Direct Care Staff

INTRODUCTION:  The DCS is a staff member who is directly responsible for guaranteeing the safety of all residents.  The DCS must guide, teach, and provide loving yet firm and disciplined care to each and every resident, while maintaining healthy boundaries with clients, co-workers, and former residents.  The DCS will also be responsible for ensuring the residents complete their personal and household obligations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Supervise and be responsible for clients during the work shift.
• Read log book as well as any new incident reports (IRs), memos, case or staffing notes, and e-mail at the beginning of each shift.
• Supervise the use of any medications, maintain medications in a secure place, log their use and always follow established medication protocol.
• Know the location of each client at all times.
• Complete all required documentation, forms and logs in a timely manner.
• File paperwork when appropriate.
• Identify and respond to issues, concerns, and serious problems; document with IR to YCM.
• Record all doctors’ visits for clients and their children.
• Periodically check to make sure all cabinets and doors and locked and secure.
• Conduct bed checks at least once every half hour when clients are in bed, sleeping, or on a Sick Day; fill out mandatory bed check form. Write IR for co-sleeping.
• Help new clients get settled in their rooms and help in adjustment to Florence Crittenton and group home living.  Make complete personal possession inventory of new client’s possessions as well as client’s belongings as they leave and/or return from home visits.
• Spend quality time with each client developing a positive relationship.
• Make sure clients are appropriately dressed and instructed on good hygiene.
• Provide transportation when needed (must have clean record and valid Montana drivers license).
• Hold clients accountable for their personal responsibilities; encourage them to meet school, work, medical and other types of daily appointments and obligations.
• Oversee the health and safety of the residents and their babies using the Florence Crittenton’s program guidelines.
• Care for clients who are ill or in labor, as appropriate.
• Reinforce  Florence Crittenton’s policy that the parents are primarily responsible for their baby’s care and safety.
• Teach and model parenting and other life skills.
• Ensure that the residents properly feed their babies and that the residents themselves eat properly.
• Staff will provide childcare when required for clients to work on treatment goals. (Groups, 1.1s, ILT.  therapy recreation ECT.) Clients can use the child enrichment center during daycare hours, when available and as appropriate.
• Assist clients with arranging childcare with either peers or volunteers, when needed according to treatment plan; ensure all arrangements follow established protocol.
• Oversee all household operations and always keep the house in good condition.
• Monitor, teach, and assist with the completion of daily chores and deep cleans.
• Enforce and maintain the state of Montana’s standards of cleanliness and sanitation.
• Assist and teach the clients with food preparation and cooking.
• Greet, screen, and direct visitors to designated programs and answer the phones.
• Constantly check the house for fire and safety hazards.
• Attend all required meetings and trainings. Must obtain twenty hours of training per licensing year.
• Be a part of on-call rotation for shift call-offs (approximately 1-2 days per month).
• Perform other duties as assigned.

SUPPORT CRITTENTON’S DISCIPLINE SYSTEM:

• Hold the residents accountable for their performance and behavior.  Liberally praise positive performance and firmly but fairly assign repair when needed.
• Log exceptional behaviors, both positive and negative, and report to the case manager.
• Ensure every effort is made to provide equitable treatment of all residents.
• Mediate conflict between residents.
• Use the conflict resolution techniques taught to DCSs as outlined in the policy and procedure book.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Communicate clearly with individuals and in groups.

• Actively listen and observe.
• Communicate clearly in writing.
• Listen and react in a non judgmental manner.
• Be able to teach and help others learn through behavior modeling.
• Basic understanding of pregnancy, the birthing process, maternal and infant pre and post natal care, child rearing techniques.
• General knowledge of usual parenting and household duties.
• General knowledge of community resources.
• Ability to take charge, maintain loving discipline, and make decisions under pressure.
• Understand the importance of play; be an active planner and participant in outings and recreations.
• Maintain flexibility in all areas.
• Patience and willingness to participate and relate to residents.
• Work independently, organizing and accomplishing tasks in a timely manner.
• Remain emotionally stable in stressful situations.
• Work cooperatively with other staff members.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the pregnant teen and the single mother.
• Skills in cleaning, cooking, laundry, child care and other household duties.
• Ability to recognize unsafe situations for the resident and their babies.
• Must be CPR/First Aid certified; CPR renewed yearly. Certification hours do not count toward yearly required training hours.
• Must be able to lift 30 pounds.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION:

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Bachelor's degree or pursuing bachelor's degree in psychology, social work and related fields preferred.
• Experience with adolescent populations is preferred but not required.
• Valid Montana driver's license without restrictions.
• Clean criminal background.
• A minimum of (3) Professional References 

EVALUATIONS
Program Managers and Shift Supervisors will plan and carry out the performance evaluations.
There is a six-month probationary period.