Youth Care Professional

Nexus Family Healing; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on Bonus $1,000

Paid time off

Health insurance

Life insurance

401(k) match

Training & career development

Job summary

Nexus Family Healing is hiring a Youth Care Professional for our Onarga, IL location. You will provide reliable daily support, guidance, and trauma-informed care to youths aged 10–20 in a structured, homelike setting.

The role includes creating schedules, supporting treatment plans, ensuring safety, and collaborating with staff. Requires 21+ years, HS diploma, driver’s license, background check, and willingness to engage diverse communities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 21 years of age.
• High School diploma or GED is required.
• Valid driver’s license required and must meet state driving requirements.
• Must pass DCFS criminal background check.
• Must be open to meeting diverse cultural needs.

Responsibilities

• Daily Youth Care Support: mentor clients, plan daily activities, and supervise living areas.
• Treatment Planning & Protocol: administer medications accurately and support therapeutic plans.

Skills

Youth care

Mentoring

Communication

De-escalation

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

First Aid/CPR

Valid driver’s license

Job description

Description

Nexus Family Healing at Onarga is hiring temporary Youth Care Professionals for our Onarga, IL location!

Nexus Family Healing is located approximately 30 miles south of Kankakee and 45 miles north of Champaign-Urbana, just a few miles off of I-57 on a historic site in Onarga, IL. Nexus provides boys ages 10 to 20 years old a structured, homelike environment where they can safely address a variety of unhealthy behaviors and mental health issues as well as childhood trauma.

At Nexus Family Healing, we embrace diversity, promote equity, and foster inclusion. As a national mental health organization, we serve a diverse group of youth and families, and we strive for our workforce to support and represent that diversity.

Work Schedule & Salary:

• Salary starts at $21.10-$23.00 per hour based on education & prior experience in the human services field
• Location: 110 N Locust, Onarga, IL
• Day/Afternoon Shift: Flexible Schedule offered with hours ranging from 6:30a-10pm on weekdays & weekends
  • 2 weeks of training & orientation are required upon hire during business hours 8a-5p

Nexus Family Healing’s Comprehensive Benefits Include:

• Four weeks paid time off (PTO) in the first year of employment
• 8 additional paid holidays
• Multiple options for health insurance coverage
• No-cost life insurance
• Short/long-term disability insurance 401k match
• Mental Health: Talkspace Therapy Benefit for the whole family
• Hinge Health (musculoskeletal) Benefit for the whole family
• Carrot Fertility Benefit
• Tuition assistance, discounts, scholarships, CEUs, and enhanced job-specific training opportunities
• Advancement pathways and internal promotion and much more!

Benefits of the Youth Care Professional Position at Nexus:

• $1,000 Sign on Bonus paid out over 18 months of employment
• Endless training on mental health & trauma informed care
• Internal advancement opportunities without further education required
• Ongoing support of a team of trained & experienced professionals
• Employee Referral Bonus program
• Tuition Assistance Program to obtain higher education in a related field

The Youth Care Professional is responsible for providing reliable and timely support and reinforcement of all therapeutic programing by providing guidance and direction to clients in their daily living activities by utilizing trauma informed practices to maintain a safe environment, while ensuring the client’s needs are met.

Primary responsibilities:

• Daily Youth Care Support
  • Acts as a mentor and role model by showing compassion, empathy, and respectful communication with staff and clients.
  • Plans and participates in creating daily scheduling, activities, treatment planning, guidance plans, and safety protocols.
  • Coaches, clients in daily living skills, including hygiene, grooming, upkeep of living areas and laundry.
• Treatment Planning & Protocol
  • Accurately administers medications and ensures compliant, precise documentation.
  • Provides therapeutic support within treatment guidelines while maintaining healthy boundaries with clients and families.
  • Facilitates or co-facilitates educational groups that support treatment plan goals, and therapeutic programming.
• Client & Family Reinforcement
  • Leads and supervises off-campus client activities, assisting with client transportation for visits, appointments, and events.
  • Creates a safe, supportive space while promoting accountability and encouraging clients’ social and emotional growth.
  • Applies trauma-informed care and restorative practices to support accountability with clients and staff.
• Client Safety & Agency Policy & Procedures
  • Ensures safety compliance across living areas, campus grounds, and off-campus activities.
  • Performs First Aid/CPR procedures and responds according to established protocols in the event of an emergency.
  • Stays calm and uses effective de-escalation techniques aligned with crisis management training.
• Agency and Team Collaboration
  • Maintains positive team collaboration and actively participates in meetings, advocating for client and family needs.
  • Assumes responsibility for managing the milieu in the absence of leadership, as needed.
  • Participates in the onboarding, training and development and assumes mentorship role for new staff.

Requirements

Required Education and Licensure:

• Minimum 21 years of age
• High School diploma or GED is required.
• Valid driver’s license required. Must meet state regulating agency and Home Office driving requirements.
• Must successfully pass a DCFS criminal background check.
• Must be open to meeting the cultural needs of individuals or communities, considering factors such as language, traditions, and values.

Work Environment:

• Must be able to lift to 50 pounds unassisted and up to 100+ pounds with assistance.
• Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods of time (2-4 hours).
• Must be able to twist, bend and stretch in a manner conducive to the execution of daily activities within the residential program.
• Must be able to assist in proper restraining of client.
• This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as desktop and/or laptop computers, photocopiers, and smartphones.

At Nexus Family Healing, our voices and actions are focused on recognizing, affirming and respecting people of every race, ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender expression and faith. Our ICARE Values:

• Innovation: Leading the way and implementing creative, cutting-edge ideas and approaches
• Compassion: Listening, honoring differences, and showing respect, kindness, empathy care, and concern
• Agility: Exhibiting flexibility and adapting quickly
• Responsiveness: Being quick, positive, and accurate
• Excellence: Demonstrating quality results that surpass ordinary standards