Independent Living Family Teacher(s) - Charleston, SC

Carolina Youth Development Center is seeking a married couple or individual persons to fill the important role of Independent Living Family Teacher(s).

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Supervisor's Title: Associate Vice President of Residential Services

OVERALL JOB PURPOSE:
Responsible for providing a safe, nurturing, and therapeutic environment with optimal learning for abused/neglected youth. Independent Living Family Teachers work in a structured, home-like environment and are responsible for providing emotional, physical, intellectual, and psychological support to clients. Independent Living Family Teachers are responsible for teaching life skills to youth aging out of the foster care system.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Family Teacher will provide youth with a caring environment in which to grow and learn; model and teach social skills, self-help skills, academic skills, and independent living skills; foster the moral and spiritual development of youth; administer the day-to-day operations of a large family residence; supervise and work with other professional Family Teachers in carrying out responsibilities; and maintain confidentiality of youth and program information.   The Family Teacher is provided a private living area to sleep, shower, and spend time when they are not on duty and to receive personal visitors.  The Family Teacher will model healthy grocery shopping with the residents as well as model independence by making their own healthy meals in the kitchen. Food, entertainment, household items, supplies, and utilities will be paid for by Carolina Youth Development Center as the Family Teacher lives in and manages the group home.

The Family Teacher will be responsible to care for up to 10 residents, aged 17-21. Initiates and ensures completion of daily activities related to maintenance of resident schedules including completion of chores, laundry, food service/meals. Initiates reports that improve the safety and security of the building. Actively takes steps to improve physical environment in order to increase the therapeutic nature of the program. Effectively assists Associate Vice President of Residential Services in coordinating all aspects of the day-to-day program operations. Initiates proactive problem solving to improve client care services. Follows policies and procedures and adhere to licensing and auditing standards. Ensures facility cleanliness. Completes other duties as assigned by supervisor. The Independent Living Family Teacher would be an important part of a caring and supportive team to provide the residents with effective treatment.

Specific Duties:

1. Teach residents to engage in appropriate social behavior using the Teaching-Family Model (paid training is provided for full-time employees).

2. Provide a supportive, sensitive, and caring environment.

3. Provide supervision and monitoring to residents in care.

4. Schedule doctor and dentist appointments for residents.

5. Provide for moral/educational development.

6. Keep records by ensuring skill cards, incident reports, medication logs, and allowance forms are complete.

7. Schedule and conduct weekly meetings to discuss the residents, their goals, the home, and upcoming events to ensure coordination among staff members.

8. Assist with weekly activities.

9. Maintain physical facilities of the home.

10. Accept feedback and direction from the Associate Vice President of Residential Programs.

11. Help the residents respect their boundaries within the main part of the home and the individuals who reside there.

12. Plan and oversee preparation of nutritious meals and snacks that are in line with guidelines from a nutritionist.

13. Attend to all the physical, emotional and treatment needs of each individual resident in an ethical and responsible manner.

14. Plan and organize a lesson from the Independent Living manual each week and document each lesson.

15. Supervise and follow through with the weekly and monthly skill building activities planned for the residents.

Requirements of the Job:

1.   Ability and desire to work and live with youth.

2. Must be at least 21 years of age.

3. Prefer a Bachelor’s degree.

4. A valid driver’s license with a good driving record.

5. Pass a criminal background check.

6. A concern for youth and a strong desire to work in the human services field.

7. Ability to implement all facets/techniques of the Teaching-Family Model.

8. Ability to model appropriate behaviors and morals.

9. Will not hold another job outside of Carolina Youth Development Center.

10. Will have a current Tuberculosis (TB) test.

11. Ability to complete CPI and other related trainings before on the job training can begin.

12. Ability to pass scheduled and/or random drug tests.

Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required to perform the job:

• Ability to observe and specifically describe resident behaviors.

• Ability to give and accept feedback and implement feedback.

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to maintain a flexible schedule.

• Ability to apply the skill of maintaining acceptable tolerance levels for inappropriate behaviors.

• Ability to model and teach appropriate social skills, dress codes, language and public behaviors.

• Ability to follow written and oral instructions and to give them to the residents.

• Ability to exhibit emotional control, patience, and persistence in extremely stressful situations.

• Ability to organize, prioritize, and implement work activities independently.

• Ability to make decisions using sound judgment, with information at hand.

• Ability to read, comprehend, and implement program related materials.

• Ability to exhibit supportive and caring behaviors.

• Ability to apply knowledge of and ability to teach self-care skills, independent living skills, and academic skills.

• Ability to serve as a role model for residents.

• Ability to teach moral values to residents.

• Ability to operate a computer and associated computer programs such as a word processor, email, the internet and electronic records systems.

• Ability to participate in physical recreation activities such as swimming, hiking, running and basic sports.

Physical Requirements:

• See well enough to read reports, skill cards, monitor residents, drive a vehicle, and observe describe behaviors well enough that a third person who is not present could understand what is being described.

• Hear well enough to converse on the telephone and hear comments mumbled under breath.

• Speak well enough to be easily understood in English when teaching skills, giving feedback, discussing strategies, and conversing on the telephone.

• Physical ability and mobility to track behaviors of residents moving whenever they may go throughout the house or the neighborhood, including over fences into the neighboring fields and at night.

• Participate in moderately stressful hiking and camping which would include sleeping on the ground or in tents.

• Climb flights of stairs and get into van.

• Dexterity to write, cook, and help with arts and crafts and games.

• Strength to carry groceries, suitcases, and move furniture.

• Stamina to work eighteen-hour shifts.

• Stamina to drive for up to three continuous hours and ability to drive at night.

• The ability to work under adverse conditions such as constant interruptions and inappropriate behavior patterns.

• The ability to deescalate verbal and physical threats from residents which could include the need to physically restrain a resident to prevent injury to the resident or to others.

Candidates are required to:

1.     Complete a criminal background check through the State of South Carolina and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

2.     Provide a certified copy of their driving record from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

3.     Meet the licensing and registration requirements of the State of South Carolina.

4.     Successfully complete the Pre-Service Workshop (Teaching-Family Model).

5.     Complete the Predictive Index survey.

This job description is not intended to be a complete and exhaustive statement of the requirements of the job of the Independent Living Family Teacher.  It is more representative of what is typical of this job.  Because the Independent Living Family Teacher acts as a resident's guardian and substitute parent it is impossible to describe all of the things that may be involved in this job.  The Independent Living Family Teacher may be asked to do other things that are not listed here, as directed by his or her supervisor or as the circumstances may dictate.