Behavioral Support and Crisis Intervention Specialist - Bilingual Preferred

Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains; Fort Collins (CO); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains seeks a Behavioral Support & Crisis Intervention Specialist to assist program staff in stabilizing youth, teaching social skills, and supporting treatment plans in collaboration with a licensed therapist.

This role requires flexibility, organized scheduling, and willingness to work extended hours and weekends, with travel as needed to support youth in care.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology or other related field.
• Minimum two years' experience working with children and/or adolescents; refugee/immigrant populations preferred.
• Bilingual English and Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide intensive, strengths-based, one-on-one support to youth with the therapist.
• Establish relationships with youth, foster families, case managers, and other providers.
• Customize behavioral and safety plans for individual clients.
• Provide interventions for foster parents and care staff.
• Maintain ongoing client documentation including progress notes and plans.

Skills

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Social Perceptiveness

Crisis Intervention

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology or related field

Job description

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains is a nonprofit, human services agency where you have the opportunity to provide support to children and families across the Rocky Mountain region. We are passionate about what we do and dream of inspiring community through our commitment and mission. We are a welcoming agency that believes that ALL people from the newborn to the elderly are valued members of our communities. If you want to make a difference where you live while serving alongside other amazing professionals, Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains invites you to apply.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Long-Term Foster Care (LTFC) program at Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains (LFSRM) provides care and support to youth from other countries, who are here on their own, as they wait for their immigration case to be resolved so they can transition to a more long term program or living arrangement. The youth are placed with licensed foster families and attend public school while they are in the program, allowing them to have more normalized experiences in family based environment.

JOB SUMMARY & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Behavioral Support & Crisis Intervention Specialist is responsible for assisting program staff in providing stabilization of youth, teaching social skills, and works with the youth on existing behavioral concerns in collaboration with the therapist. This position will participate in the youth's case and case progress and shares updates and recommendations with care provider staff to ensure a holistic treatment plan. The Behavioral Support & Crisis Intervention Specialist is required to maintain a flexible, organized, and efficient work schedule and is subject to work extended hours and weekends.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Occupational Competencies

• Meet standards of practice: Familiarity with social work practice, human development, child welfare system, and family systems, including appropriate local, state, and federal regulations.
• Apply therapeutic services: Familiarity with assessment, care planning, facilitation, coordination, and advocating for supports on behalf of and in collaboration with an individual.
• Apply crisis intervention: Experience with crisis management, problem solving, and mediation best practices.
• Legal requirements: Familiarity with the legal system as it applies to child welfare.

• Deliver services within diverse cultural communities: Skills and sensitivity in working with youth and families from a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds with a variety of challenges.
• Communicate professionally with colleagues in other fields: Ability to communicate professionally and cooperate with members of the other professions involved with the youth.

Foundational Competencies

• Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting.
• Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

EXAMPLE ACTIVITIES

• Provide intensive, strengths based, one-on-one support to clients in collaboration with the therapist and reflective of the youth's mental health treatment plan.
• Establish relationships with youth, foster families, biological families, case managers, and other providers in order to deliver comprehensive services.
• Customize behavioral and safety plans for individual clients.
• Provide interventions for foster parents and care provider staff.
• Provide feedback to clients, foster parents, and care support staff on behavior plan.
• Identify skills, support, and resources that could be used to enhance youth's wellness, including internal and in the community.
• Assist in the education and supervision of those in group sessions and activities as needed.
• Maintain ongoing client documentation as required including progress notes, treatment planning, and assessments.
• Transport and accompany youth to appointments as assigned.
• May participate in on-call rotation.

TRANSPORTATION

Must maintain a valid driver's license and carry personal auto liability insurance at the level of $100,000/300,000/100,000.

• Frequent local regional travel. May be required to transport clients in personal vehicle.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in social work, psychology or other related field.
• Minimum two(2) years' experience working with children and/or adolescents. Experience working with refugee and/or immigrant populations preferred.
• Bilingual English and Spanish preferred.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed in this job description are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VACCINATION POLICY

Due to contract requirements for this program, staff in this Long-Term Foster Care Program who work directly with youth must present proof of immunization or immunity (within 120 days of hire) to the following diseases: Varicella, MMR, Tdap, and annual Influenza; or an approved exemption from Human Resources.

Key Words: youth services, direct services, trauma-informed, foster parent, foster youth engagement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.