Direct Care Staff AM-6:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. - St. PJ's Children's Home

Location: 919 Mission Road, San Antonio, TX 78210

Mission: The Mission of St. PJ's Children's Home is to be a safe and loving refuge for children in crisis and to accompany them on their journey to healing and wholeness, breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect one child at a time.

About the role

The Direct Care Staff is responsible for the daily care and supervision of children in the emergency shelter; ensuring their health, safety and well-being are protected.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining a nurturing, therapeutic and safe environment by:
  • Establishing a consistent daily routine.
  • Providing appropriate supervision at all times; monitoring environment and mass media (movies, TV, radio, written materials) for appropriate content.
  • Assigning age-appropriate chores.
  • Planning and executing appropriate activities to decrease boredom and restlessness.
  • Requesting necessary supplies for special occasions and/or special activities.
  • Maintaining living areas in a reasonable state of cleanliness and good order.
  • Maintaining adequate supplies for cleaning and other dorm-related items.
• Providing for the children’s physical needs by:
  • Obtaining and helping children maintain clean, adequate, appropriate and nice clothing and other personal items.
  • Recognizing signs and symptoms of illness, treating minor ailments and seeking appropriate guidance from the shelter supervisor.
  • Filling prescriptions as needed; administering medications as prescribed by child’s physician and monitoring for side effects.
  • Teaching children personal grooming habits and nutritional values.
  • Submitting prompt, accurate documents such as serious incident reports, daily logs, accident reports, restraint reports, etc.
  • Submitting repair requests in a timely manner.
  • Transporting children when necessary.
• Counseling, teaching and guiding children by:
  • Establishing a trusting relationship with mutual respect.
  • Listening to children with compassion and concern.
  • Using praise and encouragement for positive behavior and consequences (natural or imposed) for inappropriate behavior.
  • Providing support and affection for a child when needed.
  • Challenging each child through innovative techniques to achieve their maximum potential and develop inner strength.
  • Being actively involved in each child’s education.
  • Being a positive leader in the shelter, at St. PJ’s and in the community.
  • Displaying appropriate boundaries and role modeling of adult interactions.
  • Providing and developing enrichment activities.
• Positively interacting with parents, caseworkers, teachers, therapists and other team members by:
  • Recognizing that children need to feel they are a part of a family, peer group and the community.
  • Avoiding criticism of children’s families and friends.
  • Using good judgment in monitoring visits so as not to disrupt children’s activities and/or routine.
  • Knowing when to refer questions and situations to the shelter supervisor and/or administrator.
• Being a member of the child’s team by:
  • Offering opinions and suggestions in a professional manner.
  • Assisting the shelter supervisor and team leader in logistical and administrative duties related to the shelter.
  • Ensuring compliance with Therapeutic Intervention Plan (TIP).
  • Actively participating in all quality assurance activities as well as team meetings, to ensure quality care and accurate and informed services by all team members.
  • Ensuring that all mandatory trainings required of the employee remain current.
• Additional duties:
  • Must be sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
  • Adhering to safety training and protocols on a daily basis and taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety and well-being of self and others.
  • Responsible for protecting the confidentiality of any information or material obtained in the service with the organization.
  • Adherence to the Code of Conduct and the Faith and Moral Policy is mandatory.
  • Taking a solution-oriented approach in interactions and undertakings, promoting collaboration and commitment to the Mission and Vision of the organization.
  • Attendance and successful completion of a 10-day New Employee Orientation is mandated for the position.
  • Other duties as assigned by Shelter Supervisor, Senior Director of Emergency Services and Program Director.

Skills

• De-escalation
• Interpersonal Awareness
• Solution Oriented
• Critical Thinking
• Teamwork

Requirements

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum of 1 year of childcare experience preferred.
• Must be 21 years of age or older.
• Reliable transportation, valid driver license, and valid vehicle insurance.
• Submit to a state and federal background check, Child abuse and neglect registry check, and Tuberculosis screening.
• Be physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of performing assigned tasks and have the skills necessary to perform essential duties and responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Computer literate with working knowledge of Microsoft Windows (Microsoft Word, Excel) and a variety of online database systems, managing files and records, designing forms and other office procedures and terminology.
• Strong analytical and organization skills and abilities.
• Must be able to read and interpret policy, procedures, and standards.
• Must be detail-oriented, organized, self-motivated, work well independently and on a team.
• Must have good written and verbal skills.
• Must have good critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Must be able to remain calm and composed in crisis situations.

Travel Requirements

Travel requirements for the position include 50% local and 0% overnight.

Physical Requirements

The position requires the following physical demands in the frequency noted:

• Lifting up to 50 pounds: Frequently
• Reach above shoulder height: Frequently
• Sitting: Occasionally
• Reach below shoulder height: Frequently
• Walking: Constantly
• Driving: Constantly
• Running: Frequently
• Stooping: Constantly
• Standing: Constantly
• Pushing: Frequently
• Bending waist (forward or sideways): Constantly
• Pulling: Frequently
• Balancing: Frequently
• Talking: Constantly
• Squatting: Frequently
• Hearing: Constantly
• Climbing: Occasionally
• Crawling: Occasionally
• Repetitive motions: Frequently

Pay

$16.00 per hour

Schedule

Work Hours: 6:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (varies)

This is a Grant funded position and salary is dependent on funding availability. Position can be eliminated at any time because of lack of funding to support this position.