Direct Care Staff

Overview

Our Commitment to Equity
The Y actively promotes a culture free from bias and injustice. We are dedicated to removing institutional and systemic barriers that result in oppression and racism. We will be accountable to marginalized communities for creating equitable and sustainable environments where social justice is woven into every facet of our programs, and by caring for our communities in a culturally versatile and respectful manner.

Job Summary

Supports youth who may have experience in foster care, homelessness, disconnection from school, juvenile justice, and/or other systems in developing the skills to live independently.  Provides general support to youth in family engagement, mental health, health and wellness, education, employment/career development, housing, technology, or other designated field and supports them in achieving their goals. Provides information and referral services.  Creates a welcoming and supportive environment at the YMCA. 

The Direct Care Staff position is a great opportunity to join a dynamic team providing 24-hour shift supervision for youth and young adults, ages 16-18, in an Adolescent Transitional Living Program. In 
partnership with DCYF, this exciting new program will serve up to 5 young people at any one time and will focus on providing daily supervision, individualized support, age-appropriate interventions, 
developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive independent living skills activities, and preparation for independent housing with a trauma informed and empowering approach. This position is on site at 
our Northgate housing location. This is a full-time position, in person position with expected hours of 8am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday

This position is with the Y Social Impact Center, the social services division of the YMCA of Greater Seattle (YGS), serving around 5,000 youth, young adults, and families every year in communities across King County, Pierce County, and various counties across WA. Through our programs we aim to strengthen young people’s ability to develop to their fullest potential through four strategies: reducing risk factors; navigating systems towards successful life transition; establishing stability, safety and wellness in times of crisis; and building competencies and social capital. The Social Impact Center’s programs include homelessness prevention, housing, behavioral health, crisis response, foster care licensing, violence prevention, and employment. Since many of the young people we serve have been involved in the foster care, criminal justice, behavioral health, and/or homelessness systems, we truly value relatable lived experience of our staff and those applying for our positions as an asset.

What you'll get from working at The Y

• Membership to the YMCA of Greater Seattle for you and your household
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance
• Retirement with generous employer contributions
• Free access to mental health resources
• Rapidly-accruing paid time off (PTO)
• Discounts on qualifying YMCA of Greater Seattle childcare and day camp programs

Hiring Range: $24.00 – 28.00/hour

Schedule: Tuesdays-Saturday; 8:00am-4:00pm

Responsibilities

1. Provides supervision that is trauma informed and relationship based for children, youth, and young adults placed in these programs. This includes safety checks completed at regular intervals throughout 
   the entirety of the shift

2. Provides general support to young adults in education, employment/career development, housing, technology, or other designated field and supports them in achieving their goals.

3. Coordinates with the director and case managers to support each resident’s individualized, developmentally appropriate, strengths-based service plans.

4. Build strong relationships with Y program participants to effectively provide quality services. Participates in supportive group and individual supervision sessions with supervisor and team. Engages in teamwork regularly and works together with colleagues to ensure quality care of residents.  
5. Develops or assists development of individualized, strengths-based, youth-driven service plans.
6. Maintains a safe, respectful and appropriate living environment for all residents. 

7. Demonstrates de-escalation skills in stressful situations, using preventative behavior management skills 
   whenever possible.  

8. Promotes engagement in various domains of a resident’s life, including but not limited to their child welfare 
   involvement, medical and mental health needs, education, community and cultural values, recreational 
   opportunities, life skills, and family time.

9. Supports the day-to-day routines of the house such as meal preparation, supervising residents as they complete 
   daily chores and activities of daily living, household laundry, medication management, and group activities.

10. Must understand contract/grant terms and conditions to ensure program outcome requirements are met and services rendered to young adults appropriately.
11. Maintains clear, professional, timely participant contact notes, service plans, progress updates, outcomes, and other documentation in designated databases.
12. Teams effectively and collaboratively with YMCA staff and/or community partners to plan and facilitate activities, including visits to related resources in the community.
13. Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with funding liaisons, other service providers, businesses and/or educational institutions as related to specialized services.
14. Supports participant success in key domains such as safe and stable housing, permanent connections to supportive adults, education and employment, health and well-being, and life skills.
15. Other duties as assigned. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This job operates in a professional office environment.  This role routinely uses standard office equipment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.  This position requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies, up to 20 pounds.

POSITION TYPE/EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK

This is a full-time position, and hours of work and days vary according to shifts. 

