Youth Support

The Respite Youth Support (RYS) plays an essential role with children, ages 5-18, staying in a Children’s Crisis Residence at Elmcrest.  Having the greatest amount of contact with youth, the RYS utilizes a child-centered approach and makes every effort to work in the best interest of children while facilitating the individual and environmental conditions that are necessary to stabilize mental health symptoms.  The RYS is charged with providing a safe and nurturing environment while continuously using natural, everyday opportunities to teach, guide, and support youth in managing their unique situations so that they can return home and avoid hospitalization.  The RYS is scheduled in a manner that best accommodates the staff ratio and coverage requirement of programs. A regular, set schedule can be expected. Schedules are categorized as: daytime, evening, and overnight. Full-time, part-time, and relief positions exist.

Responsibilities:

• Create and support an environment by which each youth can be successful in making his/her own unique behavioral, emotional, intellectual, and developmental gains by:
  • Teaching and fostering a youth’s skill development relative to his/her individual needs, i.e., behavior support.
  • Interacting and intervening with youth in accordance with their treatment plans working toward a return home.
• Maintain a physically and emotionally safe & supportive environment by:
  • Developing and providing a safe and secure physical environment for each youth.
  • Providing continuous supervision of youth.
  • Using Therapeutic Crisis Intervention de-escalation techniques (proximity, time and space, caring gestures, etc.).
• Develop appropriate and positive relationships with youth by:
  • Demonstrating appropriate social boundaries.
  • Having supportive demeanor and an unconditional positive regard for the youth.
  • Actively involving youth in all facets of programming.
  • Transporting and accompanying youth to school, work, and appointments in the community.
• Perform other essential functions of the job including:
  • Complete all assigned paperwork (progress notes, shift logs, etc.) accurately and on time.
  • Attend staff meetings.
  • Assist in maintaining a program that is clean, organized, hazard-free, and complies with regulatory standards (e.g. Department of Health, OMH, Fire/Safety, etc.).
  • Follow all agency and department policies & procedures.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Elmcrest’s Core Values & Competencies:

• Honesty: Act with integrity and behave in a manner consistent with our policies, Code of Conduct and any regulatory and ethical guidelines. Utilize practices and techniques professionals train to interact with children, families and co-workers appropriately.
• Willingness to Learn: Open to new experiences and learning new skills and information that can improve professional development, progressive work environments and support the mission of Elmcrest.
• Dedication to Purpose: Display the necessary passion and empathetic abilities to serve the Elmcrest mission. Committed to improve the lives of children and families.
• Social Concern: Value human dignity and have respect for others. Actively seek out diverse approaches and points of view.
• Self-Examination: Systemically observe, analyze and utilize self-reflection to improve actions or results. Listen to constructive feedback and concerns and maintain positive relationships in the workplace.

Competencies:

• Excellent attention to detail.
• Solid verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
• Works well in a team environment.
• Required Education and Experience:
  • High School Diploma or GED.
  • Bachelor’s Degree related to human services (e.g., sociology, psychology, social work, human development), preferred.
• Additional Eligibility Qualifications:
  • Valid driver’s license.

Essential Job Qualifications:

• Ability to lift 50 pounds without assistance.
• Ability to sit, squat, crouch and stand for elongated periods of time
• Ability to lift arms over head in upward reaching motion.
• Ability to walk up and downstairs up to several times per day.
• Valid driver’s license and auto insurance, free from major infractions and deemed acceptable to our insurance carrier. 
• Varying levels of travel as determined by departmental needs may be required with this position.

Equal Opportunity Statement: Elmcrest Children’s Center prohibits discrimination of any kind based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Accommodations: Elmcrest Children’s Center will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to Elmcrest Children’s Center. Contact Human Resources with any questions or requests for accommodation.

At Will Employment: Your employment with Elmcrest Children’s Center is at will. This means your employment is for an indefinite period of time and it is subject to termination by you or Elmcrest Children’s Center, with or without cause, with or without notice, and at any time. Nothing in this job description or in any other policy of Elmcrest Children’s Center shall be interpreted to be in conflict with or to eliminate or modify in any way, the at-will employment status of Elmcrest Children’s Center employees.

Salary : $20 - $22