Cottage Parents

Job Category: Cottage Parents Job Type: Full Time, Onsite Job Location: Boys Ranch - Near Live Oak - FL Summary: While living on campus, and under the supervision of an assigned Unit Director, the Cottage Parent provides youth with a strong parental role model while implementing a professional family-style program that emphasizes skill acquisition and personal development and a safe and secure environment in which to grow and learn. The Cottage Parent teaches and develops social skills, self-help skills, academic skills, and independent living skills; and fosters moral and spiritual development through a broad array of activities to youth in residence who typically have a background of low self-esteem, academic failure, and problem behavior. The Cottage Parent administers the day-to-day operations of a large family residence including various paperwork, domestic responsibilities, and other assigned duties including administrative directives and works closely with other child care professionals as a team in carrying out responsibilities while in the work place. The Cottage Parent is directly responsible to the Unit Director. This position is not eligible for overtime pay. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The following duties and responsibilities are given as examples of the various types of work performed in this position. Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned. 1. Care for youth - The employee provides youth with a strong parental role model while implementing a professional, family-style program that emphasizes skills acquisition and personal development and a secure environment in which to grow and learn. 2. Knowledge, skills and application - The employee possesses a knowledge base conducive to sound performance and demonstrates ability to put into practice what has been learned from supervision and training and is receptive to ongoing teaching and coaching. 3. Judgment - The employee exercises sound judgment in terms of knowing when to seek consultation and demonstrates the ability and willingness to stay within the parameters of the Cottage Parent position. 4. Development - The employee strives to develop professionally and is facilitative regarding the development of youth in assigned cottage. 5. Dependability - The employee can be counted on to follow through on directives and agency/supervisory mandates and strives to be punctual and to maintain good attendance. 6. Supervision of youth - The employee provides supervision to youth and alerts supervisor of concerns relative to risk. 7. Esprit de corps - The employee demonstrates esprit de corps and a willingness to be flexible in assisting other team members in carrying out stated goals. 8. Communication - The employee communicates effectively both in written and oral forms with all team members regarding the significant psychosocial issues of assigned youth. 9. Customer service - The employee relates effectively with all assigned youth, parent(s)/guardian(s), case managers, teachers and stakeholders. 10. Stewardship - The employee demonstrates good stewardship and ensures that assigned buildings, grounds and equipment are maintained in accordance with agency standards and informs maintenance staff of any needs or deficiencies. 11. Ensures the procurement and purchasing of items for areas of responsibility in accordance with agency purchasing policy and procedures. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: - Requires high school graduate or equivalent (some college credits preferred.) - Direct Care staff must be at least age 21 in accordance with Florida Statutes and company policy. - Have a valid Florida driver's license or the ability to obtain one within 30 days of employment with a good driving record consistent with agency policy. - A concern for youth, the ability and desire to work and live with youth. - A strong desire to work in the human s rvices field. REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each area of responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required. - Must have the ability to read, comprehend and implement documents such as training manuals, policy and procedural manuals, and other pertinent material. - Must be able to verbally communicate effectively with youth and adults. - Must be able to write effectively and communicate in a clear concise manner. - Must have the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral and diagram form. - Must possess basic knowledge in child development and family systems, and be able to establish and maintain warm, consistent relationships with youth, guardians and other individuals working with the Youth Ranches team. - Must possess skills in time management and implement a method of time management that effectively maintains order and routine. Must demonstrate ability to organize, prioritize, and implement work activities independently. - Must have the ability to maintain a flexible schedule. - Must be skilled at maintaining acceptable tolerance levels for youth behaviors. - Must have the ability to model and teach appropriate social skills, dress codes, language, and public behaviors. - Must be able to work with basic mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. - Must have a high degree of endurance and have the ability to work under pressure and in crisis situations. Ability to exhibit emotional control, patience and persistence in extremely stressful situations. - Must have the ability to exhibit behaviors that are kind and nurturing in nature. - Must have the knowledge and appreciation to teach moral, ethical, and spiritual values to youth. - Must have good organizational skills and time management abilities. - Must have the ability not to personalize youth behavior and the tolerance and flexibility to work effectively with acting out and negative youth behavior. Married couples, hired to work as Cottage Parents, are very special individuals. Cottage Parents must be committed to being a strong, positive parental role model in a professional family-style setting. Cottage Parents teach social skills, self-help skills, academic skills, and independent living skills to youth in their cottage. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The physical requirements described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to perform the essential functions. The employee must have vision (corrected or uncorrected) well enough to read reports, motivation sheets, monitor youth, drive a vehicle, and observe discrete behaviors. The employee must have hearing well enough to converse on telephone and hear normal tones of conversation. The employee must speak well enough to teach skills, give instructions, discuss strategies, and converse on the telephone. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Must have the stamina to work prolonged hours and drive up to four hours