Direct Support Professional I - Childrens Congregate Care

Overview

The Residential Counselor provides direct care to youth in one of YOU, Inc.’s 24-hour/7-day-a-week acute or congregate care settings. Essential employees who may be mandated to work beyond their scheduled shifts.

Responsibilities

• Insure the safety and supervision of youth through watching and engaging therapeutically with youth.
  • Mitigate safety risks in the milieu.
  • Report issues of immediate concern to the Shift Supervisor, or the next level manager.
• Cultivate a therapeutic milieu.
  • Role model and promote client’s social growth and connection.
  • Build social skills.
  • Emotional expression and learning self-regulation.
  • Positive behavior.
  • Improvement in overall functioning.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries while developing supportive professional relationships with youth.
  • Physical boundaries: always maintain appropriate physical boundaries with clients.
  • Emotional boundaries: be aware that our clients have trauma histories.
  • Logistical boundaries: always double-check client’s report of permissions granted.
  • Informational/privacy: always protect client confidentiality and understand HIPAA.
  • Staff-to-staff boundaries: be collegial and professional with your coworkers and ensure you are always in ratio.
  • Staff-to-providers/caregivers: introduce yourself and be warm and professional to all other coworkers, visitors, and family members.
• Participate in the upkeep and cleanliness of the facility.
  • Proactive about daily upkeep of the unit/program.
  • Model and assist youth in completing chores.
  • Ensure programmatic room checks, house chores, youth chores, etc. are completed.
  • Support youth to do laundry.
  • Support in meal preparation (as needed/required).
• Document client care as directed.
  • Reviewing and/or being familiar with client’s reason for intake and treatment plans.
  • Completing “shift notes” (all shifts at Wetzel, STARR, and Teen Parent Programs, and third shift at Oxford and Grafton House).
  • Complete “Rehab option notes” after first and second shifts at Oxford and Grafton House, or if rehabilitation services occur at night.
  • Completing shift logs after each shift.
  • Documentation of medication administration.
  • Being aware of safety plans and any special programming (meal charts, sleep charts, etc.).
  • Completing incident reports as instructed or as needed.
• Uphold client confidentiality and maintain HIPAA requirements.
• Understand program/agency policies and procedures, which includes maintaining up-to-date certification in:
  • CPI/De-escalation and Physical Management.
  • First Aid, CPR, and use of Universal Precaution.
  • Medication Management and/or MAP.
  • Van Safety/Drivers Safety.
• Be a reliable and positive team member, which includes arriving on time to and prepared for all shifts, attending all required meetings and supervisions, bringing concerns directly to a supervisor, and viewing clients in a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally-responsive manner.
• In the therapeutic milieu it is important to try to prevent crisis through intervention. These crisis prevention interventions should follow the approved agency behavior management model (CPI) and should focus on verbally deescalating the crisis situation, and only if necessary, utilize agency physical management interventions.

Qualifications

• Experience with youth required. Group experience with youth, preferred.
• Ability to compose oneself with professionalism, ethical practice, and compassionate regard for consumers/clients.
• Proof of a valid driver’s license, acceptable driving record, and personal transportation to fulfill essential job functions is required.
• As per Massachusetts state law, driving under the influence of any substance is against the law, prohibited, and may be grounds for immediate termination.
• Ability to adhere to agency ethical standards, and agency confidentiality and privacy practices.
• Ability to build rapport and work effectively with others.
• Must be at least 21 years of age for this position.
• Must be able to perform physical aspects of the job including active client engagement and physical management interventions. This include being able to be on one’s feet for many hours at a time.
• This include being able to perform the duties listed above, with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• Employee will be required to intervene in order to de-escalate and/or provide safety and if essential, provide physical management of clients, using methods and techniques approved by YOU, Inc. and appropriate to setting.
• Employee must complete the agency’s human service worker safety training.