Description:
General Summary: The Night Shift Counselor position performs a variety of direct and non-direct care duties in creating a therapeutic milieu. This position provides therapeutic care, safety and supervision to emotionally disturbed children and performs duties in the areas of housekeeping, laundry, meal preparation, record keeping and others as assigned. The Night Shift Counselor is responsible to review and stay abreast of assessments, logs, reports and treatment plans and attend clinical staffing and training as directed.
As an active member of a self-directed team the Night Shift Counselor promotes a positive, healthy work environment in the service of a cohesive team and positive culture.
The Night Shift Counselor is largely distinguished from the Counselors by the major assignment of non-direct care duties which do not require specialized skills acquired through advanced training, limited development of significant relationships and therapeutic interventions which do not exceed “care and control” with children (the “here and now” provision of safety, nurturance and structure). To successfully complete probation, a Night Shift Counselor must: be able to provide care and control, be emotionally accessible, respond professionally to sensitive feedback, participate and contribute to team effort, and positively resolve conflict.
The Night Shift Counselor is supervised by the Lead Night Shift Counselor and the Coordinator and receives general direction from treatment team members and through treatment plans, program philosophy and agency policies and procedures.
Examples of Tasks:
Assist in training new overnight staff in all overnight duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Provide orientation for new overnight counselors as assigned.
Assist in preparation and delivery of meals according to policies, menus, and procedures, and creates a wholesome and nurturing, experience at mealtime.
Provide or arrange for transportation of residents as needed.
Perform routine housekeeping and cleaning as needed to maintain a healthy, nurturing environment.
Carry out assigned responsibilities during fire drills and disasters.
Obey all safety rules and regulations and exercise sound judgement in regards to children’s safety in all settings.
Work with and follow lead staff; function as an emotionally accessible, reliable, and cooperative team member, solving problems, giving and receiving feedback and support.
Perform various office duties such as filing, recording, organizing and evaluating data.
Demonstrate initiative and creativity to promote a warm nurturing child oriented home environment (ie. Bulletin boards, decorations for various occasions).
Provides for and ensures building safety and security during shift.
Responsibilities:
Provide a safe living environment.
Operate program as designed and directed.
Accept supervision.
Work within a team approach to treatment.
Be available to have relationships with children in care.
Communicate clearly, precisely and directly.
Respond to needs of children in care.
Provide consistency and structure.
Be a role model.
Administer medications to children according to policies and procedures.
Provide continuous overnight awake coverage for children, meeting standards of professional performance.