Crisis Response Center Specialist - Full-time

Description

Hours & Shifts:

• Tuesday-Saturday 12:00pm-8:00pm
  • OR
• Sunday-Thursday 4:00pm-12:00am

Location:

• Children's Square Campus 520 N 7th, Council Bluffs, IA 51503

Job Purpose

To prevent and respond to critical incidents, provide immediate assistance, and implement crisis intervention strategies to stabilize the situation.

Essential Job Duties: 

• Utilize Crisis Prevention Institute techniques to respond to children and youth, ages 8-18, at risk of harming themselves or others or otherwise in need of de-escalation.
• Develop positive relationships with children and youth in residential programming.
• Conduct needs assessments that build on strengths and identify barriers to safety/safe behavior.
• Develop personalized safety plans for children and youth in coordination with the behavioral health team and support the residential team in implementing these plans.
• Facilitate referrals to community resources and coordinate services with other agencies to ensure a holistic and integrated approach to service delivery.
• Provide developmentally appropriate education to clients and their families to help them understand and manage crises.
• Plan and implement daily activities designed to prevent or minimize the need for crisis intervention.

Other Duties:

• Perform other duties as directed by the supervisor:
• Complete training necessary to perform position consistent with program and agency staff development plans.

Qualifications

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field.  
• Two years of experience in working with children and/or adolescents in a residential care setting.
• Ability to implement Crisis Prevention Institute techniques.
• A minimum of 21 years of age.
• Knowledge of the impact of trauma and the importance of trauma-informed care.

• Strong direct service professional skills, including:
  • Ability to develop respectful relationship with persons served to help them gain skills and confidence,
  • Ability to collaborate with coworkers and other professionals, and
  • Ability to maintain a helping role and intervene appropriately.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to communicate effectively with children, parents, police, other professionals, and colleagues.

• Valid driver’s license with no more than 3 points.
• Ability to complete a defensive driver training class.

Environment:

• The majority of work is in residential care environments, both indoors and outside.
• Environment can range from highly stressful and potentially aggressive to casual and leisurely.
• The environment may include:
  • Potential exposure to bodily fluids (Universal Health Precautions are required to be followed).
  • A noise level that can range from moderate to loud.
  • Travel to activities, medical facilities, and other community-based settings.

Physical Requirements: 

• Ability to regularly stand; use hands to handle or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; climb; balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl.

• Corrected hearing and vision within normal range.
• Ability to successfully implement Crisis Prevention Institute interventions. Examples: (a) wrapping arms around child’s limbs and maintaining clasped hands against opposing pressure; (b) kneeling to break a child’s fall while arms are wrapped around a child; and (c) ability to assume a sitting position while arms are wrapped around a child.
• Ability to be awake and alert for an entire shift, which may be up to 10 to 12 hours.
• Ability to regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in outside in potentially adverse weather conditions.
• Ability to safely operate a vehicle.

Child Saving Institute (CSI) is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals and takes steps to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations.