RESIDENTIAL SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Description

By joining the San Diego Center for Children, you will be empowering children and families through transformative mental health care and educational services.  Our vision is to inspire a world where children and families live joyful, healthy lives.  We serve over 1,000 people every day - are you ready to make an impact?  

Join us - and work with purpose!  

SUMMARY

The Residential Support Specialist creates a safe, trauma informed, and therapeutic milieu for the emotional nurturing and healthy development of each youth at San Diego Center for Children.  Through a trauma informed lens, Residential Support Specialists are responsible for providing physical care, social and moral guidance, teaching skills, and role modeling for youth in residential care.  Residential Support Specialists work as part of the Residential multi-disciplinary team and are expected to collaborate with their unit team, clinical team, Residential departments, SDCC internal departments and programs, and external team members for youth in care. Residential Support Specialists shall assist in developing and implementing the treatment plan and for each youth.  Care can include physical holds of youth when necessary to prevent injury to the child or others.  Residential Support Specialists serve as a significant member of the treatment team.  They are encouraged to make responsible suggestions for the improvement of the agency. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

San Diego Center for Children may redeploy staff as needed to ensure operational needs are meet for the safety of our organization, youth and staff. For the purpose of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, SDCC may be required to modify work schedules, job duties/functions or assignments as needed with minimal to no notice. These assignments may include the direct care or the supervision, with appropriate protections, of a COVID-19 positive youth.    

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (Other duties may be assigned) 

• Accountable for the safety and whereabouts of youth in care by providing active supervision at all times. 

• Help youth increase pro-social behavior by teaching and encouraging self-control and emotional regulation through active problem solving, role modeling and practicing of pro-social interactions. 

• Completes and passes required training and certification programs, including Intervention Toolbox, principles of Trauma Informed Care, CPR/first aid, Safe Positive Approaches (S.P.A.), New Hire Orientation and Residential Counselor Training within allotted time frames. 

• Maintains certifications and trainings up to date as required by company policy. 

• Understanding and following youth’s personal rights guidelines at all times. 

• Interact with youth in a trauma informed manner which supports the development of therapeutic relationships at all times. 

• Always intervene with escalated and/or assaultive youth in a manner which ensures the dignity and self-respect of the youth, and consistent with agency policies, including SPA and Trauma Informed principles and procedures. 

• Instruct, supervise, and participate with youth on an ongoing basis throughout the shift. 

• Encourage youth to maintain the appearance and structure of the common environment and personal space according to each youth’s developmental ability.  Role model and maintain the structure of the common environment and personal space when needed. 

• Engages in professional conduct (role model behavior and appropriate boundaries) and abides by all San Diego Center for Children policies and procedures and employee handbook guidelines at all times. 

• Facilitation of and/or active participation in recreation groups, therapy groups, milieu groups, parent education groups and/or multifamily groups as assigned. 

• Ongoing communication with internal treatment team members regarding youth’s progress and goals.  Monthly written treatment team reports may be assigned. 

• Actively participate in all assigned staff meetings and trainings.  

• Maintain program structure, rules, routines, programming, boundaries, and youth and family rights at all times. 

• Acting as a youth advocate when appropriate or as assigned to an individual youth.  

• Become aware of each youth’s treatment plan and assist the youth in making progress toward those goals.  If a youth has additional individual plans, assist in implementation as directed. 

• Prepare, serve, and supervise meals and snacks when designated in accordance with any dietary restrictions given by nursing or dietary, and complete all required documentation. 

• Ensure San Diego Center for Children policies and procedures are always utilized in dispensing and monitoring effects of prescribed medication, including administration of PRN medication when deemed necessary and clinically appropriate, under the supervision of the Nurse Manager, nursing staff, or designee. 

• Always follow San Diego Center for Children’s vehicle safety policy and procedures when driving. 

• Responsible at all times for clear and concise documentation of progress in treatment through the timely completion of assigned documentation (e.g. daily communication logs, progress notes, treatment team reports, specialized behavioral plans, serious incident reports, attendance sheets, logs, etc.). 

