Youth Development Counselor Lead

The Direct Care Staff (YDC) Lead – Vista Haven (ORR) assists the YDC Supervisor with overseeing the activities of their assigned Direct Care Staff (YDCs) in the unit and reports to the YDC Supervisor. The YDC Lead is responsible for constantly supervising youth and supporting the staff, supervising them at a 1:6 staff-toyouth ratio, always consistent with their personal rights, to ensure safety  within a trauma-informed framework. The YDC Lead understands and ensures procedures are followed according to VDM and ORR standards. They assist with coordinating youth services and appointments, planning outings and transportation to/from various locations—and delegating operational tasks to YDCs to meet all health and safety standards. The YDC Lead, in coordination with the YDC Supervisor, ensures that services are met as needed twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Essential Job Duties (other duties may be assigned):
1. Responsible for the constant supervision of youth and supporting the staff, supervising them at a 1:6 staff-to-youth ratio, always in a manner consistent with their personal rights, to ensure safety within a trauma-informed framework.
2. Assists with coordinating youth services and appointments, planning outings, and transportation to/from various locations. Delegates operational tasks to YDCs to meet all health and safety standards.
3. Monitor YDC attendance in the absence, coordinate coverage on the floor, and communicate staff performance and attendance to the YDC Supervisor.
4. In coordination with the YDC Supervisor, the YDC Lead provides direct feedback through individual and group supervision to direct rapports (YDCs) at least once weekly, documented in a weekly record of supervision notes.
5. Works as a part of the treatment team by planning activities that help youth develop various skills, including social, vocational, educational, hygiene, and other skills, and assists residents with strengthening their daily living skills.
6. Coordinates services and appointments for youth as required by other program departments, agency departments like the health center, and off-site appointments like medical, dental, etc. 
7. In collaboration and planning with the YDC Supervisor, the YDC Lead will lead cottage meetings, daily living groups, outings, and other tasks as requested. 
8. Provide effective oversight and support to YDC staff to ensure that resident services are consistently provided based on the ORR/VDM treatment philosophy, mission, practices, and policies.
9. Documents the residents’ progress, identifying any need for professional services and communicating such findings to professional staff.
10. Serves as an effective advocate for all children in placement and understands/demonstrates the requirement of reporting suspected abuse and/or mistreatment of children under their care (including physical and verbal abuse).

11. Ensures that residents receive medical treatment when injured and follows internal protocols for involving Health Center personnel for support and intervention.
12. Manages delegated administrative tasks to YDCs and ensures completion of role responsibilities as requested by the YDC Supervisor.
13. Inspects and completes several health and safety reports, CCL reports, and ORR reports. Typical reports include room checks, religious logs, recreation logs, telephone logs, clothing inventories, case notes, etc. 
14. Document all incidents during the shift as required and update the shift staff and resident-specific exchange notes, significant incident/child-level event reports, and any other reporting tools provided. 
15. Inspect and coordinate the cottage's cleanliness, including resident rooms and communal spaces, which includes logging oven cleanliness, drier and washer cleanliness, and refrigerator temperatures.
16. Spends consistent time in the milieu (e.g., group, transition, and mealtimes), modeling relationship-based and trauma-informed support for YDC staff.
17. Contribute to preventing and managing challenging behaviors by implementing behavior management 
and therapeutic crisis intervention techniques.
Secondary Duties:
1. Provide and coordinate basic needs to youth upon arrival to the program (including medical, meal, clothing, hygiene products, shower, and bedroom assignment) and prepare youth for discharge. 
2. Demonstrates an understanding and practice of relationship-based treatment, strength-based, DBTinfluenced/Trauma-informed, and culturally/LGBTQ-sensitive approaches in working with children. 
3. Adheres to regulatory requirements, including but not limited to Community Care Licensing, Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Office of Refugee Resettlement, etc.
4. Assists with New Hire Orientation as delegated by the Program Director and/or Senior Direct Care Staff (YDC).
5. Understand and communicate policies and practices related to patient's rights. 
6. Completes Special Incident/Unusual Occurrence Reports as mandated by licensing requirements. 
7. Demonstrates the ability to receive, transmit, store, and retrieve information, as evidenced through written and verbal communication.
8. Covers shifts when short-staffed or as otherwise needed.
9. Conducts job-related training on a yearly basis.

Qualifications Required:
To perform this job successfully, the applicant must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The 
requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required; reasonable 
accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
1. A high school diploma is required, and a BA or BS degree is preferred.
2. At least one year of experience in a similar environment is preferred. 
3. At least one year of supervisorial experience is preferred.
4. Able to interrupt physical and verbal altercations among residents using training from the CPINonviolent Crisis Intervention and de-escalation skills, provide support and care via a traumainformed lens acquired from TSI- Risking Connections training, administer CPR/First Aid, perform 
basic lifting and housekeeping duties, and operate a motor vehicle.
5. A thorough understanding of residential treatment protocols demonstrated leadership abilities and a strong understanding of working with unaccompanied children and related clinical implications.
6. Bilingual in any language preferred.
7. Be at least 21 years old.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
Assign work, establish schedules of set objectives, appraise staff performance, and handle complaints.

Other Skills and Abilities:
Allots money for clothing needs of youth as needed; requires good social skills and the ability to work with 
different, and at times difficult, people; as well as the ability to:
1. Simplify and clarify instructions to staff and youth.
2. Facilitate communication and mediate disagreements between youth.
3. Set firm limits with staff.
4. Remain calm in difficult situations with both staff and youth. 
5. Maintain good counseling skills.
6. Drive youth to various destinations in agency vehicles, as needed.

Pay Range: 23.0 - 25.0 USD