Bilingual Lead Youth Care Worker

at  CHRIS 180

POSITION SUMMARY:

CHRIS 180 Migrant Wellness Program provides 24-hour care for unaccompanied children (UC) under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) who are placed in residential care as they prepare for sponsorship. The program provides stabilization, behavioral support, comprehensive case management, educational services, daily living skills acquisition, recreational and therapeutic activities, and coordination of care. The Migrant Wellness Program provides a family-involved, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach to care within residential communities throughout the Atlanta area.
Direct care of children and/or adolescents in placement includes an extensive range of responsibilities including
documentation, activities, supervision, and safety. Because of the complex backgrounds and trauma histories that our youth have experienced in their home countries and during their journey to the U.S., staff must not only provide adequate safety and supervision, but must be actively engaged in the process of building relationships, understanding and solving problems in a team dynamic, and offer energy, security and commitment in their work with our youth through genuine, caring and empathetic engagement. This position includes direct supervision of youth and administrative responsibilities such as incident reporting, case notes, and transportation to medical appointments.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Document significant incidents in the KaleidaCare MIS before the end of the shift.
• Document all medical and dental appointments in the KaleidaCare system.
• Document visits, meetings, and court dates as case notes in K-Care.
• Maintain the files/charts on each child while in placement.
• Review medication administration records daily for accuracy.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The primary responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Provide positive role-modeling to youth.
• Promote self-esteem.
• Promote healthy boundaries.
• Promote good hygiene and appropriate personal appearance among youth.
• Reinforce socially acceptable behaviors (ex: manners, eating habits, safety).
• Teach and reinforce thoughtful decision-making.
• Assessing youth history of trauma, strengths, and needs.
• Assist in administering SFSS.

DUTIES:

• Prove support to meet youth’s health, well-being, education, mental health, and reunification needs.
• Participate in Team Meetings for all youth.
• Collaborate with other programs in the CHRIS 180 continuum to provide services to residents.
• Collaborate and consult with other providers and entities in the provision of the best care services to residents.
• Monitor the provision of services provided, including medical and behavioral health services.
• Provide a safe, nurturing, consistent and caring atmosphere for youth in care.
• Support the consistent rhythms and routines of the home.
• Responsible for transportation to and communication with the school environment.
• Transport youth as required.
• Care for program facilities and equipment: organizing, cleaning, sanitizing. Household tasks and duties as assigned, or as needed, to promote a clean, safe, and comfortable environment.
• Cook balanced, healthy meals for youth and provide life skills training and supervision regarding menu planning and cooking.
• Assure safety in the home by conducting room inspections and securing potentially hazardous equipment and/or cleaning products.
• Assure youth safety in the home by monitoring youth interactions, remaining mindfully attuned to escalating emotions, and intervening with calming and de-escalation interventions and strategies to diffuse interpersonal tensions.
• As a last resort, safely implements Mindset restraint techniques to prevent harm.
• Support routines of youth through assisting and supervising wake-up, bedtime, personal care routines, completion of chores and laundry, meals, meal preparation, recreational activities, homework supervision, and assistance.
• Maintain awareness of each youth’s history of trauma, developmental age, medications, strengths, skills, and abilities and use such information to guide interactions and interventions with the resident.
• Plan and actively participate in activities to support and increase skills and competencies.
• Engage youth in planning activities whenever reasonable to do so.
• Work as part of a team to identify needs and strategies to meet those needs. Implement identified strategies for youth to ensure needs are met.
• Work with the on-call supervisory structure to assure safety for the home, youth, and staff after hours.
• Assure medical and behavioral health needs are met in a timely and efficient fashion.
• Aware of a current safety plan for all youth and able to implement it.
• Assist House Supervisor and Lead staff in meeting the needs of youth and home by shopping, collaboratively planning menus, attending meetings, and maintaining communication with all stakeholders.