Lead Youth Care Worker

Job Summary:

The Lead Youth Care Worker is primarily responsible for providing leadership by example for the care and supervision of youth residents at the Sacred Heart Center Child Services program in all facets (including physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being) of their daily lives. The Lead Youth Care Worker is the lead direct care staff when on shift and is responsible for the YCW team implementing assigned treatment services, maintaining accurate documentation of services, and ensuring that the daily routine of the facility is upheld.

Job Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Participate in program activities, staff meetings, outside agency meetings, and training regularly as directed by their supervisor.
2. Maintain client and SHC personnel confidentiality.
3. Responsible for daily leadership for front-line YCWs engaged with youth residents and maintaining ratios according to policies and procedures.
4. Responsible for assisting in assuring that all client needs are directly met. Provides first-level leadership and communication with clients in a non-judgmental, caring but firm, manner.
5. Assist in planning and implementing daily program schedules, in addition to organizing and carrying out activities with clients throughout scheduled shifts.
6. Maintain professional boundaries with clients and demonstrate/ensure that healthy staff-to-client working relationships are maintained.
7. Maintaining courteous and professional relationships with supervisors, co-workers, clients, client family members, placing agency staff, and referral agency staff.
8. Responsible for providing leadership in crisis situations; professionally and following agency policies and procedures related to emergencies.
9. Daily implementation of, and adherence, to assigned treatment plan services for each client.
10. Supervise client family visits and other contact as assigned.
11. Schedule and assist with transporting clients to appointments, school, activities, etc.
12. Assist in admittance and discharge procedures of clients.
13. Daily maintaining complete and accurate records, incident reports, daily staff logs/vehicle logs, and reading assigned logs daily. Answering and logging all telephone calls professionally.
14. Ensure that bedroom checks, self-harm checks, drug tests, etc. are completed per program procedures.
15. Educate clients on emergency safety procedures including but not limited to, fire and tornado drills.
16. Must understand and adhere to SHC policy and procedure for documenting and reporting any suspected child abuse or neglect as all members of the Sacred Heart Center staff are considered Mandated Reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by law.
17. Responsible for ensuring daily care of the facility and keeping it clean and in order with the help of the clients and YCWs.
18. Assisting in meal preparation on weekends and when necessary.
19. Regularly works 40 hours per week, but may work overtime as required, to meet the needs of SHC and its mission.
20. Provides other services and work duties as needed to meet the needs of the Sacred Heart Center and its ability to carry out its mission.

Supervision:

1. Supervision Received:

This position is directly supervised by the YCW Supervisor and indirectly by the Client Services Manager and Director of CS.

1. Supervision Provided:

This position is a non-supervisory position, however, it will provide regular leadership for front-line staff and shift workers.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Education and Experience:

• Minimum of High School diploma or GED is required.
• A degree in Social Work or related field preferred
• 1-2 years of work as a Youth Care Worker or direct care staff is required.
• Must be at least 21 years old.
• Knowledge of the cultural and social patterns of the population we serve.

1. Skills & Abilities:

• Must work well with persons of varied, racial, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, and sexual preferences, and with differently-abled individuals.
• Basic computer skills with the ability to use various Microsoft Office Applications
• Must have above-average written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to successfully complete various training requirements as assigned.

1. Additional Requirements:

• Possess a valid South Dakota Driver’s License
• Be able to safely operate a motor vehicle.
• Successfully pass pre-employment Drug Screen
• Be able to successfully pass a Request to Screen for Child Abuse/Neglect from the Department of Social Services
• Successfully pass Criminal Background Check. The following may disqualify any applicant from consideration:
• Any felony conviction
• Any domestic violence violations, convictions, or restraints.
• Any violations, convictions, or restraints for actions made against children or vulnerable adults.
• Any false, untrue statements or material omissions in the application and related paperwork or during the selection process.

Physical Conditions:

1. Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Will work primarily in an office environment with controlled temperature and noise level.
• Occasionally, employees will work outside in varying temperatures, and use company vehicles in various road and weather conditions.
• May be exposed to unknown physical, medical, emotional, or mental conditions of clients.
• Must be willing to work flexible hours and rotating shifts, including regular weekend, evening, or night shifts as required to meet the workload and client levels.

1. Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Ability to pass Safe Crisis Management and Ukeru training
• Must have a current certificate or successfully complete CPR and First Aid training within the first two months of employment.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.
• The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms.
• The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds with assistance.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
• The ability to remain alert to the surroundings and soundly make quick decisions to maintain the safety of staff and clients.
• Sitting or standing for extended periods up to or exceeding 8 hours per day.

EEO Statement:

“The Sacred Heart Center, Inc. of South Dakota believes that all individuals are entitled to equal employment opportunities and shall provide equal opportunity employment to all employees and applicants. No person shall be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or any other nonperformance factors. It is the position of Sacred Heart Center that employment decisions be based on qualifications for the job and the ability to satisfy requirements established for each position that are reasonable and necessary.”

Native American/Alaskan Native Preference:

“The Sacred Heart Center, Inc. of South Dakota, located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation and primarily providing services to Native and Indigenous peoples and communities within the boundaries of the Reservation, strives to provide Native American hiring preference whenever possible. In compliance with federal law and to best serve our clients, Sacred Heart Center will provide a hiring preference, whenever reasonably appropriate, to Native American/Alaskan Native applicants who meet the minimum qualification of the job, the best interest of our clients, and company mission."