Mental Health Worker-Group Home Relief

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch; Great Falls (MT); On-site; USD 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Inc. seeks a Mental Health Worker to support youth in therapeutic group homes.

You will build trusting relationships, reinforce life skills, and help youth meet individual treatment goals through structured daily routines and evidence-based interventions. Responsibilities include supervision, de-escalation, and crisis-response, with duties ranging from meal preparation and housing tasks to documentation and collaboration with families and schools.

Qualifications

• Empathy and compassion to support youth facing mental health challenges.
• Strong communication skills with youth, families, and the treatment team.
• Ability to maintain boundaries and professionalism in all interactions.
• Accurate, timely documentation of youth progress and incidents.
• Willingness to obtain First Aid/CPR and Violence Intervention Prevention certification.

Responsibilities

• Build healthy, professional relationships with youth using trauma-informed approaches.
• Provide supervision, structure, and guidance in the daily routine.
• Support youth in coping, communication, and emotional regulation.
• Administer medications according to organizational policies and procedures.
• Transport youth to school, appointments, activities, family visits, and community outings.
• Complete timely documentation of youth progress, behaviors, significant events, medications, and services provided.

Skills

Empathy and compassion

Communication skills

Boundaries and professionalism

Documentation skills

Team collaboration

Education

High School Diploma

Job description

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.What You'll DoAs a Mental Health Worker, you will: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.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.What This Work Is Really AboutOur 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.Who Does Well in This RoleYou 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 olderCriminal / Child Abuse Clearance: Must pass criminal record and child abuse registry background check as required by the State of Montana.Education: High School DiplomaRequired Abilities/SkillsEmpathy 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.