Alternate Teaching Parent

Job Title: Alternate Teaching Parent

**Summary:**
This role involves teaching youth a curriculum of skills in social, self-help, independent living, maintenance, and academic areas. The Alternate Teaching Parent provides moral, spiritual, and physical training and guidance to the youth assigned to their home.

Responsibilities:

• Teach youth a curriculum of skills in social, self-help, independent living, maintenance, and academic areas
• Provide moral, spiritual, and physical training and guidance to the youth assigned to their home
• Assist with the provision of academic assistance to youth and work closely with the public-school system
• Provide coverage and program continuity of the youth home during the Teaching Parents' time off duty as specified in the youth home staff scheduling procedures
• Assist with the development of a normalized home environment that encourages the building of close family relationships among the youth and provides a naturalized family living experience
• Assist with the provision of counseling, concern, direction, assistance, and support that would normally be received from a parent
• Assist with the implementation of an individualized plan of care for each youth
• Work closely with the youth's parents, teachers, social workers, and significant others to ensure the definition and implementation of a proper and effective program of youth care to assist each youth in achieving to his/her maximum potential
• Work closely with the Teaching Parents and the Program Consultant to ensure efficient home coverage and mutually satisfying working relationships
• Under the direction and supervision of the Teaching Parents, expend money for youth home operation. Maintain a fiscal record as directed and in accordance with sound business practice.
• Remain informed about local, state, and federal standards and regulations pertaining to the provision of services to children and their families
• If the Alternate Teaching Parent holds an appropriate four-year degree and has had the training, he/she may assist the Teaching Parents in providing the following functions under the "Social Services" section of Standards for Child Caring Institutions: admission of children to the home; residential services for children and their families; discharge of children from the home and maintenance of case records
• Establish and maintain contact with program referral sources by making personal visits and other contact to agencies and others within a service area
• Assist in the interpretation of the home's philosophy and programs to individuals and groups, agencies, and the "community at large" within a service area
• Shall be trained regarding trauma-informed care and crisis management
• Assist with preparation for home licensure
• Take advantage of in-service training and professional growth opportunities
• Work closely with the assigned Teaching Parent and their Program Consultant to develop and implement all areas of care to the youth in the home
• Seek consultation and provide detailed information regarding all significant issues affecting youth in care
• Cooperate in scheduling consultation/supervision visits to the home
• Seek out, respond positively to, and implement suggestions and feedback from supervisors
• Provide and maintain requested information and program records
• Teach and assist youth in maintenance activities occurring in and around the youth home, including activities such as yard care, interior cleaning, vehicle cleaning and maintenance
• Perform related duties as requested by the Teaching Parents or Program Consultant

Requirements:

• A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited university in human services or education field preferred, but high school diploma or equivalent required
• Experience working with children or other population with special needs preferred
• The ability to take advantage of extensive training and to apply that training to the implementation of a comprehensive program of care for children
• Possess or able to obtain a valid Arkansas Driver's License and is insurable to operate company vehicles
• Physically capable of restraining youth if said youth are a danger to themselves or others
• Physically capable of performing various maintenance tasks
• Requires the ability to sit and stand for long periods of time and intermittently walk, stand, stoop, kneel, crouch and reach with hands and arms
• Requires the strength and stamina to perform clinical duties
• Must be physically capable to receive verbal and written directions
• Must be physically capable of sitting and standing for several hours at a time
• Must have good auditory, visual and olfactory ability
• Ability to use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools or controls
• Must be able to maintain effective audio, visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading and writing, and operating office equipment and other treatment equipment
• Must be able to use a telephone to communicate verbally and a computer to communicate through written means, to review information and enter/retrieve data, to see and read characters on a computer screen, chart or other treatment items
• Must be willing and able to work with all patients of Methodist Family Health

Notes:

• Methodist Family Health (MFH) requires its employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to CMS regulation 86 FR 61555, with exceptions only as required by law
• Flu shot is mandatory and required for all positions (subject to qualified exemptions)