Youth Services Specialist

Job Title: Residential – Youth Services Specialist

Employment Type: Full Time orPart Time

Directly Reports To: Chief Operating Officer & Chief Administrator

Salary Range: $16/hour first 120 days; if meeting expectations after 120 days, increase to $19.25/hour

About Us:

LTAI C.M.H.S. Inc. & ACTS II Ministry for Teens Inc. is a licensed and contracted child-caring institution providing open residential foster care home services to youths ages 10 to 19. LTAI C.M.H.S. Inc. is the only licensed girls’ home in Kalamazoo County that offers residential services for girls ages 16-19. We also have a separate home for cognitively impaired and developmentally disabled boys ages 10-18. We offer many valuable services to assist our residents with transitioning to less restrictive environments. We provide care in a warm, safe, caring, and nurturing environment.

Our mission statement is: “Empowering and Equipping Youth for Success Beyond Foster Care.”

Our vision statement is: “Develop thriving young adults to transform families and communities.”

About the job:

We're hiring superheroes to help shape the future of foster care. Do you want to be part of changing the lives of children in foster care who've been abused, abandoned, neglected, and experienced unspeakable trauma?

Make an impact: Working at the speed of social change, we create value for our stakeholders (children, families, and communities) by delivering solutions that empower relationships. Our pace of work enables fast learning and fosters an environment where you can stretch yourself and make an impact.

Learn and grow: If you're purpose-driven, compassionate, innovative, collaborative and have a growth mindset, we’re committed to growing your capabilities. We are building a leadership and learning organization where you can work with diverse individuals, explore new ways of thinking, be mentored, grow as a leader from the minute you're hired, and expand your capabilities. Our employees are doctors, engineers, therapists, entrepreneurs, social workers, and nurturing human beings who work out loud and share their knowledge to enhance each other’s growth.

Summary:

LTAI C.M.H.S. Inc. is a licensed and contracted child-care institution providing clinical and residential foster care treatment services to youth ages 10 to 17. We offer many valuable services to assist the needs of our residents that teach skills they need to transition home to a parent/guardian, to a foster care home, to an AFC home, to independent living or to supported independent living environments. Many of the youth that we serve have experienced severe trauma due to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and neglect. Some of the residents may also have developmental disabilities and/or cognitive impairments. These youth may struggle with toileting, hygiene, physical activity, language functioning, emotional regulation, and attend school. These youth may also struggle with over sexualized behaviors. We provide care in a warm, safe, caring, structured, and nurturing environment for our residents.

The Job Overview

We are looking for an extraordinary Youth Services Specialist who will work closely with our Chief Administrator, House Managers, Clinical Therapist, & Chief Operations Officer and show extreme ownership of taking one of our most disruptive innovations to unprecedented heights. You will be a major contributor to bringing our company's vision and strategy to life by obsessing over: client outcomes, operational excellence, youth services, treatment development and improvements, and organizational growth and well-being. Your primary goal will be to manage and increase positive youth productivity, behavior, efficiency, and outcomes. You will fulfill the day-to-day youth schedule of services in a fast-moving, innovation-rich, impact-driven environment. You will also advise the Chief Administrator, Chief Operations Officer, and Clinical Therapist on key youth behaviors as well as operational insights and growth opportunities. Youth Service Specialists will have cross-functional responsibilities and may be assigned to work at any LTAI program or home (Girls’ Home or Boys’ Home) based on agency needs. This includes supporting staffing coverage, assisting with crises, or ensuring operational continuity across locations.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

1. Have a high school diploma or G.E.D.

2, Must be able to successfully pass fingerprinting, abuse/neglect registry, pre-employment drug test and physical, driving record clearance process, and criminal background check.

3. Follow HIPAA guidelines and maintain confidentiality.

4. Must have a Michigan valid driver’s license (if you want to drive)

5. Reliable transportation and telephone.

6. Supervise and/or assist residents with hygiene, using the restroom, showering, eating, activities, doing their laundry, cleaning their bedrooms, completing chores, etc.

7. Transport residents to school, appointments, work, community service/volunteer projects, etc.

8. Prepare meals for residents

9. Responsible for verbally de-escalating and resolving conflict, anger, etc.

10. Complete checklist and deep cleaning/disinfecting throughout the home.

11. Distribute morning medication and or over-the-counter medication; signing medication logs during a medication pass is required

12. Enforce all company policies and rules.

13. Complete appropriate paperwork timely, efficiently, and accurately during your shift (i.e., incident reports, one-on-one reports, electronic communication log, etc.).

14. Must be able to sympathize with residents’ needs and feelings regardless of resident’s race, social, ethnic, and religious background

15. Must be patient, nurturing, and accepting of others.

16. Perform other duties as directed by Lead trainers and/or Supervisors.

17. Attend monthly mandatory staff meetings and trainings.

18. Possess strong positive leadership skills, conflict mediation skills, and positive decision-making skills.

19. CNA certification or experience preferred

20. Must be willing and able to work at multiple LTAI locations (Girls’ Home and Boys’ Home) as assigned, to ensure adequate staffing and support across programs.

Competencies:

§ Customer/Client Focus

§ Decision Making

§ Leadership

§ Ethical Conduct

§ Teamwork

§ Problem Solving/Critical Thinking

§ Strategic Thinking

§ Conflict Resolution

§ Collaborative

§ Integrity

§ Good moral character

§ High-level/Excellence in Service Delivery

§ Highly effective written and oral communication skills

§ Multi-tasking

§ Self-starter with the ability to work with minimal supervision is a must

§ Detail-oriented and able to work with and abide by state and organizational rules and policies

§ Professionalism/Excellent Professional Etiquette

§ Excellent organizational skills

§ Excellent computer and internet skills

§ Innovative

§ Passion for serving teenage youth

§ Relationship-Oriented

§ People-Centered

§ Purpose-Driven

Compensation:

§ Work-life Balance

• Vacation
• PTO
• Employee performance, Merit, & Retention increase based on the yearly performance of the organization.

Pay: $16.00 - $19.25 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $16 - $19