YOUTH WORKER Job at Bethany Children s Home in Womelsdorf

BETHANY CHILDREN’S HOME

Helping Hands Program and Position Summary

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Bethany Children’s Home Helping Hands is a temporary residential shelter care service for unaccompanied alien children (“youth”), who have no lawful immigration status in the United States, are under the age of 18, and have no identified parent or legal guardian in the United States able to provide care and physical custody. The average length of stay for most youth is 30 to 35 days. Most of the youth are from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala or Mexico and speak Spanish. All youth in Helping Hands are in the legal custody of the federal government and in the physical custody of Bethany Children’s Home.

Helping Hands is made possible through a federal grant awarded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement/Division of Unaccompanied Children’s Operations (“ORR”) within the Administration for Children and Families, and is funded completely separate from the other programs offered by Bethany Children’s Home.

EXPECTED STANDARDS FOR ALL HELPING HANDS STAFF

All Helping Hands employees must be fluent in Spanish and English and be prepared to meet the diverse needs, level of care, supervision, safety, and wellbeing of youth. All Helping Hands employees share in the responsibility of upholding ORR and Bethany program expectations including:

• Adhering to all policies and procedures.
• Performing all work in a safe manner.
• Treating all children, families and staff with respect and courtesy.
• Completing and maintaining all mandated and required training within required agency timeframes.
• Maintaining timely compliance with all established agency standards and employment documentation.
• Acting in compliance with Department of Human Services regulations and ORR guidelines to the highest degree of ethical standards.
• Maintaining a clean and tidy working environment.
• Providing services in a manner that are sensitive to the age, culture, religion, dietary needs, sexual orientation, gender identity and other important individual needs of clients.
• Ensuring proper physical care is provided.
• Ensuring new clothing and personal grooming items are provided.
• Implementing strategies to discourage runaways and unauthorized absences.
• Informing the youth of his/her rights and ensuring that those rights are met.
• Carrying out the program’s rules and discipline standards with a positive, strength-based behavior management approach.
• Providing transportation to and from campus.
• Carrying out additional duties as assigned by supervisor or administrator per operational needs.

ELEMENTS OF PERFORMANCE

The Helping Hands program supports an at-risk population. There is a high rate of trafficking among this population and some of the participants have been exposed to addictive substances. Staff as a collective whole are expected to have working knowledge of how to either address such individuals directly and assist them through treatment, or refer them to someone who can. Staff are expected to have the knowledge and skills to do the following:

• Systematically gather data, determine the readiness of an individual for treatment and change, and apply accepted criteria for the diagnosis of substance use disorder or other detrimental addictions or behaviors.
• Recognize when a youth is under the influence of a psychoactive substance, intoxicated, and/or experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
• Monitor for danger to self or others.
• Take note of any mental health concerns.
• Analyze and interpret date to determine treatment recommendations and priorities.
• Form mutually agreed-upon, measurable goals and objectives with the individual served.
• Demonstrate and adhere to the accepted ethical and behavioral standard of conduct.
• Participate in continuing professional development.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR ALL HELPING HANDS STAFF

• Be at least 21 years old.
• Be fluent in Spanish and English languages, both written and spoken.
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Have excellent organizational and computer skills.
• Possess a strong commitment to helping youth succeed by helping them reorient their lives, nurture their reunification efforts and enable them to make a successful transition to their next placement.
• Possess ability to establish rapport and relate sensitively and with consistency to multiracial and multicultural groups of young adults.
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to organize and prioritize duties and responsibilities efficiently.
• Have valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License.
• Successfully pass a pre-employment drug screen and background check.
• Secure a health assessment certified by a physician no more than 30 days prior to commencing employment and renewed every two years.
• Provide current PA Child Abuse, PA Criminal History and FBI Fingerprinting clearances before starting employment.

SAFETY HAZARDS OF THE JOB

• Potential for possible exposure to bloodborne pathogens - universal precautions are to be utilized in all potential exposure situations.
• Potential for emotional stress and vicarious trauma as it relates to working with children and youth.
• Potential for personal injury to include, but not limited to, bites, kicks, punches and scratches.

HIPAA /CONFIDENTIALITY

As an employee, I agree to follow the standards set forth by the Health Information Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) as well as the stricter state standards as they apply. Due to the nature of the work environment, employees will have direct and/or indirect access to confidential information regarding clients and/or personnel. All confidential information cannot be discussed with, or disclosed to, unauthorized persons.

EMPLOYER'S RIGHTS

The program summary and position description do not list every aspect of program requirements or all duties of the job. Employees may be asked by Bethany to perform other duties in times of emergency, crisis or busier times based on operational needs in order to safely care for youth. Performance evaluations, in part, will be based upon performance of the tasks and essential functions listed in the position description.

Bethany has the right to revise the program summary and position description at any time. The position description is not a contract for employment. That is, employment with Bethany can be terminated with or without cause, and with or without notice at any time, at the option of the employee or that of Bethany.

Applicant/Employee Signature: ___________________________________________

Date: __________________________

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Youth Worker

Classification: Regular, Full-Time, Hourly Non-Exempt

Reports To: Team Supervisor

Department: Helping Hands – 805 Case Aides

Supervises: N/A

Essential Staff? Yes. Essential staff must remain on duty to supervise youth and ensure safe program operations in the event of call-offs, late arrivals, crises or inclement weather.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Youth Worker provides direct supervision and engagement with recreational activities on a daily basis and provides adaptation services to assist in the development of social and interpersonal skills that contribute to the youth’s ability to live independently and responsibly in the community.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conducts recreational activities on a daily basis.
• Provides acculturation and adaption services to assist in the development of social and interpersonal skills that contribute to the ability to live independently and responsibly in the community.
• Ensures that children receive a full range of program services in an integrative and comprehensive manner.
• Completes all incident reports.
• Assists the Educational Coordinator by providing classroom assistance.
• Assists the youth with meal preparation and daily household living chores.
• Maintains a clean a tidy working environment.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the developmental milestones of youth.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• Must have a minimum of a high school diploma or general education equivalency with one (1) year of child welfare, youth work, or childcare experience.
• Works in both in a climate-controlled indoor residential facility and in outdoor environmental conditions when supervising youth activities.
• Must be able to perform the physical requirements of the position:
  1. Must be able to stand more than 50% of the time.
  2. Frequently perform light work by lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling up to 20 pounds without assistance.
  3. Move about on foot to complete tasks and frequently move from one location to another.
  4. Stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, climb stairs, and stand regularly.
  5. Have visual acuity to read paperwork, to view a computer monitor and operate household appliances and cleaning equipment.
  6. Be subjected to occasional noise that would cause one to shout in order to be heard above ambient noise level.
• Demonstrates a commitment to achieving a standard of excellence with procedures and outcomes.
• Communicates effectively by balancing listening and talking, speaking and writing clearly and influencing others.
• Demonstrates excellent teamwork skills by being helpful, team-oriented, respectful and approachable.
• Attends additional training programs and sessions as needed.

Applicant/Employee Signature: ___________________________________________

Date: __________________________