Youth Support Specialist - Direct Support Professional

The Youth Support Specialist (YSS) is responsible for a maintaining a safe and secure environment by monitoring premises, supervising residents, preventing, and identifying potential risks, completing appropriate documentation, and ensuring the rights and dignity of each resident are maintained at all times. It is essential to this position that all YSS’s are providing consistency, are communicating with team members, and are ensuring the holistic needs of each resident are being met at all times. The YSS is responsible for providing support, positive direction, and assistance in accordance with program policies and procedures and personal outcome measures. It is imperative that YSS staff provide encouragement, mentoring, positive role modeling, coaching, and guidance to youth/residents at all times during their work/shift. The YSS position is essential to the daily functioning of the agency and is an essential component of the positive interactions with youth/children in relation to the agency. Compliance with the agency’s philosophies including but not limited to Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) is essential to this position. The Youth Support Specialist adheres to the agency’s Trauma Informed Care Model of Care (TIC).

Essential Position Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate knowledge and support for the agency mission and values.
• Ability to build, role model, and demonstrate rapport with youth based on healthy boundaries, effective communication and mutual respect.
• Model and demonstrate the ability to effectively work with individuals from a diverse array of cultural backgrounds, beliefs, customs, and lifestyles.
• Model and demonstrate sensitivity, fair treatment, compassion, patience, courtesy, and active listening in all interpersonal interactions.
• Establish, role model, and maintain professional and appropriate behaviors and boundaries in all interactions with co-workers, outside professionals, families, and youth/children.
• Develop nurturing, trusting, and engaging developmental relationships with each resident/child to assist them in meeting their daily goals and expectations.
• Record observations, information, and insight, including shift updates; communicate any concerns related to safety and/or imminent risk to supervisor and co-workers.
• Continually demonstrate the emotional confidence and good judgment required to build productive developmental relationships with youth and families, while implementing required rules and routines.
• Create and maintain an atmosphere that is beneficial to the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of each individual maintaining each youth’s/child’s dignity and self-respect.
• Develop and maintain therapeutic developmental relationships with youth that are responsive to their needs through role modeling. Utilize Trauma-Informed Care approaches in daily work with youth and co-workers.
• Respond to youth’s needs; promote the growth of supportive relationships, and positively role model appropriate communication skills between youth/child and peers within the program.
• Proactively maintain current knowledge of the youth’s emotional, behavior, and medical status and works collaboratively with, and communicate daily with all members of the team.
• Actively engage with youth in therapeutic and daily activities.
• Plan and supervise activities to promote social, vocational, and cultural needs, supporting various interests of each youth in such planning.
• Consistently utilize and role model appropriate interactions, techniques of behavior management and crisis interventions as indicated in TCI guidelines; implement strategies to deescalate behaviors (i.e., conflict resolution, discussion, behavior support techniques) and manage crisis situations.
• Follow all policies, procedures, and documentation requirements related to medication management and make certain appropriate documentation is completed.
• Read and complete all necessary documentation (i.e., shift notes, communication logs, Incident/AWOL reports) and communicate all essential youth-related information to team members in an accurate, thorough, and timely manner.
• Provide youth with effective hands-on life-skills trainings essential for preparing youth to gain more independence.
• Direct youth in matters of personal conduct, hygiene, appearance, social skills, school, routines, and work habits. Foster the physical, spiritual, and emotional needs of each youth.
• Work diligently to build competencies related to parenting, self-sufficiency, and interpersonal skills.
• Teach, model, and mentor youth in matters of appropriate parenting and communication skills, which recognize the youth’s strengths while supporting their unique capacities and enhancing their confidence and self-advocacy.
• Responsible for managing individual and/or group dynamics. Proactively prevent or manage a crisis situation in a therapeutic manner, using crisis prevention principles and techniques and assuring the safety of each youth.
• · Support the individuals to live in a home that is safe, clean, and comfortable.
• Cleaning duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Inform visitors and guests of the policies and procedures of Homespace.
• Comply with all safety plans, including orders of protection.
• Utilize on-call system appropriately.
• Promote and assist in independent activities of daily living. Complete required documentation.
• Interact with youth/children to always maintain their dignity and self-respect.
• Provide transportation to meet resident and programmatic needs.
• Support resident educational/vocational goals in any manner possible including providing direct supervision/childcare of their children in order to succeed.
• If assigned, responsible for accurate and appropriate documentation is the New York State CONNECTIONS System and Accumedic.
• All required/requested documentation must be on-time, clear and accurate.
• Attend and participate in all staff meetings, team meetings, and Essential Staff Enrichment Nights.
• All staff must participate in all OCFS mandatory trainings, agency mandated trainings, initial and annual/bi-annual, please see Training and Development Policy.
• This is a position that will be mandated to stay as needed.

Quality Assurance:

• Comply with federal, state, and local legal requirements related to resident population and operations.
• Work with state reviews, expectations, codes, and follow up.
• Monitor and ensure appropriate and timely documentation is completed.
• Ensure the supervision, safety, and comprehensive well-being of each youth/child in the program at all times.
• Ensure a safe and secure environment 100% of the time.
• Cooperate to resolve conflict by using appropriate responses to the situation.
• Attend and participate in all staff meetings and scheduled trainings deemed necessary for the position and Participate in all trainings deemed necessary for the position, and all mandatory training such as TCI, TCI Refreshers, American Red Cross CPR/First Aid, and utilize skill set consistently throughout the duration of employment (i.e. TCI).
• Contribute to agency effectiveness by working cooperatively with other team members.
• Adhere to all aspects of the Homespace Employee Handbook.
• Adhere to all aspects of the Group Living Standards procedure manual.
• Assist in furthering the mission, policies, and procedures of Homespace as a whole.
• Perform all other duties as assigned by the Clinical Supervisor, Assistant Youth Support Specialist Supervisor, Director of Services and/or Executive Director.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma plus one (1) year paid experience working in the human services field. Associates degree preferred.
• Valid New York State driver’s license and an ability to transport.
• If driving one’s own vehicle, must maintain valid inspection and automobile insurance.
• Must provide proof of insurance upon hire and when requested.
• Must maintain active NYS Defensive Driving class every 3 years, upon expiration
• Ability to carry, lift, or hoist heavier objects at times, including children. Must have mobility enough to regularly climb at least one flight of stairs, utilizing multiple levels.
• Evidence of commitment, sensitivity, and flexibility in working with adolescent.
• State mandated background checks to include the following: Clearances through the NYS Central Register, the NYS Sex Offender Registry, NYS Justice Center Staff Exclusion List, fingerprinting, and criminal history check from IndentoGo, NYS OMIG Medicaid Exclusion List, monthly Medicaid Exclusions database check and the SS Death Master Check.
• Completion of a work physical upon hire and yearly thereafter.
• Other qualifications as deemed necessary by the Clinical Supervisor, Director of Services and/or Executive Director.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $17.50 - $18.50 per hour

Expected hours: 8 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• Employee assistance program
• Paid orientation
• Paid sick time
• Paid training

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Holidays
• Overnight shift
• Weekends as needed

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: In person

Salary : $18 - $19