• Follow all protocols and policy in relation to spending funds if assigned. 

• Accept assignments to work as a Counselor in various programs (e.g. school programs) as assigned. 

• San Diego Center for Children may redeploy staff as needed to ensure operational needs are meet for the safety of our organization, youth and staff. For the purpose of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, SDCC may be required to modify work schedules, job duties/functions or assignments as needed with minimal to no notice. These assignments may include the direct care or the supervision, with appropriate protections, of a COVID-19 positive youth.   

• Maintain a safe work environment for youth and staff 

• Perform special projects, assignments and other related duties as required. 

• Immediately reports any unsafe acts, conditions or accidents in their department and or organization to immediate supervisor.  

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret treatment plans, individualized behavioral modification plans, school records, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from caregivers, regulatory agencies, or members of the community. Ability to effectively present information to management and public groups. 

REASONING ABILITY 

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret and extensive variety of instructions and deal with several abstracts and concrete variables. 

ON THE JOB MANDATORY ONGOING TRAINING  

• Residential Counselor Training  

• Intervention Toolbox 

• CPR and First Aid Certification 

• S.P.A. Certification  

• False Claims 

• HIPAA 

• Safety  

• Trauma Informed Care 

• Annual Block Trainings as assigned   

PHYSICAL DEMANDS   

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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and talk and hear.  The employee frequently is required to run, walk, sit and drive a vehicle.  The employee must be able to move and/or lift a child when clinically necessary, and must be able to follow a child that AWOLs in a walking or running pace.  Applying SPA restraint techniques can involve lifting the child, holding the child down in a standing, sitting or ground level manner, as well separating clients who are acting in an unsafe manner to ensure the safety for the clients and staff.  Due to the emotional instability of the clients the employee may be subjected to kicking, hitting, punching, biting, hair pulling, etc.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT   

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.   

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

The San Diego Center for Children is committed to:

• Actively recruiting, retaining, and supporting diverse staff at all levels of the organization
• Ensuring that diverse perspectives are included in the development and implementation of policies, practices and services and that individuals feel empowered to advance our mission within an atmosphere of trust, safety, and respect
• Encourage and provide access to professional development in order to deliver equitable and culturally informed services to the population we serve.

Qualifications

ABOUT YOU:

The ideal candidate will be patient and understanding, excellent communicators and active listeners, creative and resourceful, culturally competent and team players.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 21 years of age

• High school diploma or higher education

• Any criminal history addressed before hiring process

• Able to pass a drug screen (this excludes THC), TB test and a physical - we are a "hands-on" facility, and all staff are trained to provide physical holds if our youth become unsafe toward themselves or others

• Experience working with youth which is listed on your resume 

• Able to attend new-hire and ongoing trainings which are held on various days Monday-Friday (most are 11a-6p)

• Understand you may be asked to work with Covid positive youth (with appropriate protections)

• This position requires physical stamina and agility. All residential staff are trained in Safe and Positive Approaches - a 2 day course on how to safely initiate a physical hold with a youth presenting as a danger to themselves or others. Techniques will include: bending to/from the ground, prolonged standing, running, evading, and transitioning youth from a standing to seated position. It is recommended that candidates can support up to 50 pounds.

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS 

• Bachelor’s Degree (BA or BS) from a four year college or university

• 4 years related residential treatment care or special education experience

• Experience working with severe emotionally disturbed clients in a group home setting  

TOTAL REWARDS PACKAGE:

• Health Insurance (medical, dental, vision)
• Retirement savings plan: 403(b) - with employer match up to 3%
• Paid time off (vacation, sick leave, holidays)
• Flexible work schedules
• Wellness programs
• EAP - Employee Assistance Program
• Professional Development and training opportunities
• Tuition reimbursement or assistance for continuing education
• Employee discounts
• Employee recognition program
• Opportunities for career advancement

Salary : $20 - $21