JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Child Development Specialist Status: Full Time
Reports To: Classification: Non-Exempt
JOB SUMMARY
The Child Development Specialist is responsible for the day-to-day care and guidance of the children and youth in care. The Child Development Specialist is to teach life skills while acting as a parent, advocate, and role model. They are to ensure safety at all times, through close supervision and consistent interaction with the youth by abiding by the agency’s policies, procedures, and philosophy.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide a safe, structured, and nurturing environment
- To build positive relationships, serve as a positive role model, and teach appropriate life and social skills
- Maintain developmental age-appropriate rules and expectations, including proper conduct of youth during work, recreation, and education
- Maintain professional boundaries between self and youth to ensure appropriateness in the relationship
- Ensure individual treatment plan goals, objectives, and strategies are implemented on a daily basis
- Advocate for youth by working closely with key professionals to ensure needs are being met
- Consult daily with other caregivers to ensure needs of youth are being met
- Ensure youth’s educational needs are being met through completion of homework
- Assist youth with independent living activities such as learning to cook and laundry
- Prepare menus and meals
- Provide adequate clothing for youth through proper clothing purchases
- Coordinate, implement, and engage with youth in family oriented recreational activities, promoting family fun and healthy lifestyles
- Be present to celebrate with youth during key holidays and personal achievements, such as birthdays, Christmas, Easter, graduation, etc.
- Plan, supervise, and participate with youth in daily activities, including chores, study time, and recreation
- Provide one on one supervision to youth when safety concerns are noted
- Work to prevent inappropriate behaviors in the residential milieu
- Properly utilize the agency approved Behavior Management System
- Be responsible with timely and accurate communication through incident reports, verbal reports, and shift documentation
- Provide daily documentation, noting the events during shift, and complete documentation for any Serious Incident
- Distribute psychotropic medication to youth as needed and document in the medication log
- Responsible for obtaining and maintaining confidential information
- Provide transportation for youth to legal and medical appointments, school, activity outings, etc.
- Attend meetings to discuss youth and program related issues
- Complete all initial, ongoing, and annual training and development programs required for job function
- Participate in supervisory meetings and be willing to give as well as receive constructive feedback for professional development
- Must be flexible and available to work various shifts on multiple days or nights of the week
- Perform other duties as assigned
- Adhere to all agency policy and procedures and philosophy and perform all duties within TDFPS Minimum Standards and Contracting as well as all other state and federal regulations
NIGHT CHILD DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST DUTIES WILL ALSO INCLUDE
- Close of day activities: quiet time in preparation for bedtime routines
- Ensure youth participate in bedtime routine such as shower, brushing teeth, etc.
- Lights out
- Household laundry
- Monitor youth throughout the night to ensure all are sleeping and in assigned sleep area
- Assist youth to the restroom routinely to help prevent bed wetting
- Plan and prepare breakfast for youth
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Must have thorough knowledge of the Bridge to Hope policies and procedures, TDFPS Minimum Standards, Contracting, as well as all other state and federal regulations
- Demonstrate understanding, implementation, and ability to maintain current knowledge of the treatment plan and special needs of each youth and to ensure documentation of progress of the youth for their treatment plans
- Ability to manage time, prioritize, and respond to the needs of children effectively in an organized and structured routine
- Ability to work cooperatively and productively with youth and co-workers to effectively resolve conflicts appropriately and use the chain of command when communicating
- Ability to provide constructive and developmental feedback in a professional manner that demonstrates the concept for change and gives examples and suggestions to those receiving the feedback
- Ability to grow professionally and learn new skills; to accept constructive feedback and modify behavior accordingly
- Ability to lead others in working in a stressful and sometimes unpredictable environment; skilled in handling crisis situations without overreaction or loss of objectivity
- Possess sensitivity to the cultural differences that are present among the youth and co-workers
- Be physically able to perform the approved Behavior Management System
- Meet all of the employment qualifications required
QUALIFICATIONS
- Must have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, bachelor’s degree in human services field preferred
- Must be at least 21 years of age
- At least 1 year experience working with adolescents and/or at-risk youth
- Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos as well as the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
- Ability to deal with standardized situations with occasional variables
- Must possess a valid driver’s license and have a good driving records which allows insurance coverage by BTH’s auto insurance policy
- Must submit to and pass a pre-employment drug test as well as random drug tests during employment
- Must obtain a recent tuberculosis test verifying no active tuberculosis
- Must authorize BTH to check employment references and to conduct a background check in accordance with requirements by the state
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
These physical requirements described are only representative of those that must be met by an employee. Additional job-related physical demands may be added if the need arises. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform these essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, physical demands the employee will regularly encounter may include climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, feeling, talking, hearing and repetitive motions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus. This position requires visual acuity necessary to operate motor vehicles. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may have occasional contact with cleaning solvents, aromatics, and nuisance dusts.
Other physical requirements specific to this job
- Required to stand up to 5 hours a day
- Occasionally required to lift/carry up to 50 lbs.
- Occasionally required to push/pull up to 50 lbs.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The worker is subject to both environmental conditions. Activities occur inside and outside.
All employees must look out for the safety and wellbeing of the youth in care by reporting any issues of abuse or neglect suspected at any time to your immediate supervisor and to the TDFPS Hotline at 1-800-252-5400.
I understand this job description is not intended to be an “all-inclusive” list of the requirements of this position, but to describe the general nature of the job and a reasonable representation of its activities. I also understand that additional related responsibilities may be identified by the company and listed as such in my performance appraisal.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $12.00 - $15.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Schedule:
- 12 hour shift
- Day shift
- Holidays
- Monday to Friday
- Night shift
- On call
- Overtime
- Weekend availability
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Required)
License/Certification:
- Driver's License (Required)
Shift availability:
- Day Shift (Preferred)
- Night Shift (Preferred)
- Overnight Shift (Preferred)
