Youth Specialist
North Central Behavioral Health Systems – LaSalle/Princeton Offices Full-Time Intensive Home/Community Based Adult/Youth Specialist.
Experience/Skills:
The ideal candidate will be someone who has worked within mental health, developmental disability, or specialty children’s service organizations and has a desire to help children, adolescents, and adults to develop or enhance their ability to function within his/her living, learning, and school or work environments with the least amount of support from agents of the helping professions.
Requires a strong desire to work with the seriously emotionally disturbed clients.
Some knowledge of various mental health and related illnesses methods of treatment.
Participated in the development and implementation of treatment plans with supervision.
Ability to make clinical decisions within area of responsibility.
Recognizes and is sensitive to cultural and ethnic differences.
Knowledge of child development issues.
Ability to establish good rapport with clients and families.
Ability to work under supervision and follow instructions.
Ability to work cooperatively with others.
Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing.
Ability to adapt to change in work or client assignment.
Ability to demonstrate some skill in crisis intervention situations.
Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with clients, other employees, and the community.
Ability to utilize technology for service delivery.
Ability to teach clients how to utilize technology to access services and care support.
Position Description:
Works in collaboration with other members of the treatment team to integrate and deliver intensive home/community based services for children, adolescents, and adults following established service delivery model(s) for care delivery utilizing evidenced based curricula.
Responsibilities:
Performs tasks identified on the Individual Treatment Plan with the client in order to provide for improved social and adaptive functioning.
Recognize and communicate when support for children, adolescents, young adults is needed in their environment for their mental health needs with family and community systems.
Provide encouragement and resources to clients’ support system.
Assists clients in generalization of skills which should result in an increased independence in their living environment and community.
Participates in IHCBS weekly and monthly team staffing with community support workers and therapist in the identification of skill area deficits and implements services that will increase strengths and goal achievement.
Closely monitors for physical and emotional safety of clients; and assists with obtaining needed medical care and acts as a liaison with healthcare providers.
Communicates pertinent observations regarding client’s appearance or behavior to the appropriate person.
Prepares and maintains necessary client records and reports in accordance with licensing and accreditation standards and agency policies/procedures.
Documents client response to individual services in approved formats including individual progress notes.
Participates in the Performance Improvement activities of the agency.
Insures that defined individual rights and responsibilities of clients, their families, visitors, and co‐workers are honored.
Supports and implements the agency organizational and clinical policies and procedures.
Provides transportation and support to clients to assure needs are met.
Participates in regular agency staffings, clinical supervision, and training as required.
Identify sanitary, safe, and clean living environments and teaches individuals personal safety and emergency preparedness, reports problems to the appropriate person.
Teaches and monitors client’s individual personal care and daily living activities in their home and community.
Plans leisure/recreational activities in accordance with evidence based curricula and encourages and accompanies clients when necessary and in accordance with the approved service deliver model matrix.
Ability to utilize technology for service delivery and have the ability to teach clients how to utilize technology to access services and care support.
The above statements reflect the general duties considered to describe the principal functions of the position identified, and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be inherent to the position.
Minimum Qualifications:
Associates Degree
Three years’ experience in the mental health, child welfare, developmental disability, or special education field preferred.
Experience with providing services to the seriously and persistently mentally ill preferred
Experience in working with identified age groups preferred.
Proficient in use of computer technology.
Possess valid Illinois driver’s license.
Proof of auto insurance coverage and have access to a car during work hours.