Code of Conduct for Applicants

All employees and volunteers are responsible for adhering to abuse prevention policies, maintaining appropriate boundaries, completing required training, reporting suspicious or inappropriate behavior, and complying with mandated reporting requirements.

Responsible for ensuring staff are properly screened, trained, supervised and held accountable to the organization’s abuse risk management standards.

Qualifications

1. Must have high school diploma/GED/HSEC
2. Minimum one year of experience working with teens or young adults in foster care, group care, housing, education, juvenile justice, anti-poverty, vocational support, mental health, chemical dependency and/or homelessness fields.
3. Must be 21 yrs. of age (unless between 18 and 21yrs and enrolled in an internship, as well as be supervised by a staff 21yrs of age or older.)
4. Ability to teach effective independence skills for a variety of learning styles and to plan supportive activities.
5. Strong youth engagement and relationship-building skills.
6. Strong verbal and written communication skills.
7. Basic computer skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
8. Ability to transport self and client(s) in a safe and effective manner, and to meet clients at community locations; proof of adequate vehicle insurance coverage is required, or ability to travel to areas without public transportation.
9. Current state approved First Aid and CPR certification.*
10. Current approved HIV blood borne pathogens training.*

*indicates it must be completed within 30 days of being hired. 

This role transports clients as an “authorized driver” for the YMCA of Greater Seattle (YGS) using an employer-provided vehicle. Driving duties for this role areRequired.*Driving roles aresafety-sensitive. To become an authorized driver, you must be 21+, havepossesseda driver's license for at least 3 years, and pass a drug screen that will test for impairing substances (including marijuana) in addition to meeting the driving record standards below:

YGS Driving Record Standards

Within the last three (3) years: No more than two (2)vehicle relatedsuspension(s) and/or reinstatement(s). No more than two (2) moving violations and/or accidents. Moving violations include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Speeding
• Improper Lane Change
• Failure to Yield in Right-of-Way
• Failure to Obey Traffic Signal
• Failure to obey Traffic Sign

Within the last five (5) years: No Major Violations which include, but are not limited to, the following:

• DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, BUI (Boating), Administrative Per Se, or Refusing to Test
• Driving with an open container of alcohol
• Reckless Driving
• Hit andRun– property damage only (Incidents involving injury fall under Permanent Disqualification)
• Racing
• Driving with a suspended/revoked license/insurance
• Speeding over 20 mph
• Fleeing and/or eluding police
• Any other felony driving conviction(s)

Driving records that result in Permanent disqualification from driving duties:

• More than 3 DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, BUI, Administrative Per Se, or Refusing to Test forentiretyof driving history.
• More than 3 Driving with a suspended/revoked license
• Hit andRunresulting in bodily injury or death
• Manslaughter/felony death by motor vehicle

*Due to state-specific reporting requirements in our driver management system, we are not currently able to enroll California Driver's License holders as Authorized Drivers.

*The YMCA of Greater Seattle will conduct individualized assessments of applicant criminal histories

ADDITIONAL PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Associates or Bachelor’s degree
• Prefer knowledge of, and previous experience with, diverse populations (language, culture, race, physical ability, sexual orientation, etc.).
• Ability to speak any language in addition to English may be helpful.

You'll be a great fit for the Seattle Y if you:

• Thrive on working in a collaborative environment
• Are very adaptable
• Have high ownership and strong work ethic
• Are a great problem solver who can think on your feet
• Truly enjoy being of service to people
• Like being part of a team that cares about one another as people and enjoy working together
• Want to know that the work you do contributes to building a better, stronger community for all

At the Seattle Y, we are an inclusive organization of people with a shared commitment to nurture the potential of youth, promote healthy living, and foster social responsibility. We also believe in supporting the wellbeing of our employees and offer a free Y membership as a benefit of employment. 

Become a leader on our team at the YMCA of Greater Seattle where we promote a continuous learning environment and career opportunities. 

YGS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and equitable work environment.  Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by local, state, or federal law.

We are a drug & alcohol-free workplace; all job offers are contingent on the results of a background check. We participate in the Federal E-Verify system.

If you need assistance of any kind with the application process, reach out to [email protected].

MISSION STATEMENT:

Building a community where all people, especially the young, are encouraged to develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind, and body.

OUR VALUES:

• Respect
• Responsibility
• Honesty
• Caring
• Passion for Excellence