maintains clean units with residents’ assistance including, but not limited to, sweeping floors, cleaning furniture and appliances, washing windows, stocking, and sanitizing bathrooms and changing bedding.  Ensures all hazardous hygiene products are kept in a secure location and out of reach of residents.
• Ensures all residents are practicing social distancing, wearing masks, deep cleans and sanitizes school equipment and units three times per day.
• Transports residents to off-campus activities and appointments.
• Counts, records, and dispenses medications and performs first aid to residents as needed.
• Models, assists, and acts as a role model, teaching daily living skills, including hygiene and social skills.
• Works one-on-one with residents to help complete assignments, creates and conducts structured activities with residents, and teaches and documents life skills to residents 16 years of age and older.
• Supervises and documents resident visitation phone calls and closely monitors residents while on computers to ensure they are on appropriate sites.
• Assists with intake and discharge of new residents, including completing required forms and securing clothes and personal possessions.
• Maintains inventory of supplies, linens, and personal hygiene products.  Distributes upon request, ordering supplies as needed.
• Attends monthly mandatory staff meetings.
• Understands and abides by CARF standards, policies, and procedures.
• Performs all other duties as assigned, including overtime as required.

REQUIREMENTS:

• High School diploma or GED and two years’ experience working with youth or young adults
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred
• Valid Driver’s License to provide transportation for residents and/or to operate county owned vehicles required
• Ability to obtain and maintain Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training within six months of employment

REQUIREMENTS (Continued):

• Ability to obtain and maintain First Aid, CPR and AED certification within six months of employment

• Must be 21 years of age or older
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of all Departmental records and information
• Working knowledge of local, state, and federal laws applicable to Youth Services Center operations with the ability to apply and enforce regulations
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to enforce center rules and regulations, resolve conflicts, respond to emergencies, effectively restrain and take authoritative actions as needed
• Ability to prepare accurate and detailed records of all resident’s behavior
• Ability to remain calm during crisis

DIFFICULTY OF WORK:

The Youth Care Worker has an understanding of the rules and regulations regarding the supervision of youth.  Work consists of relatively standardized tasks when evaluating a resident’s behavior and completing the necessary reports and records.

RESPONSIBILITY:

The Youth Care Worker performs a variety of standardized assignments including cleaning and housekeeping duties to maintain the Youth Services Center requirements.  Work is reviewed upon completion and requires some judgment when resolving conflicts and behavioral problems.

PERSONAL WORK RELATIONSHIPS:

The Youth Care Worker maintains frequent communication with other County employees, personnel from other agencies and potentially violent and hostile youth residents regarding enforcing rules and regulations and providing information regarding the residents.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

The Youth Care Worker must be able to move around freely with frequent walking required with some lifting up to forty pounds, and some reaching over head, kneeling, crawling and climbing ladders with frequent pushing and/or pulling loads and bending with some exposure to temperature extremes, dangerous equipment, chemicals, noise, noxious odors/fumes and frequent need to restrain residents.

SUPERVISION:

None

LICENSING:

Ability to obtain and maintain Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training within six months of employment

Ability to obtain and maintain First Aid, CPR and AED certification within six months of employment

Valid Driver’s License to provide transportation for residents and/or to operate county owned vehicles required

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR:

Shift Supervisor

HOURS:

Shifts vary; 40 hours/week, including overtime as required

Salary : $24