Youth Counselor

The Youth Counselor works as scheduled in Healing Homes, providing supervision, support and direction to children fostering their positive growth and development; maintains a hazard free, clean and orderly household; prepares meals to conform to menus; completes all required logs, forms and reports, participates in meetings as scheduled; accompanies groups or individual children for outside activities or appointments as scheduled.

Primary Responsibilities and Essential Functions of Position:

• Provides a warm, homelike atmosphere by establishing an individual relationship with each resident focusing on that resident's positive growth and development.
• Provide individualized care and supervision of each resident.
• Under the supervision of the Supervising staff, ensure an orderly schedule for the residents by supervising their daily activities: wake-up, school, or other program attendance, mealtime, study time, assigned Healing Home chores and bedtime; monitors individual appointments for each child to endure punctual attendance.
• Monitors each youth's physical well-being ensuring suitable clothing, adequate food, and all required medical treatments, including the dispensing of medication.
• Communicates and enforces Healing Home rules with each child; applies discipline as outlined in Healing Home procedures in a fair and objective manner.
• Accompanies and transports children to outside activities (including supervised recreation) and appointments as required.
• Maintains a hazard free, clean, and orderly household by promptly reporting maintenance problems to the supervisory staff and by completion of assigned household chores in a timely and efficient manner.
• Prepares meals and snacks under the assignment and direction of the Household Coordinator according to posted menus.
• Holds petty cash and other valuables of the home as assigned and dispenses according to Healing Home procedures.
• Completes all required paperwork such as incident, AWOL, medical, medication, and logs book reporting for the Healing Home.
• Participates in meetings as required and ensures that treatment/permanency plans are carried out daily.
• Accompany, supervise, and provide transportation for activities.
• Provide direct care coverage with flexible work hours.
• Organize and facilitate independent living skills groups in the residence.
• Record client progress in regard to independent living skills development
• Create a warm, caring, home-like environment.
• Participate in the service planning and review process.
• Deliver services in accordance with service goals and objectives.
• Employ trauma-sensitive practices.
• Accompany, supervise, and provide transportation (when necessary) for appointments and activities.
• Provide counseling and support.
• Ensure adherence to medication regimen.
• Provide crisis intervention and behavior management.
• Report incidents, occurrences, or untoward events to the supervisor as soon as they occur and complete appropriate paperwork.
• Complete all assigned documentation in a timely fashion.
• Assist in residence household duties (general cleaning, laundry, shopping, meal planning and preparation); train and supervise children in developing these skills.
• Attend supervision and meetings as scheduled.
• Distribute and reconcile petty cash.
• Fulfill any other tasks assigned by House Supervisor.

Additional Skills, Abilities and Characteristics:

• Must comply with all agency policies and procedures.
• Must project emotional stability and authority in order to form an appropriate role model relationship with children.
• Must be open to trauma informed training and maintain a trauma informed environment.
• Ability to develop and maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Must demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of clients in crisis.
• Must demonstrate responsiveness to cultural differences and a commitment to the value of cultural competency.

• Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Must have a valid NYS driver's license.
• Full flexibility working any 10 hours shift on any day required by the program. 
• Must obtain S95 & F-07 fire safety certification within first 3 months.
• Must have the ability to support, nurture and discipline children in a structured environment, as evidence by 1-year professional childcare experience. Experience working with youth with serious emotional disturbance.
• Experience in working with diverse communities, and knowledge of multicultural issues including race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, gender expression, etc.
• Proven skills in cooking, household maintenance, interpersonal skills, physical stamina, and the ability to adjust for the unique needs of anyone participating in your activities.

Benefits

At HeartShare we offer a comprehensive benefit package based on full-time/part-time status. You can expect: 

• Rewarding Work in a team environment.
• Paid vacation, sick, personal days, and holidays.
• 403(B) retirement plans with employer contribution.
• Health, dental, vision and life insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• Flexible spending account (Dependent Care, Medical, Parking, and Transit).
• Employee Appreciation Programs and Events.
• Tuition Assistance Program.
• Professional Development opportunities.
• Wellhub Discount
• Verizon Wireless Discount.
• BJs Membership discount.
• Discounts on Broadway tickets, movie tickets, theme parks, sporting events, gift certificates & more

HeartShare is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). If you need to request accommodation during the recruiting process, please reach out to Leaves@heartshare.org.  

About Heartshare

Who WE ARE:

For over 150 years, Heartshare has been dedicated to championing and empowering New Yorkers society has too often overlooked and underestimated.

To learn more about HeartShare, please visit our website at www.heartshare.org or Follow us on Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Instagram Facebook

HeartShare Human Services of New York | Homepage

HeartShare Human Services of New York nurtures and empowers children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.