Direct Care

Job Description

Job Description

About Windwood

Windwood Family Services provides help, hope, and healing for children and families through trauma-informed behavioral, educational, and therapeutic care. Our Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) operates 24/7/365, delivering active, evidence-based treatment centered on safety, permanency, and successful reunification.

About Us

For 40 years, Windwood Family Services has provided help, hope, and healing to children and families in the Lowcountry affected by abuse, neglect, or trauma. On our 110-acre farm in Awendaw, SC, we operate a Qualified Residential Treatment Program and a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility serving boys ages 6–16 — some in the custody of SC DSS following prior abuse or neglect, others facing behavioral challenges while still in their parents' care. Alongside our residential programs, our Family Resource Connection and Preservation Services team works with families across the Charleston tri-county area to keep children safely at home whenever possible.

We believe every child holds strengths worth discovering, and that a structured, nature-based environment — paired with strong academics, clinical care, and genuine relationships — gives kids the chance to build self-esteem, coping skills, and a path toward a healthy, successful future. Our approach is family-driven, child-focused, strength-based, and culturally responsive, and it's carried out by a staff who show up every day committed to doing this work well.

Our Culture

Windwood is committed to:

• Trauma-informed, evidence-based care
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural respect
• Safety, ethical practice, and high-quality performance
• Collaboration, communication, and family-centered treatment

Job Purpose

Direct Care Workers provide day-to-day care, supervision, and behavioral support to residents in our residential treatment program. Working alongside the multidisciplinary mental health team, this role supports therapeutic interventions, monitors residents’ basic physical and emotional needs, and helps maintain a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment.

Successful candidates combine genuine compassion with firm, consistent boundaries. A background working with children, adolescents, or in other high-stress care environments is valued, along with a working understanding of trauma-informed care and mental health challenges.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Fosters a safe, therapeutic environment by following all facility procedures, safety protocols, and professional boundaries.
• Monitors high-risk areas in accordance with agency policy; applies approved physical intervention (CPI restraint) techniques only as required to manage emergency safety situations.
• Models appropriate social, emotional, and life skills to help residents build independent-living competencies.
• Completes behavior and activity documentation in clear, behaviorally specific, and objective language, within required timelines and in accordance with agency policy.
• Builds trusting, supportive relationships with residents through consistency, fairness, and genuine concern for their wellbeing.
• Communicates and coordinates effectively with the multidisciplinary treatment team, supervisors, and co-workers to support each resident’s treatment plan.
• Reports safety concerns, incidents, and concerning staff behavior promptly, in keeping with the agency’s mandated-reporting and “see something, say something” culture.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of program and agency operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; coursework or a degree in child development, psychology, behavioral health, social work, public health, or a related field preferred.
• Prior experience working with children or adolescents preferred; experience in high-stress care, education, or crisis-response settings is a plus.
• Ability to remain calm, patient, and professional under challenging conditions, including frequent interruptions, escalated behaviors, and potential verbal or physical threats from residents.
• Demonstrated ability to de-escalate conflict and respond effectively during crisis situations.
• Strong teamwork and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across a diverse professional staff and resident population.
• Valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record, if transporting residents (see Driving Requirements below).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Working knowledge of trauma-informed care principles and adolescent behavioral health.
• Sound judgment and decision-making under pressure.
• Cultural humility and the ability to build rapport with youth and families from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong written communication skills sufficient for behaviorally specific incident and progress documentation.
• Experience in inpatient or outpatient mental health, or child welfare management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; Must be flexible in work hours in order to meet resident and organizational needs.
• Must be able to address and prioritize multiple task demands within established timeframes

Physical and Environmental Requirements

All staff working in agency residential treatment programs must be able to fully execute the complete range of CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) interventions, up to and including a physical restraint. This is an essential function of the role and cannot be waived or accommodated; an applicant or employee who is not physically or emotionally able to perform this function is disqualified from the position.

• Must demonstrate the gross and fine motor skills, physical strength, stamina, and body mechanics needed to safely perform all job duties, including CPI interventions.
• Must be dressed in a manner that allows for a safe, hands-on response to an AWOL or aggressive resident, including a CPI restraint if needed.
• Work is performed on campus in a residential treatment setting; may involve exposure to emotionally intense situations and behavioral crises.

The agency will engage in the interactive process for reasonable accommodation requests related to the application process or other job functions, consistent with the ADA section below.

Background Checks, Certifications, and Ongoing Compliance

• Successful completion of SLED, Central Registry, DMV, and state/national sex offender registry checks, coordinated through Human Resources.
• Fingerprinting required at hire and every five (5) years thereafter.
• Completion of TB screening/chest X-ray and participation in random drug screening as required by state contracts.
• Maintains current CPI, CPR, and First Aid certification, and any applicable professional license, throughout employment.
• Completes all annually mandated training, including SCDSS, SCDPH, sexual harassment prevention, and mandated reporter training.

Driving Requirements: Employees who transport residents may not have more than

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS :

Completes no less than 32 hours of onboarding training and 16 hours of continuing education on an annual basis. Provides certification training as needed. Obtains and maintains certification in ServSafe, CPI, First Aid and CPR, and Mental Health First Aid upon hire and annually or as required; attend ongoing training and educational sessions i.e. mandated reporter. Viewing of the Civil Rights video is mandated during on-boarding and annually thereafter

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COMPENSATION: This is a full time on-campus 80-hour, every two weeks position. Schedule is a rotation 12 hour shift from 8am-8pm or 8pm-8am

Salary Range:

$20-22/hour

EDUCATION/LICENSE REQUIREMENTS : Obtaining/maintaining a professional license is not required for this position. Bachelor degree preferred but not required at this time.

Benefits:

• This is a Public Student Loan Forgiveness eligible agency
• SC State Health Plan (employee pays a portion; agency covers short-term disability)
• A generous paid leave policy
• Our paid holidays: New Year’s Day, MLK, Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve.
• SIMPLE IRA eligibility after 1 year, with up to 3% employer match

GUIDELINES & SUPERVISION: Reports directly to the Program Manager and supervised by the Residential Director

Windwood’s residential programs operate 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. This position is considered an essential position; during emergency situations employees are required to be available to evacuate or shelter in place as assigned. If not assigned to work during an emergency, you may use accrued PDO’s. If you are scheduled to report to work and do not, accrued PDO’s will not be granted for use. During emergencies, including inclement weather, employee may be required to stay for an additional shift.

****All employees working in the agency residential treatment programs must be able to fully execute the full range of CPI interventions up to and including a restraint. If the applicant or employee is not physically or emotionally able to provide this service, they are disqualified from performing this position. Accommodations to limit their responsibility to provide CPI cannot be granted. Employee must be dressed in a manner that allows them to safely respond to an AWOL or aggressive youth who may need a hands-on CPI restraint