Youth Counselor

Florence Crittenton Services of Topeka, Inc.; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Florence Crittenton Services of Topeka, Inc. is seeking a Youth Counselor to foster a positive therapeutic atmosphere for residents and actively engage them in daily activities that support healthy growth and behavior change.

You will work as part of an interdisciplinary team, guiding residents toward treatment goals, teaching life skills, and ensuring safety and confidentiality in a dynamic, youth-focused environment.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Valid driver’s license with at least two years driving experience.
• Must be 21+ years old and pass background check and drug screening.

Responsibilities

• Lead and engage residents to teach life skills and healthy behaviors.
• Support residents’ individualized treatment goals within a treatment team.
• Complete tasks such as headcounts, documentation, and safety checks.
• Supervise meals and activities; assist with chores as needed.
• Attend mandatory meetings and trainings; maintain confidentiality.

Skills

Driver's license

Positive parenting techniques

Effective communication

Relationship building

Demonstration and role modeling

Policy interpretation

Computer skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

All shifts available

JOB SUMMARY

Responsibilities involve developing and maintaining a positive therapeutic atmosphere in which residents can demonstrate increasingly healthy function and growth. The Youth Counselor actively engages with the residents in their daily activities for the purpose of using the youth’s behavioral expressions to explore healthy options and support positive actions. The Youth Counselor is expected to perform and will be evaluated by the following standards in his/her work with staff and residents: works from identification of strengths, not deficits; maintains focus on solutions, maintains respectful attitude towards residents and team members, keeps appropriate staff/resident boundaries, prompt follow-through on tasks, willing to assist team members in obtaining essential tools for the completion of their duties. If full-time, this position comes with the Florence Crittenton Services benefit package, which includes insurance and paid time off.

The work includes constant interruptions, inappropriate behaviors, and the potential for verbal and physical threats from youth.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Participates in daily activities of residents by actively engaging with them to provide leadership, teaching, role modeling, correction boundary setting, life skills, communication, and interpersonal relationship skills.
• Supports residents in the work of their individualized treatment goals.
• Serves an active member of an interdisciplinary treatment team.
• Complete tasks as assigned such as headcounts, daily documentation, sharps counts, and safety checks.
• Supervise residents during meal times and snacks. Oversee and assist residents with kitchen chores.
• Supervise and assist residents in building chores.
• Adhere to the daily structure including facilitating residents attending and participating in appointments, therapies, meetings, school and other scheduled activities.
• Adheres to all Florence Crittenton policies, procedures and protocols.
• Transports residents activities as scheduled.
• Attends mandatory meetings and required training as assigned including SCM Training, CPR and Basic First Aid.
• Maintains confidentiality.
• Participates in a monthly on call rotation.
• Performs all other duties as requested.

Requirements:

• All Florence Crittenton employees must have a High School Diploma or GED .
• All Florence Crittenton employees must have a valid driver’s license with a minimum of two years driving experience, with an acceptable driving record.
• All Florence Crittenton employees must be 21 years or older.
• All Florence Crittenton employees must pass a background check.
• All Florence Crittenton employees must pass a drug screening.

Preferred:

• Experience in a similar work setting preferred.
• Knowledge of positive parenting techniques including effective discipline

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of positive parenting techniques, including effective discipline as it relates to adolescents.
• Knowledge of child adolescent growth and development.
• Knowledge of the effects of emotional, social, economic, and cultural influences on children.
• Effective communication and human relations skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive work relationships with residents and other employees.
• Ability to instruct through demonstration and role modeling.
• Ability to understand, interpret and apply all Florence Crittenton policies, procedures, and protocols.
• Ability to make basic decisions, maintains self-control in stressful situations, and take appropriate actions.
• Ability to operate a computer including word processing, spread sheets and e-mail.

Physical Requirements:

• Read and write fluently in English.
• See well enough to read reports, monitor youth, drive a vehicle, and observe discreet behaviors.
• Hear well enough to converse on the telephone and hear comments mumbled under breath.
• Speak well enough to teach skills, give feedback, and discuss strategies and converse on telephone.
• Body movement or mobility to track behaviors of youth moving around the building, including stairs, bend, stoop and/or reach as needed.
• Stamina to work on your feet, as needed, for 8-hour shifts.
• Remain awake and alert throughout the work shift.
• Frequently required to lift and move up to 10 lbs. occasionally required to lift and move up to 25 lbs. and 50 lbs. with assistance.
• Ability to push/pull up to 250 lbs during a physical restraint. Required to physically assist in the verbal and physical restraint of clients up to 250 lbs who need external controls.
• Satisfactory level of dexterity to complete various tasks including, but not limited to, operating a computer keyboard, cooking, or driving, leading exercise and activity groups.

Additional Duties:

Additional duties and responsibilities may be added to this job description at any time. This job description does not state or imply that these are the only activities to be performed by the employee(s) occupying this position. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job- related responsibilities as requested by their supervisor.