Direct Care Staff

About the Role

As a Direct Care Staff member, you will provide high-level care and supervision to youth in a residential program, ensuring their daily needs are met while fostering positive relationships and maintaining a safe, structured environment. This role requires a strategic and systems-thinking approach to behavioral interventions, problem-solving, and compliance with agency policies.

Qualifications

A Direct Care Staff member must meet one of the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in arts or science; or
• Valid Child Development Teaching Permit; or
• Completion of 12 semester hours in Early Childhood Education, Adolescent Development, or Foster and Kinship Care Education, plus at least 100 hours of experience working with youth; or
• Valid Alcohol and Drug Counselor certification with at least 100 hours of youth experience; or
• Vocational training or trade certification with at least 100 hours of experience mentoring, coaching, tutoring, counseling, or otherwise working with youth; or
• At least one year of employment or volunteer service in a Group Home, STRTP, or substance abuse treatment program; or
• Relevant lived experience in child welfare, mental health, or juvenile justice systems as a consumer, mentor, or caregiver, or other experience approved by CDSS.

In addition, Direct Care Staff must:

• Pass CCL, DOJ, and FBI background clearances.
• Hold a valid California driver's license.
• Be insurable under the agency's insurance policy.

Responsibilities

• Provide the daily needs of youth served in the residential program.
• Build positive relationships and rapport with youth from diverse backgrounds.
• Implement behavioral interventions and behavior management strategies.
• Communicate effectively and solve problems collaboratively.
• Provide parental-quality supervision and guidance to assigned youth.
• Maintain structure, consistency, and safety for each youth.
• Ensure the cleanliness, organization, and maintenance of the facility and surrounding grounds.
• Know and comply with all agency policies.
• Prevent youth from exchanging clothing or personal property without approval.

This role also requires acting as a strategic Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to address complex HR challenges, resolve Employee Relations cases, and align HR practices with long-term business goals. Key focus areas include:

• Providing strategic guidance on organizational design, talent management, compensation philosophy, and M&A integration.
• Analyzing Employee Relations cases using a structured, legal, and ethical framework to mitigate risk and uphold company values.
• Applying systems thinking to address HR issues as interconnected components of the organizational ecosystem (culture, processes, technology).
• Maintaining a forward-looking, strategic mindset to ensure alignment with business objectives.

Purpose and Goals

• Provide high-level, strategic guidance on HR challenges (e.g., organizational design, talent management, compensation philosophy, M&A integration).
• Analyze Employee Relations cases using a structured, legal, and ethical framework, recommending resolutions that mitigate risk and uphold company values.
• Apply systems thinking to view HR issues as interconnected parts of the larger organizational ecosystem.
• Maintain a strategic mindset to ensure all advice aligns with long-term business goals.

Compensation

$22.50 per hour.