Youth Treatment Specialist - Jefferson County Youth Residential Program (3rd Shift)

Youth Treatment Specialist 3rd Shift

Wisconsin Community Services (WCS)



Specialized Services Program – Jefferson County Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility

Position Summary: 

This position works in a
therapeutic milieu environment serving youth at a State Certified Youth Crisis
Stabilization Facility (YCSF) serving male, female and gender non-conforming
youth, ages 8-17 supporting youth through a mental health crisis that has
resulted in a youth needing a safe space to reside for up to 30 days. The Youth
Treatment Specialist 3rd shift works overnight ensuring all youth
and staff are safe and following nighttime procedures. This can include tasks
such as completing bed checks, monitoring youth on suicide protocol, following
sleep hygiene and bedwetting protocols, waking youth, and coaching them to
complete activities of daily living, administering medication teaching skills.
Other tasks such as completing building tasks such as cleaning, laundry, and
inventory, preparing meals, putting together educational materials, and other
programming material to prepare for the days schedule.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform third shift room checks verifying the status of each youth,
  ensuring youth are asleep, not distressed and are safe.

• Follow clinical recommendations for safety such as supervising suicide
  protocols and safety plans.

• Serve as a positive role model and work alongside a Lead
  Youth Treatment Specialist in the milieu supporting therapeutic interactions by
  coaching skill use throughout morning
  activities, modeling appropriate behavior, teaching, and reinforcing use and
  generalization of skills through a token economy system.

• Use evidence-based best practices for youth with mental
  health, substance use and life needs. This includes Dialectical Behavior
  Therapy (DBT), trauma informed care, motivational interviewing, youth centered,
  and culturally reverent approaches while celebrating youth’s development and
  identity.

• Calmly and responsibly respond during crisis situations and
  intervene to de-escalate utilizing Principles of Stabilization and Control
  (POSC) for non-escalation, de-escalation, and possible physical intervention to
  maintain safety in the environment for youth and staff when preventing or
  responding to a crisis.

• Attend mandatory meetings including but not limited to staff
  meetings, new employee and ongoing trainings, individual supervision, team
  meetings, and other clinical staffing as required.

• Participate and meet the DHS34 clinical supervision
  requirements of one hour of supervision for every thirty hours of face-to-face
  contact.

• Use motivation and engagement strategies to encourage youth
  involved in systems to participate in treatment programming and involvement in
  program activities.

• Always provide active sight and sound supervision to youth
  and families with complex needs.

• Report any observed youth behavior for risk to self and
  others or behavioral changes within the treatment milieu. Follow policies and
  procedures to communicate with supervisory and/or clinical staff regarding
  appropriate support as needed.

• Interact with youth in a professional, positive, and
  therapeutic manner according to policy, procedure, training, and agency values.

• Assist with inventory, building organization, food
  preparation, daily programming set up, including educational materials and
  medication administration.

• Work closely as part of a team to maintain clear
  communication with other staff to ensure youth receive high quality and
  seamless care.

• Observe and document youth participation in activities and
  interactions with others per program standards (youth logs and youth related
  reports) in an electronic database.

• Complete building or structural functions as required,
  assisting with meal preparation, general building cleanliness, laundry, and
  organization.

• Monitor and support youth in completing activities of daily
  living such as laundry, chores and health and hygiene standards.

• Administer medication to youth following the CBRF medication
  administration required policies and procedures.

• Assist youth with attending meetings, including daily phone
  calls, family visits and professional visits.

• Maintain youth and family confidentiality within all written
  and verbal communications.

• Adhere to State licensing requirements.

• Adhere to WCS Policies and Procedures.

• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Communication – Ability to
  provide information effectively with a diverse population - the persons served,
  supervisor, colleagues, and program partners in writing and oral
  communications.

• Technological Aptitude – Ability to use general technological skills throughout
  daily job i.e., Email, Internet, company specified systems, (ex. Electronic
  Medical Record (EMR), Microsoft 365, Windows, Word, Excel).

• Managing Priorities/Deadlines – Ability to
  maintain schedules, meet deadlines, use time efficiently and effectively and
  manage multiple projects.

• Critical Thinking Skills – Ability to
  think critically and be solution-oriented in a demanding environment and adapt
  to program changes and challenges.

• Adaptability – Ability to
  manage change, deal with situations as they arise and work independently or as
  part of a team.

• Teamwork – Ability to
  work as a team participate productively while also managing independent
  contributing duties and responsibilities.

• Motivation – Possess a
  commitment to the assigned job, mission and core values of the organization
  while also supporting a respectful and harmonious work setting.

• Professionalism – Ability to
  conduct oneself with a prominent level of integrity, ethics and boundaries and maintain professional and
  respectful relationships with all WCS staff, youth and families, and all
  external funding sources and community partners involved with Matz Center.

• Multicultural Sensitivity – Ability to work in the community and interact
  directly with diverse populations, including clients, partners, and service
  providers. Must have the ability to demonstrate professionalism, cultural
  sensitivity, and strong people skills while representing the organization in a
  variety of settings.

• Crisis Intervention – Ability to respond
  during crisis situations calmly and responsibly and intervene to de-escalate
  using trained and approved methods and techniques of verbal and physical
  intervention to maintain safety in the environment.

• Flexibility – Ability to work a rotation of first and second shifts
  including weekend coverage.

• Empathy – Ability to demonstrate
  patience and understanding of difficult life situations.

• Trauma Informed Care – Ability to
  serve youth who have experienced a great deal of trauma and express their needs
  through behaviors.

Minimal Qualifications:

• A high school diploma or
  equivalent.

• A minimum of one year of
  experience serving children with mental health needs preferred.

• Trained on the CBRF
  Registry (Fire Safety, Standard Precautions, First Aid and Choking, Medication
  Administration) preferred.

• Be at least 21 years old
  (at least 2 years older than the oldest resident).

• Working knowledge of
  computer applications preferred.

• Ability to display
  cultural competence by responding respectfully and effectively to people of all
  cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and other
  diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of
  youth and their families.

• Knowledge and skills to
  work with youth ages 8-17.

• Working knowledge of
  positive child/youth development.

• Valid driver’s license,
  automobile, and insurance sufficient to meet agency requirements.

• Meet all the employee
  requirements including references, criminal background check, physical and TB
  test, and driver’s license check.

Working Conditions: 

Most work is performed at the Matz
Center and some work within the community with youth. The Matz Center is
certified under DHS 50 to provide Youth Crisis Stabilization Facility for eight
youth ages 8-17. A flexible work schedule is required to meet the needs of
staff and the people being served, third shift is (10:00pm-8:00am) and weekend and holiday
rotation required (premium for working holidays). Local travel as needed to
fulfill essential functions of the position.

Physical Demands:

Duties require activity while supporting or interacting with
youth in the program. Staff may be required to use (trained) physical
interventions if there is immediate physical harm posed to youth or staff. Ability
to lift thirty pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with
disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Wisconsin Community Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

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