Youth Counselor - 1st Shift (8am-4pm)

About the role

The TLP Youth Care Worker is responsible for implementing daily therapeutic programming for youth under the direction of their assigned supervisor. The Youth Care Worker engages the youth in therapeutic interactions and skill-building activities and documents those interactions and activities promptly consistent with the life skills plan, CARE, and TCI. The Youth Care Worker employs their training in Hoyleton’s CARE practice model and Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) to create developmental relationships with youth and maintain a safe, positive, therapeutic environment.

Responsibilities

• Engages youth in daily therapeutic activities that help youth develop social, emotional, and other life skills, including the ability to have fun and play, consistent with each youth’s individualized treatment goals and the CARE principles.
• Ensures the safety of youth, themselves, and co-workers by developing positive relationships with youth, co-workers, and supervisors.
• Ensures the safety of youth, themselves, and co-workers by knowing and understanding youths’ trauma history and triggers.
• Ensures the safety of youth, themselves, and co-workers by anticipating crises and using TCI crisis de-escalation techniques.
• Ensures the safety of youth, themselves, and co-workers by working to restore relationships as crises are resolved by conducting TCI Life Space Interviews with youth.
• Requires the successful completion of CARE training and certification and annual recertification in TCI.
• Completes daily hours of care required by program standards.
• Participates with their supervisor and youth in planning schedules of activities for each shift.
• Engages in reflective practice by participating in weekly individual and/or group supervision with their supervisor.
• Participates in clinical staffing, cottage, and other agency meetings as required and meets all initial and ongoing agency training requirements.
• Requires overnight staff to complete bed checks of each youth every hour and/or increased if on safety plan and to therapeutically engage youth who have problems around bedtime or sleeping.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Ability to learn the CARE practice model and implement daily programming consistent with CARE principles.
• Ability to learn the TCI curriculum successfully, pass TCI written test, remain current with required TCI refresher training, and conduct TCI techniques with fidelity to the model.
• Must enjoy actively engaging youth, be emotionally mature and patient, and communicate empathy toward youth.