Direct Care Staff PM - St. PJ's Children's Home

Description Work Days: Vary with 2 consecutive days off Work Hours: PM 2 pm to 10 pm Work Location: 919 Mission Rd., 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. Summary: 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. Position Responsibilities 1. Maintaining a nurturing, therapeutic and safe environment by: Establishing a consistent daily routine. Planning and executing appropriate activities to decrease boredom and restlessness; requesting necessary supplies for special occasions and/or special activities. Assigning age appropriate chores. Providing appropriate supervision at all times; monitoring environment and mass media (movies, TV, radio, written materials) for appropriate content. Maintaining living areas in a reasonable state of cleanliness and good order. Maintaining adequate supplies for cleaning and other dorm related items. 2. Providing for the children’s physical needs by: Recognizing signs and symptoms of illness, treating minor ailments and seeking appropriate guidance from the shelter supervisor; filling prescriptions as needed and administering medications as prescribed by the child’s physician while monitoring for side effects. Obtaining and helping children maintain clean, adequate, appropriate and nice clothing and other personal items. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. Being sensitive to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. Adhering to safety training and protocols on a daily basis, taking precautionary measures to ensure the safety and well‑being of self and others. Protecting the confidentiality of any information or material obtained in the service with the organization, including client names and information, services rendered, donors’ names and gifts, internal and external investigations or results, and financial information. Adhering to the Code of Conduct and the Faith and Moral. 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; failure to meet this requirement will result in termination of employment with the Agency. Other duties as assigned by Team Leaders, Shelter Supervisor, and Program Director. Competencies De‑escalation – Ability to sense a potential or occurring crisis or volatile situation and engage in a manner that reduces the intensity or conflict. Interpersonal Awareness – Ability to demonstrate emotional intelligence in various settings and with a diverse population. Solution‑Oriented – Ability to identify various challenges, think outside the box, be innovative, and formulate possible solutions. Critical Thinking – Ability to actively and skillfully process and generate information and belief using analysis, evaluation, inference, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning. Teamwork – Ability to listen and respond constructively with others fostering collaboration and team success. Requirements Minimum Qualifications Education: High School diploma or equivalent. Experience: Minimum of 1 year of child care experience preferred. Must be 21 years of age or older. License and Credentials: Reliable transportation. Valid driver license. 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. Minimum Knowledge and Skills Computer literate with working knowledge of Microsoft Windows (Word, Excel) and a variety of online database systems, managing files and records, designing forms and office procedures. Strong analytical and organization skills. Ability to read and interpret policy, procedures, and standards. Detail oriented, organized, self‑motivated, able to work well independently and on a team. Good written and verbal communication skills. Good critical thinking and problem‑solving skills. Must remain calm and composed in crisis situations. Travel Requirements Travel requirements for the position: 50% local and 0% overnight. Physical Requirements The position requires the following physical demands in the frequency noted. Constantly – 2/3 or more of the time; Occasionally – up to 1/3 of the time; Frequently – from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time; Rarely – less than one hour per week. Lifting up to 50 pounds – Frequently. Reaching above shoulder height – Frequently. Sitting – Occasionally. Reaching 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. Other physical demands as necessary. Disclaimer This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job description or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (e.g., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, etc.). This is a Grant funded position and salary is dependent on funding availability. The position can be eliminated at any time because of lack of funding to support this position. St. PJ’s Children’s Home is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To view this and other employment opportunities please visit The Archdiocese of San Antonio website at You must apply through the website and complete the application and upload your resume. No phone calls please. If you are chosen for an interview, you will be contacted. #J-18808-Ljbffr