The Relief Residential Counselor provides direct care to youth in one of YOU, Inc.’s 24-hour/7-day-a-week acute or congregate care settings. To this end, the Relief Residential Counselor is part of a pool of staff that provides intermittent and/or seasonal staffing support as needed. The Relief Residential Counselor works as part of a shift of staff, led by a shift supervisor, all of whom are in a specific client to staff ratio, with the responsibility for creating and maintaining a therapeutic treatment milieu. Relief Residential Counselors are considered “essential employees” when they are on shift and as such may be mandated to work beyond their scheduled shift in order to maintain client - staff ratios and/or be required to report to work if they are scheduled to work during declared states of emergency.
The Relief Residential Counselor insures the safety and supervision of youth, cultivates a therapeutic treatment milieu, maintains appropriate boundaries while developing supportive professional relationships with youth, participates in the upkeep and cleanliness of the facility, documents client care as required or directed, and if necessary, utilizes agency physical management interventions.
• Insure the safety and supervision of youth through watching and engaging therapeutically with youth. To this end, the Relief Residential Counselor should monitor and take corrective action to mitigate safety risks in the milieu, and report issues of immediate concern to the Shift Supervisor, or the next level manager.
• Cultivate a therapeutic milieu. The therapeutic milieu encompasses all aspects of daily programming schedule and requires Relief Residential Counselors to role model and promote client’s:
o Social growth and connection, building social skills
o Emotional expression and learning self-regulation,
o Positive behavior
o Improvement in overall functioning.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries while developing supportive professional relationships with youth in the following ways:
o Physical boundaries: always maintain appropriate physical boundaries with clients.
o Emotional boundaries: be aware that our clients have trauma histories.
o Logistical boundaries: always double-check client’s report of permissions granted.
o Informational/privacy: always protect client confidentiality and understand HIPAA
o Staff-to-staff boundaries: be collegial and professional with your coworkers and ensure you are always in ratio
o Staff- to- providers/caregivers: introduce yourself and be warm and professional to all other coworkers, visitors, and family members.
• Participate in the upkeep and cleanliness of the facility. To this end, be proactive about daily upkeep of the unit/program, model and assist youth in completing chores, ensure programmatic room checks, house chores, youth chores, etc. are completed, support youth to do laundry, and support in meal preparation (as needed/required).
• Document client care as directed. For a Relief Residential Counselor, this typically includes:
o Reviewing and/or being familiar with client’s reason for intake and treatment plans
o Completing “shift notes” (all shifts at Wetzel, STARR, and Teen Parent Programs, and third shift at Oxford and Grafton House)
o Complete “Rehab option notes” after first and second shifts at Oxford and Grafton House, or if rehabilitation services occur at night.
o Completing shift logs after each shift
o Documentation of medication administration.
o Being aware of safety plans and any special programming (meal charts, sleep charts, etc.)
o Completing incident reports as instructed or as needed
• Uphold client confidentiality and maintain HIPAA requirements.
• Understand program/agency policies and procedures, which includes maintaining up-to-date certification in:
o CPI/De-escalation and Physical Management
o First Aid, CPR, and use of Universal Precaution
o Medication Management and/or MAP
o Van Safety/Drivers Safety
• Be a reliable and positive team member, which includes arriving on time to and prepared for all shifts, attending all required meetings and supervisions, bringing concerns directly to a supervisor, and viewing clients in a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally-responsive manner.
• In the therapeutic milieu it is important to try to prevent crisis through intervention. These crisis prevention interventions should follow the approved agency behavior management model (CPI) and should focused on verbally deescalating the crisis situation, and only if necessary, utilize agency physical management interventions.
Qualifications• Experience with youth required. Group experience with youth, preferred.
• Ability to compose oneself with professionalism, ethical practice, and compassionate regard for consumers/clients.
• Proof of a valid driver’s license, acceptable driving record, and personal transportation to fulfill essential job functions is required. As per Massachusetts state law, driving under the influence of any substance is against the law, prohibited, and may be grounds for immediate termination.
• Ability to adhere to agency ethical standards, and agency confidentiality and privacy practices.
• Ability to build rapport and work effectively with others.
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