Youth Empowerment Specialist

Function:

The Youth Empowerment Specialist (YES) serves as a member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team providing 24-hour residential care to youth ages 12-17 who have a history of trauma, varying mental health diagnoses, and multiple failed placements that require a stable environment to heal. Working within a treatment milieu, this position facilitates youth's emotional, behavioral, social, moral, and physical development within our care. The YES works as part of a team to maintain a safe and secure environment for all youth that promotes growth and development and supervises the youth throughout all daily activities. The YES must be physically able to work all shifts – days, evenings, and midnights.

Organizational duties & responsibilities:

1. The primary responsibility of all staff is to ensure the safety and well-being of all Ramey-Estep/Re-group (RE) clients.
2. Support the mission, vision, and values of RE.  Facilitate and adhere to the agency’s code of ethics, policies, and procedures.
3. Support all functions that attain and maintain accreditation and compliance with regulatory agencies.
4. Support and facilitate positive interaction with clients and staff by exhibiting both in-office and in-public when carrying out job duties:  individual maturity, respect for others, a team-centered approach, maintenance of confidential information, and awareness and sensitivity to cultural and other differences in clients and staff.
5. Exhibit effective communication skills, including proper use of agency communication systems.
6. Participate in appropriate professional development programs to attain and maintain competency.
7. Effectively manage financial and physical resources to achieve the mission of RE.
8. Report incidents of abuse or potential abuse involving clients to the appropriate authorities and RE.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Monitor and directly supervise youth to ensure their safety and well-being.
2. Provide emotional support and encouragement to youth in daily activities.
3. Respond to youth’s needs with fairness, objectivity, firmness, care, and concern. 
4. Respond effectively to crises and de-escalation situations as needed while maintaining a calm and supportive presence during challenging moments.
5. Complete Safe Crisis Management initial and ongoing training.
6. Work collaboratively with the treatment team to assist in implementing treatment plans.
7. Ensure that each youth is focused on treatment goals and can assist youth in achieving the objectives and goals on their treatment plans.
8. Follow daily and weekly shift responsibilities and other daily assignments as necessary to maintain a constant therapeutic living environment.
9. Communicate effectively with other treatment team staff and work within the plan designed by the treatment team.
10. Serve as a role model, demonstrating appropriate skills and behavior to staff and students, including hygiene, grooming, dress, language, and social skills.
11. Keep accurate and timely records and complete thorough and objective reports, including but not limited to daily progress notes, critical incident reporting, phone call logs, visitation logs, etc.
12. Ensure all necessary records are maintained and kept confidential.
13. Provide transportation for youth to school, appointments, and extra-curricular activities as needed or assigned. Drives agency vehicles safely and lawfully.
14. Teach and support youth in developing essential life skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and self-care.
15. Attend and participate in supervision and staff meetings as scheduled.
16. Maintain familiarity with all emergency procedures concerning hazards such as tornadoes, power outages, floods, or snowstorms.
17. Comply with licensing standards, certification standards, employee handbook, client rights, and other rules of conduct.
18. Perform other duties as assigned.

Working conditions/environment:

1. Varied shifts within a twenty-four-hour schedule.
2. Holidays and weekends are scheduled for all direct care staff.
3. Overtime may be required depending on staffing needs.
4. Meals are provided for staff when on campus.
5. Intense, unpredictable population with the possibility of verbal and physical aggression.
6. Fast-paced environment with the need for quick decisions to deal with any crisis that may arise.
7. Environment is both indoor and outdoor. The environment is, at times, loud and stressful.

minimum job requirements:

Bachelor’s Degree is preferred. High School Diploma or GED required. 

Experience working with emotionally disturbed children is preferred.

Must be at least 21 years old.
Some YES positions may require a valid Driver’s License and insurability.
Technical requirements include proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications the organization or regulatory agencies use.
Ability to understand and relate to the needs of clients from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to read, write, and converse in English.
Successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen.
Successful completion of a background screening.
Successful completion of a TB skin test or proof of a negative chest x-ray or other documentation.

Successful completion of Excellent Foundations.
Maintain 40 hours of annual training (including 16 hours of SCM).
Maintain CPR/1 st Aid training.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, walk, talk, hear, reach with hands and arms, and use hands to finger, handle, and feel.  This employee is also regularly required to use a computer keyboard and mouse.  The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, and climb stairs.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds or more.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and peripheral vision.

Supervisory REquirements:

None.