Youth Care Professional I

Job Summary

The Youth Care Professional I supports the day-to-day functioning of residents and delivers relationship-based, competence centered, and trauma informed solutions to youth and families to help them reach their full potential. The Youth Care Professional I supports the day to day functioning of the residents by helping to create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth and safety.

Essential Job functions

• Engage youth and families in trust-based, productive relationships to help them prepare for transitions, interact in the community, and promote respect and independence.
• Maintain vigilance and ratio to ensure safety of residents in accordance with agency and funder requirements.
• Provide support services such as mentoring, emotional support, life skills training, and personal care to children.
• Execute after school and weekend activities. Accompany children on outings; transport youth to and from home time and appointments.
• Complete and maintain documentation in medical record system and daily logs to meet program requirements.
• Supervise residents through trauma-informed approaches according to established program standards.
• Respond appropriately to resident emergency and safety issues/situations, in compliance with agency and regulatory mandated reporting protocols. 
• Apply appropriate emergency techniques such as Heart saver as needed.
• Recognize dysregulated youth behavior and effectively apply the continuum of crisis prevention and intervention through verbal and non-verbal de-escalation skills to reduce risk. This may include the use of protective interventions and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) approved physical restraints.
• Build professional relationships that support the individual development and success of residents; foster a safe, caring and supportive environment that promotes growth, skill development, and positive outcomes for residents.
• While this job description covers many aspects of the role, employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• High School Diploma or GED required

Special Requirements

• CPR certification required or obtained within 60 days of hire.
• Unrestricted, valid NYS driver’s license for minimum of 1 year with a clean driving record and minimum insurance coverage that meets agency standards preferred. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

In addition to demonstrating the Hillside Professional Competencies of Communicates Effectively, Personal Excellence, Cultural Competence, Builds and Leverages Relationships and Optimizes Decision Making, the following occupational competencies must be demonstrated:

• Demonstrate the emotional competence and good judgment required to build productive, engaged children, youth, staff and family relationships while implementing required rules, expectations and routines.
• Ability to complete all required documentation in timely fashion according to established policies and regulations.  This is an essential function in order to facilitate the efficient and effective flow of information necessary for the program to be effectively managed and outcomes optimized.
• Ability to recognize and address escalating and dysregulated youth behavior and utilizing training provided in behavior management and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) including the use of physical interventions (holds).
• Demonstrate problem-solving and conflict resolution skills with self and others.
• Consistently meet the highest standard for ethical and professional conduct towards all.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to work a variable scheduling including evenings and weekends
• The following physical demands are required:
  • Occasional sitting (up to 4 hours)
  • Occasional standing (up to 2 hours)
  • Occasional walking (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Occasional driving (up to 8 hours)
  • Continuous balancing (up to 8 hours)
  • Occasional balancing, bending, stooping, climbing, kneeling, pushing, pulling, reaching forward or down, reaching overhead, running, and twisting (up to 2.5 hours)
  • Weekly lifting up to 50 lbs. (community-based staff may be required to lift an empty wheelchair weighing up to 50 lbs.), 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis
  • Weekly carrying up to 55 lbs. approximately 10-100 ft., 10-15 lbs. on a daily basis
• Manual dexterity is required, including the frequent ability to grasp in both hands and continuous use of fine manipulation skills in both hands (approximately 1-2.5 hrs.)
• Occasional exposure to dust, fumes, gases or chemicals is apparent. 
• Protective clothing or equipment as required: Close toed shoes; Protective Shields, Universal Precaution PPE, Gloves for toileting and food preparation
• Ability to change positions as needed

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

May be required to physically restrain clients weighing between 50 lbs. and 300 lbs. and guide them safely to the floor. In some circumstances, restraints can last up to 15 minutes and may require repetition as necessary.