Back up Youth and Family Specialist

Provide back-up coverage for the shelter when a Youth & Family Specialist shift is vacated due to illness, vacations, workshops, etc. All Back-Up Youth & Family Specialists are required to be scheduled for at least one shift per month, be it a primary or on-call shift. As Back-Up Youth & Family Specialists, it is imperative that you are reachable, and available periodically for emergency coverage.

1. Crisis Intervention Services: Initiate, maintain and complete the intake process including: initial engagement and service explanation, problem solving, individual interviewing, development of shelter contracts with youth, and interpretation of the service program in the context of providing crisis intervention services.
2. Intervention Plan: Assist the therapist in the implementation of a problem-goal focused individualized intervention plan.
3. Shelter Care: Provide consistent, caring and supportive residential shelter care for adolescents. This includes: meeting the physical, emotional and crisis needs of the youth housed, communicating effectively with the youth, developing milieu programming and activities, meeting with visitors, accepting phone calls, preventing and resolving conflicts among residents, between residents and family members, and visitors.
4. Support/Educational Groups: Provide support/educational group as an adjunct to counseling services in accordance with individualized intervention plan.
5. Telephone: Provide 24-hour telephone crisis counseling, information and referral in order to meet the needs of youth, adults and agencies in the community requesting assistance.
6. Resident Supervision: Provide direct supervision of residents through inspection tours of the shelter conducted periodically during a Back-up Youth & Family Specialist shift. Maintain visibility to residents.
7. Volunteers: Provide supervision of volunteers in the implementation of their duties and provide feedback as required.
8. Record Keeping: Complete accurately all records associated with client files, log entries, forms and memos.
9. Housekeeping, Home Maintenance, Meal Preparation, Laundry: Ensure that the house and grounds are cleaned and maintained on a daily basis in the context of daily chores through the supervision of residents, volunteers and sharing in the tasks themselves in order to meet acceptable levels of cleanliness, safety standards, and other inspections. Ensure that meals are prepared and meet nutritional guidelines. Supervise and enlist the help of residents and volunteers in the preparation of meals, table setting, clearing, and clean-up.