Overnight Youth Care Worker

Join Our Team at Mercy Home for Boys & Girls

At Mercy Home for Boys & Girls, we are dedicated to empowering youth, fostering hope, and creating brighter futures. Our mission is to be advocates, educators, coaches, and role models for the youth we serve. We strongly believe that every young individual deserves a chance to thrive and reach their full potential.

As one of the Top 100 Places to Work in Chicago according to the Chicago Tribune since 2012, Mercy Home prides itself on prioritizing the growth and well-being of our team. We provide comprehensive training as well as ongoing professional development opportunities throughout your time here. Mercy Home for Boys & Girls is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to Diversity and Inclusion.

If you're passionate, driven, and dedicated to making the world a better place, then we want you on our team. The committed workers at Mercy Home provide healing, guidance, and opportunity to young men and women in need.

How You'll Make an Impact:

Nothing brings greater life satisfaction than helping others. As a Youth Care Worker, you will act as an advocate, role model, and coach for the youth who live in our residential programs. You can change the trajectory of their lives!

As one of their primary support figures, you will work with others to assist the youth at Mercy Home in re-establishing themselves in a secure environment that will empower them to pursue their goals with confidence. If you're compassionate and willing to serve, we invite you to join our team. Together, we can cultivate positive relationships and engage in meaningful activities and interventions that will help youth in need.

In this role, you will:

• Remain awake and aware of milieu
• Position chair/workstation in order to ensure a clear view of the youth bedrooms at all times.
• Conduct bedroom checks at a minimum of every 30 minutes, with visual sight of each youth to ensure their safety. Check on a more frequent basis (i.e. every 15 minutes) based on program needs or supervisor request.
• Log accurately and timely, in the program logbook, all bed checks as well as any other/youth activity
• Be responsible for timely and accurate communication (e.g. incident reports, contact with Youths' families, log entries, e-mail, and contacts with on-call supervisor).
• Engage with youth in daily routines and activities.
• Build a therapeutic relationship with Youth and their families
• Develop and implement each Youth's individual Treatment Plan
• Work collaboratively with School Resources, Career Resources and After-School Program co-workers to support Youth in those areas
• Communicate timely and accurately (e.g. contact with Youths' families, log entries, incident reports, email, contact with on-call supervisor)
• Provide supportive supervision, guidance, and role modeling for the Youth, as well as engage with Youth in daily routines and activities in the milieu
• Develop and support creative interventions for Youth
• Participate in supervision meetings
• Work with assigned advocate(s) including weekly Advocate meetings, as well as weekly family contacts
• Employ all aspects of de-escalation and behavior management techniques as outlined in Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) protocol
• Provide transportation for Youth and their family systems as necessary
• Learn, align with, and execute the treatment philosophies, modalities, and practices of the Agency

What we need from you:

• Be at least 21 years old
• High School diploma or GED required; Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Ability to stay awake and alert during hours of rest for the Youth.
• At least two years of experience working with youth
• A valid Illinois driver's license (or ability to get one upon hire), ability to drive a van, maintain a clear driving record and retain driving approval through the Department of Children and Family Services
• Good interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Maturity and sensitivity to cultural and individual differences
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Experience with Microsoft Office, as well as the willingness to become proficient in other software packages and programs
• Ability to attend required Agency trainings and maintain necessary training compliance
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 40 pounds, and with proper training, physically restrain youth
• Commitment to the mission, values, and goals of the Agency

Basics Information / Schedule Details

This is a full-time position. The schedule is Monday-Thursday 10pm-8am.

Pay range is between $23-$24/hour

Location: West Loop (boys) campus- 1140 W. Jackson Blvd Chicago, IL 60607

For information on benefits please follow this link