General Summary:

The Child Activities Residential Advocate (CARA) will plan, coordinate and implement child or parent-child activities at the BAK shelter for woman and children fleeing domestic violence, and assist with other residential duties. A minimum of 20 hours per week will be involved in child activities with the remaining time involved in residential duties to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of BAK residents.  This position may have a flexible schedule to include some evening hours.

Note: This is an essential position and CARA is expected to report to work during weather emergencies or other unusual events.

Shift: Monday through Friday, 11:00 am-7:30pm.

Principal Responsibilities and Duties:

Maintain a trauma informed care environment that is nurturing, supportive, and positive for children, parents, staff and volunteers. Coordinate with community partners on the provision of services, activities and resources for children, including school transportation, trauma counseling and after school tutoring. Coordinate recreational and leisure time activities and assist parents with age appropriate activities for their children. Organize multicultural parties and communal celebrations on a regular basis. Provide for a range of activities for children of all ages and coordinate off-site activities with residential staff, volunteers and community partners. Provide regular support and coverage for the Childcare Specialist during breaks and special activities. Help organize BAK’s special seasonal events such as the Holiday Store, Summer Camp and Birthday celebrations. Coordinate efforts with the clinical team to develop and conduct age appropriate curricula for psychoeducational groups and activities for children and their parents. Develop monthly activity calendar, arrange donations and provide outreach to volunteers and other agencies. Assist Residential Coordinator with other duties as assigned to include data input, activity fliers and coordination of community activities. Read the current Log at the start of every shift and add client notes, shift log notes and critical incident reports that are neat, timely and accurate. Assist at Community Meetings to discuss resident concerns and build a sense of community. Provide supportive assistance to residents in developing life skills as identified in their service plan. Assist in the sorting, storing and distribution of donations to the center. Assist with transportation duties as requested and with weekly recreational and leisure time activities at the Center. Attend staff meetings, professional training, workshops and seminars to gain additional knowledge of available resources and skills. Maintain confidentiality of family records and information. Maintain First Aid and Infant/ Child CPR certification.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

Must have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, child development or therapeutic recreation and two years of experience in a relevant program area. Must have experience working with young children in a recreational capacity and an understanding of trauma recovery. Nurturing, patient, and calm manner, good communication skills, and ability to maintain flexibility and sensitivity to family issues are required. Must have valid driver’s license with not more than three points. Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred.

Benefits:

At Sheppard Pratt, you will work alongside a multi-disciplined team led by a bold vision to change lives. We offer:

A commitment to professional development, including a comprehensive tuition reimbursement program to support ongoing education and licensure and/or certification preparation Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits for benefit eligible positions 403b retirement match Generous paid-time-off for benefit eligible positions Complimentary Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Generous mileage reimbursement program

Pay for this position is determined on a number of factors, including but not limited to, years and level of related experience.

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