PT - Residence Worker, Youth and Child (Aurora House)

ROLE PURPOSE

This role will contribute to the establishment and operation of a Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD) funded program for youth and children who require full-time specialized care due to multiple psychiatric diagnoses, developmental disabilities, and complex behaviours. The Residence Worker will build relationships with resident(s) and families, and assist residents to live successfully in the residence, ensuring that residents’ physical, emotional, social, educational, and medical needs are met. They will work alongside other staff to assist residents with activities of daily living and the development of life skills.

STATUS AND CLASSIFICATION

Unionized; this position will require union membership. It is open to all genders.

HOURS (32 HOURS PER WEEK)

Sunday - Wednesday; 0800-1600

REPORTING AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Reports and is accountable to the Program Manager of the facility or their designate
• Participates actively in house, staff, and staff/resident meetings
• Participates as a member of the Connective staff team
• Liaises with outside professionals from other agencies or government bodies as required

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Programs

• Under the general guidance of the Program Manager, assumes a primary or key worker role with assigned resident(s)
• Interviews resident(s) and family to prepare care plans and background information for which confidentiality is required
• Provides input to the Program Manager and/or other staff regarding the development of appropriate care plans to achieve the resident’s objectives
• Uses professional judgement to ascertain and to apply appropriate intervention techniques with residents in crisis
• Meets with each resident and family on a routine basis to discuss progress and plan future interventions
• Assists the Program Manager and/or other staff in the identification of potential problems and reports any difficulties
• When assigned, participates in social, recreational, educational, and other programs as appropriate to assist the resident’s case/care plan
• Assists resident(s) with life-skills, self-management of physical and emotional health, activities of daily living
• Contributes to the evaluation of the resident’s progress and makes both written and oral reports to be available to the remainder of the staff team
• Acts as an on-site advocate for each resident
• Provides emotional support and feedback to residents and their families
• As appropriate, supports residents towards integration and healthy functioning within the community
• Acts as a positive role model for clients, providing life skills training and behaviour management as appropriate
• Administers and monitors client medication
• As necessary, provides transportation and assists residents to attend appointments
• With other residence staff, plans, develops, and delivers in-house programs to address the needs of the residents
• Develops and maintains an in-house resource area containing current information/brochures of programs and services which are available to residents
• Follows all relevant Connective and Ministry of Child and Family Development policies, procedures and guidelines

Community

• Identifies social, economic, recreational, employment, and educational services in the community that will meet the needs of the client
• Collaborates with multidisciplinary team and consulting with team psychologist and psychiatrists to develop, implement, maintain, and adjust individualized treatment plans
• Participates constructively and appropriately in short and long-term planning for the clients of mental health programs
• Maintains effective liaison with other agencies, professionals, government officials and the community in order to contribute to the success of the case/care plan of the resident

Residential

• Supervises the activities of the residence, its residents, and volunteers while on shift including maintaining case notes and the logbook
• Along with the other residence staff, monitors and ensures effective operation of the facility including quality control concerning cleaning equipment, indoor and outdoor maintenance, inventory and food services
• Provides input into meal scheduling and preparation, including food inventory
• Ensures the security of the residence
• As assigned, is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining housekeeping areas and the upkeep of the facility both inside and outside; involves the residents in this process when deemed appropriate
• As assigned, is responsible for the weekly grocery shopping for the residence
• As assigned, assists with the details of the operation of the facility, including but not limited to administrative support
• As assigned, organizes and oversees the preparation of meals and involves the residents in this process
• As necessary, accepts responsibility of being on-call and carrying the residence pager
• As required, accompanies residents to appointments and community outings

Other

• Participates in staff and resident/staff meetings
• Assists with the orientation and training of new staff and volunteers
• Other duties may be assigned from time to time

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Diploma, preferably in behavioural sciences, social work, human services, psychology, child & youth care, community social services or equivalent with one-year related experience
• Experience working with children and youth with multiple diagnoses such as FASD, ADHD, trauma, and complex behavioral challenges
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience working with Autism OR an educational background in ABA
• Experience delivering trauma informed care practices and supports
• Experience supporting children and youth who may have significant developmental delays, intellectual, emotional, and social challenges, and multi-barriered families
• Ability to work with challenging and aggressive behaviours calmly and effectively
• Ability to work effectively in the conditions of a specialized home environment that may include handling aggressive clients, body fluids and/or other undesirable situations
• Ability to provide support to children and youth in self-cleaning, hygiene, and daily life-skills
• Knowledge of theory, principles, and practices in the fields related to the residence
• Ability to manage time efficiently, high level of accuracy, and attention to detail
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and professional working relationships with families, other team members, clients, partners and stakeholders
• Strong communication skills (listening, verbal and written)

REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to successfully complete a Children and Vulnerable Persons Criminal Records and Ministry of Child and Family Development Clearance check
• Ability to successfully pass a reference check
• Current Emergency First Aid Certificate (please refer to the Certificates accepted in B.C. - WorkSafeBC)
• Proof of vaccination for communicable diseases may be required as mandated by Government, Health Authority, and/or funder requirements
• Valid class 5 driver’s license
• Personal transportation that is in good repair, insured for business up to $1,000,000 for liability, and which can be used to transport residents

COMPENSATION

As Connective is a unionized environment, the starting wage is $27.54 to $31.61 per hour.