Direct Care Staff Lead

Job Title: Direct Care Staff Lead

Reports To: Direct Care Supervisor

Employment Status: Non-Exempt

Job Overview

The Fred and Clara Eckert Foundation for Children is a private operating foundation whose primary charitable purpose is operating Eckert Youth Homes in Williston, North Dakota. Eckert Youth Homes provides quality substance abuse treatment services which encourage the spiritual, educational, behavioral, emotional, and physical development of children, youth, and their families. Eckert's core values are Faith, Integrity, Excellence, and Caring.

Direct Care Staff Lead is responsible for working as direct care staff and assisting with the supervision and training of direct care staff, who are responsible for the ongoing monitoring of all adolescents receiving services at Eckert. The lead shall be responsible for assisting direct care on-call staff with scheduling issues, assisting with training of direct care staff, supervising staff on the weekends or when Direct Care Administrator is not available, communicating any issues that arise with the youth to the Treatment Team, and assisting Direct Care Administrator with other duties as assigned.

The Direct Care Lead shall ensure that direct care staff familiarize themselves with a Trauma Informed and Restorative Approach for providing care to the youth. This will be completed by taking the Trauma Informed Care Orientation within 30 days of start date and then latter followed with Restorative Approach and Risking Connections Training. The Direct Care Lead will role model trauma informed care and support Direct Care staff in the implementation of trauma informed care. The Confidentiality of each youth is imperative. Initial training on confidentiality and 42 CFR Part 2 will be reviewed by reading policies at orientation and then by participating in training within the first 30 days of employment.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Daily responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, teaching living skills, mentoring, actively supervising residents and any behaviors, planning and participating in recreational activities and programing with youth, assisting with homework, resolving conflicts using critical thinking skills in line with policies and procedures, role modeling positive behaviors and coping strategies, maintaining and practicing youth and employee confidentiality, and assisting in progress towards treatment plans.
• Staff are responsible for the ongoing active, audible, and visual monitoring of all youth in the homes at all times. During the day shift this will occur during any time that treatment programing is not taking place; during the evening shift this could include taking the youth to off campus programing. During the night shift this will include bed checks every 30 minutes unless there is a youth on a Safety Plan which could require increased random bed checks every 15 minutes. • Document information required for each youth. Examples of documentation: the Day shift will be responsible for location of the youth at all times, youth participation level in groups and activities, individualized group notes, youth behaviors, and more. Examples of Evening shift documentation are always knowing location of youth, off- or on-campus programming, phone calls, behaviors, participation in chores, etc. Night shift documentation consists of entering numbers and times of bed checks, behavior, and sleep patterns. All will be documented in our electronic health record during scheduled shifts.
  
• Meal preparation during the weekend or when the cook is unavailable.
  
• Be able to identify emergencies immediately and react accordingly using critical thinking skills in line with established policies and procedures.
  
• Prepare incident reports according to policy and procedure as necessary.
  
• Lead will assist in making sure the staff is trained in housekeeping tasks assigned on shift notes schedule including but not limited to common area bathrooms being cleaned each night, dishes being completed each night, inputting daily log information into the electronic health record, assisting with other duties such as paper shredding, laundry, etc.
  
• Daily responsibilities include assisting direct care on call staff with scheduling issues; training direct care staff; and reviewing and approving timesheets for direct care staff at the Direct Care Administrator’s request.
  
• Lead will assist with keeping direct care staff accountable for teaching living skills, mentoring, supervising residents, participating in recreational activities, programing with youth, assisting with homework, resolving conflicts, role modeling positive behaviors and coping strategies, and assisting in progress towards treatment plans.
  
• Lead will make sure that staff are trained in being responsible for the ongoing active, audible, and visual monitoring of all youth in the home. During the day shift this will occur during any time that treatment programing is not taking place or if youth leave programming; during the evening shift this could include taking the youth to off campus programing; during the night shift this will include bed checks every 30 minutes or as indicated for by each youth’s treatment plan.
  
• Lead will make sure that they and staff document quality information required for each youth such as time of bed checks, behavior, phone calls, individualized group notes, and sleep patterns in our electronic health record. This must be completed by the end of shift or be approved by supervisor to work on at a later time.
  
