Youth Care Specialist (Children's Services)

Job Overview

Performs Youth Care duties safeguarding the general welfare of youths assigned to the county residential care services.

Salary

Minimum: $19.00

Core Competencies

• Customer Commitment - Proactively seeks to understand the needs of the customers and provide the highest standards of service.
• Dedication to Professionalism and Integrity - Demonstrates and promotes fair, honest, professional and ethical behaviors that establishes trust throughout the organization and with the public we serve.
• Organizational Excellence - Takes ownership for excellence through one's personal effectiveness and dedication to the continuous improvement of our operations.
• Success through Teamwork - Collaborates and builds partnerships through trust and the open exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives to achieve organizational goals.

Tier 1

Duties and Responsibilities

Note: The following duties are illustrative and not exhaustive. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Depending on assigned area of responsibility, incumbents in the position may perform one or more of the activities described below.

• Monitors the behavior and participates with youth during all assigned program activities.
• Applies interventions based on prescribed treatment plans and provides life skills, social, emotional, and educational skill-based services training.
• Ensures a safe and healthy environment at program facilities by monitoring the status of clients and by recommending, implementing, and/or monitoring corrective actions as needed.
• Completes reports such as runaway, incident, abuse, daily charts, token points, or logs.
• Maintains all required trainings and certifications mandated by federal, state, and county governments and contracts.
• Performs general safety inspections of buildings and grounds, general cleaning and maintenance of buildings, and submits maintenance work orders as needed.
• Transports individuals and groups of youth using assigned county vehicle as required.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Job Specifications

• Knowledge of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Knowledge of First Aid, CPR and Universal Precautions.
• Knowledge of NAPPI crisis intervention, counseling and physical restraint techniques.
• Knowledge of available social support agencies and resources in the community.
• Knowledge of the functions, services, procedures and regulations of the unit or department to which assigned.
• Knowledge of the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.
• Knowledge of the principles and terminology of child and adolescent developmental stages and intervention techniques.
• Skill in the application and modeling of consequences and positive reinforcement.
• Ability and willingness to work with youth with emotional, mental or physical disabilities.
• Ability to follow established procedures and support alignment with the department's goals and vision.
• Ability to follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to handle confidential information in accordance with established Federal, State and local laws and ordinances.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work effectively with others.
• Ability to maintain work related records and prepare reports.
• Ability to use a computer and related software.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to physically restrain youth weighing up to 107 pounds when required.
• Ability to detect potential dangers to youth or staff and take proactive and appropriate action, and follow established reporting procedures and protocol.
• Ability to participate in physical/outdoor activities that may require bending, stooping, and lifting.

Work Category

• Very heavy work - Exerting in excess of 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or in excess of 50 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Minimum Qualifications Required

• Associate's degree in a Human or Social Services field, or 60 credit hours in the field of Human or Social Services from an accredited college or university; AND
• One year of experience working with youths as a counselor, recreational leader, or instructor or as a care provider to emotionally, mentally or physically disabled youths;

OR

• An equivalent combination of education (not less than a high school diploma/GED), training, and experience that would reasonably be expected to provide the job-related competencies noted above; AND
• Possession of a valid Florida Driver's License.

Additional Requirements

• CPR/AED, First Aid, NAPPI, HIPAA, and NIMS certifications must be obtained within the first 90 days of employment.

Emergency Management Responsibilities

In the event of an emergency or disaster, an employee may be required to respond promptly to duties and responsibilities as assigned by the employee's department, the County's Office of Emergency Management, or County Administration. Such assignments may be for before, during or after the emergency/disaster.

Additional Job Requirements

A department, depending on the nature of its mission and operations, may require that employees in all or certain positions in this job classification:

1. Maintain the ability to pass the background checks required for the position. These background checks may include but are not limited to:

• Criminal History Background Check using Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)
• Level 1 and Level 2 Background screening (Ch. 435 Florida Statutes)
• Child Abuse, Abandonment and Neglect Record Check using the State Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS)
• Sex Offender and Sexual Predator record check using the list maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)

1. Possess the necessary job related license(s) or certification(s).

Career Progression

Employees in this classification that acquire the competencies and minimum qualifications for the next tier will be able to apply for promotional opportunities through a competitive selection process. Employees will not automatically be upgraded to the next tier. Reclassifying a position is based on business need and financial impact and is not based solely on the job competencies or qualifications of the incumbent.