Mental Health Worker-Group Home

Youth Dynamics of Montana; Boulder (MT); On-site; USD 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Inc. is seeking Mental Health Workers for our therapeutic group homes across Montana. You will work directly with youth to build relationships, support daily routines, and help youth reach individualized treatment goals.

This hands-on, relationship-based role emphasizes safety, structure, and compassionate care in a home-like setting. Starting salary reflects education and experience with trauma-informed practices.

Qualifications

• Empathy for youth facing mental health challenges
• Clear communication with youth, families and teams
• Strong professional boundaries and ethics
• Accurate, timely documentation of youth progress
• Ability to collaborate with a treatment team
• De-escalation and crisis-response skills
• Ability to model independent living skills
• Willingness to obtain First Aid/CPR certification

Responsibilities

• Build healthy, professional relationships with youth using trauma-informed approaches
• Provide supervision, structure, and guidance in daily routines
• Help youth identify coping and problem-solving skills
• Support individual treatment goals and interventions
• Reinforce therapeutic goals through everyday activities
• Assist youth with emotional and behavioral challenges using de‑escalation techniques
• Facilitate recreational, therapeutic, and skill-building activities
• Model independent living skills (cooking, cleaning, hygiene, budgeting)
• Administer medications per policies
• Transport youth to school, appointments, activities, and visits
• Complete timely documentation of youth progress and events
• Communicate with families, schools, and treatment teams as appropriate
• Participate in meetings, supervision, and professional development
• Maintain a clean, safe, home-like environment

Skills

Empathy

Communication

Boundaries

Documentation

Teamwork

De-escalation

Problem-solving

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

Introduction

YBGR, WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

We have employees providing services to youth throughout Montana, working to change the trajectory of children's livesand havinga positive impact.

We are a family of YBGR staff providing services to youth throughout Montana, working to change the trajectory of children’s lives –to help them heal and recover!
Click here to learn more about the Day in the Life of a Mental Health Worker Group Home.

Overview

Make everyday moments matter.

As a Mental Health Worker in our therapeutic group homes, you will work directly with youth as they build relationships, develop life skills, practice emotional regulation, and work toward their individual treatment goals.

This is hands‑on, relationship‑based behavioral health work. Mental Health Workers help create a safe, structured, and supportive home environment where youth can experience consistency, connection, accountability, and opportunities for growth.

No two shifts look exactly the same. You may spend part of your day helping a young person work through a difficult moment and another part cooking dinner together, practicing independent living skills, helping with homework, going on a community outing, or simply having a conversation that helps build trust.

Starting Salary Range:

Relief Positions: $17.12 - $19.27 per hour. Salary reflects steps 1-5 of an 11-step pay schedule. The starting salary will be determined based on the applicant’s education and relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Build healthy, professional relationships with youth using trauma-informed and relationship-based approaches.
• Provide supervision, support, structure, and guidance throughout the daily routine.
• Help youth identify and practice coping, communication, emotional regulation, and problem‑solving skills.
• Support individual treatment goals and implement established treatment and behavioral interventions.
• Recognize opportunities within everyday activities to reinforce therapeutic goals and healthy decision‑making.
• Support youth through emotional and behavioral challenges using de‑escalation, relationship, established safety procedures, and crisis‑response skills when needed.
• Facilitate recreational, therapeutic, and skill‑building activities.
• Teach and model independent living skills including cooking, cleaning, hygiene, organization, budgeting, and caring for a shared living space.
• Administer medications according to organizational policies and procedures.
• Transport youth to school, appointments, activities, family visits, and community outings.
• Complete timely and accurate documentation related to youth progress, behaviors, significant events, medications, and services provided.
• Communicate and collaborate with coworkers, managers, treatment team members, families, schools, and other involved professionals as appropriate.
• Participate in staff meetings, training, supervision, and ongoing professional development.
• Help maintain a clean, safe, welcoming, and home‑like environment.

What This Work Is Really About

Our group homes serve youth with a variety of behavioral, emotional, developmental, and trauma‑related needs. Some youth may experience significant difficulty with emotional regulation, relationships, boundaries, or behavior.

Mental Health Workers receive training and work as part of a team to respond safely and therapeutically when challenging situations occur. The position may occasionally involve responding to verbal aggression, physical aggression, self‑harm concerns, elopement, or other behavioral health crises.

These challenges are one part of the work. The larger role is helping young people experience safe relationships, develop skills, recognize their strengths, and practice new ways of navigating everyday life.

Requirements

Who Does Well in This Role?

You do not need to have all the answers.

Strong Mental Health Workers are dependable, curious, patient, flexible, and willing to learn. They understand that behavior communicates a need and are able to maintain appropriate boundaries while continuing to build relationships.

This may be a good fit for you if you can:

• Remain calm and think clearly during challenging situations.
• Build relationships without taking difficult behavior personally.
• Balance empathy with healthy boundaries and accountability.
• Work collaboratively with a team.
• Accept feedback and continue developing your skills.
• Recognize that progress with youth is rarely a straight line.
• Find value in both the big breakthroughs and the small everyday successes.

Required Qualifications:

• 21 years old or older.
• Criminal / Child Abuse Clearance: Must pass criminal record and child abuse registry background check as required by the State of Montana.
• Education: High School Diploma.

Required Abilities/Skills

• Empathy and Compassion: Ability to empathize with the struggles and emotions of youth experiencing mental health challenges, and to provide compassionate care.
• Communication Skills: Ability to communicate effectively with youth, their families, and other members of the treatment team to facilitate treatment and support plans.
• Boundaries and Professionalism: Understanding of professional boundaries and ethical guidelines in mental health care, including maintaining confidentiality and respecting patient autonomy.
• Documentation Skills: Ability to maintain accurate and detailed records of youth’s interactions, treatment plans, and progress notes in compliance with YBGR requirements.
• Demonstrate being self‑motivated, self‑disciplined, and diligent with forward thinking.
• Demonstrate the ability to think of their team over self and define success collectively rather than individually.
• The ability to effectively interact and communicate with others. These skills are essential for building and maintaining relationships, collaborating with colleagues, resolving conflicts, and navigating various social situations.
• Demonstrate the following values:
  • Faith - is being sure of successfully achieving our mission, based upon our trust in a loving creator.
  • Integrity - doing what is right, putting the needs of others above your own, and living by the highest values.
  • Relationship - being committed to one another in a mutually respectful, dignified, healthy, and honoring manner.
  • Stewardship is the use of any resource or talent entrusted to YBGR to fulfill the mission and values.
• Willingness and ability to obtain certification in First Aid/CPR and Violence Intervention Prevention.