Children's Residential Care Counselor I

Make a difference in a child's life.
Join us at Valley of the Moon Children's Center as a Children's Residential Care Counselor I!
This is an excellent opportunity to serve our community's youth and work with some of Sonoma County's finest trauma-informed youth counselors.

This recruitment is currently being conducted to fill a Full-Time Children's Residential Care Counselor I position at theValley of the Moon Children's Center (VMCC). The Human Services Department (HSD) is also running a concurrent continuous recruitment to hire multiple Extra-Help Children's Residential Care Counselor I positions. If you are interested in being considered for Extra-Help positions, you must apply to the separate Extra-Help recruitment currently being conducted.

As a Children's Residential Care Counselor I, you will carry out the mission of the Department by providing trauma-informed care services to youth in the day-to-day operations of one of the assigned residential programs at VMCC. This includes direct supervision of youth to ensure their safety and well-being, as well as monitoring and implementing strategies for program participation, engagement, and setting limits. Additional responsibilities include:

• Participating in Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings to provide feedback on youth behaviors, engagement, and progress towards goals
• Providing positive and nurturing experiences to children and youth, while maintaining care and supervision
• Teaching, coaching, and providing feedback to youth to help them develop a self-regulation skill set
• Providing transportation to and from school and coordinating recreational activities
• Documenting youth participation in activities, as well as their strengths, challenges, behaviors, interactions, andapplication of therapeutic skills
• Counseling youth to help minimize the trauma associated with separation from family members and/or guardians
• Planning and implementing small and large group activities, study support, and field trip activities
  Providing coaching, mentoring, and teaching of life skills, social skills, and coping mechanisms using establishedTrauma-Informed Care methods
• Utilizing Therapeutic Crisis Intervention techniques to de-escalate youth in acute crisis and to restrain them, when appropriate, for the safety and protection of themselves and others
• Administering medication to individual children per written instruction from medical providers
• Building relationships with a variety of youth and their caregivers as they transition out of VMCC
• Performing minor clerical duties and tasks to help maintain facility cleanliness and general order

The ideal candidate will possess many of the following:

• Multiple years of experience working in a youth residential program, wilderness program/camp, or other environment, requiring strong supervisory facilitation skills, interactive support, and coaching
• A strong youth development and experiential learning background
• Experience in Trauma-Informed Care practices and working with youth who have experienced significant trauma
• The ability to team with others in a meaningful and impactful way
• Education, knowledge, and experience in Secondary Trauma and its impact
• An understanding of the impact trauma has on children’s mental health as well as brain development
• The ability to develop positive connections with youth while utilizing role-model, problem-solving, and conflict resolution practices
• An aptitude for monitoring and intervening in high-risk behaviors, handling crises, and providing consistency and behavioral limits through relationship-based interventions
• An understanding of Cultural Competence and diversity
• Expertise in teaching and modeling the Department's mission, vision, and values
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• The ability to problem-solve and/or negotiate in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel

Please Note: VMCC operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, therefore the ability to work evenings and weekend hours is required. Applicants must be willing to undergo a thorough background investigation, psychological evaluation, fingerprinting, criminal history, and a medical and physical abilities examination prior to employment.