• Lead will be able to train staff to identify emergencies and proceed according to established policies and procedures
  
• Lead will assist with the training of staff to prepare incident reports according to the policy and procedure as necessary
  
• Lead will assist with training of staff to complete any assignments identified at pass down such as setting alarm and disengaging alarm, along with communicating with the next shift on important updated information of each youth.
  
• Lead will work with a team of people who are charged with the spiritual, educational, behavioral, emotional, and physical development of the children and youth in Eckert’s care.
  
• Lead will attend all required training, with a minimum of 20 hours of training per year
  
• Lead will attend a minimum of two Direct Care meetings per month and all mandatory meetings.
  
• Lead must assist and care for youth on social detox under the direction of Eckert nurse.
  
• Escort youth to medical appointments or take youth to the emergency room when needed for urgent care.
  
• Lead must maintain strict employee confidentiality.
  
• Lead must maintain close and effective communication with Direct Care staff and Direct Care Administrator.
  
• Lead will assist in the interviewing, hiring, and onboarding of new staff.
  
• Lead will assist Direct Care Administrator with employee evaluations and reviews along with any disciplinary action that is needed for staff.
  
• Lead will assist Direct Care Administrator in any other duties that are assigned such as writing procedures, DC meetings, trainings, home assignments, restoration between staff or between staff and youth, updating employee documentation, etc.
  
• Transport youth to off campus activities, mindful drives, and appointments.
  
• Plan and facilitate weekend and holiday programming.
  
• Lead is responsible for facilitating programming a minimum of two weekends per month.

Supervisory Responsibility

Direct Care Staff Lead will be responsible for supervising assigned direct care staff in all their duties except any CMA or CNA duties shall be supervised by the Nurse.

Work Environment

This job is performed in two residential style homes for treatment of adolescents with substance abuse disorders. Youth may come from a background that includes trauma and possibly mental health diagnosis which may result in behaviors that include physically acting out and discourteous language. This position involves frequent movement throughout a two-story home or between both homes.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; and occasionally carry items weighing less than 50 pounds. The employee may also be required to participate in activities with the youth such as basketball, walking, hiking, bowling, and exercising. The employee will be required to walk up and down stairs frequently.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position which requires 40 hours per week. Each Lead shall be assigned a shift to work and assist in the supervision of the other direct care staff on that shift. This position requires you to work a minimum of 2 weekends shifts per month.

Travel

Travel out of town is not typically required for this position.

Qualifications

• High School diploma and life or lived experience, peer support experience, or experience in addiction and/or mental health care.
  
• Have experience supervising staff.
  
• Be 21 years of age or older;
  
• Good verbal, technology, and written communication skills;
  
• The personal characteristics and experience to supervise staff to assist them with learning to collaborate with and provide appropriate care to residents, gain their respect, build rapport, hold personal and professional boundaries, guide their development, participate in their overall treatment program, the ability to work effectively as a team with coworkers, the Treatment team, DC Administrator, and other stakeholders;
  
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office products such as Outlook, Word, Excel and Microsoft Teams. The knowledge to send and respond to emails and messages, as well as the ability to learn our electronic health record program, and an intermediate to advanced level of computer skills.
  
• Ability to pass an employee physical, criminal background check, TB screening and drug screening.
  
• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license
  
• Have no child abuse or child neglect charges or convictions.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Individuals most likely to succeed in this position generally possess the following personal characteristics:

• Exceptional interpersonal abilities
  
• Exceptional leadership skills
  
• Keen observational skills and attention to detail
  
• Commitment to complete tasks correctly and on time
  
• Keen sense of duty and commitment
  
• Act in accordance with rules, laws, policies, and procedures and expect others to do the same.
  
• Ability to set professional and personal boundaries.
  
• Conscientious
  
• Ability to react in stressful, emergent, or critical circumstances while keeping calm and composed.
  
• Steady persistence in a course of action
  
• Task-oriented
  
• High standards of quality and accuracy
  
• Strong follow-through
  
• Lead by example.
  
• Possess good critical thinking skills.
  
• Organized with ability to manage chaos, emergent situations, or last-minute changes.
  
• Desire and ability to learn and grow in position along with gaining further knowledge.
  
• Team player
  
• Growth and open mindset

Other Duties

• As assigned.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.