Upbring, the new Lutheran Social Services of the South, is a 135 year-old nonprofit organization with a rich legacy of serving vulnerable people across Texas. Its mission is to break the cycle of child abuse by empowering children, families and communities. Upbring serves more than 30,000 people annually and provides innovative programs and services for children including foster care, adoption, education, residential treatment and community services. For more information, visit Upbring.org.

The Direct Care Specialist I is responsible for supervising residents and maintaining a safe, supportive, and therapeutic environment that meets the individualized care plan and personal development needs of the residents in accordance to Agency standards, state licensing standards, and other federal, state, and local regulatory requirements. The Direct Care Specialist I will follow a designated routine as assigned.

Essential duties

• Provide direct supervision and observation of all residents while in their living space or common areas; know the whereabouts of all residents at all times during the shift
• Interact, observe, and supervise residents in accordance to their individualized treatment and behavior support plans
• Set appropriate behavioral limits with residents in accordance to Agency policy and individualized treatment and behavior support plans
• Work in a manner that seeks to prevent crisis situations; proactively intervene to manage or de-escalate crisis situations; apply verbal redirection when deemed appropriate
• Complete assigned duties and paperwork, such as behavior sheets, observation notes, communication logs, shift reports, and incident reports before the end of shift
• Maintain awareness of resident behavior and utilize the proper intervention and appropriate consequence in accordance to Agency policy and the residents’ individual treatment and behavior support plans; accurately document the behavior and intervention using the designated forms
• Provide residents with a full range of basic living skills, including, but not limited to bathing, feeding, cleaning, shopping, and laundry
• Clean, organize, and maintain the residents’ living space to provide a safe and therapeutic environment
• Ensure safety, security, and sanitation standards are maintained in all work areas at all times
• Accompany residents and participate in group therapy sessions, as needed
• Teach, supervise, and assist residents in achieving their daily goals
• Converse with residents to reinforce positive behavior and promote social interaction and community inclusion
• Accompany and/or transport residents to appointments, outings, and activities using established safety protocol
• Assist with the new resident orientation
• Report and properly document all incidents in a timely manner (prior to the end of the shift)
• Prepare and attend supervision, unit, team, and facility meetings as required
• Provide back-up services and assistance to other units/programs when needed
• Complete required training hours per licensing standards
• Other duties and special projects as assigned

Working Relationships

• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with the program and clinical management team and staff, residents, and volunteers to meet the needs of the residents and ensure the program goals and objectives are being met.
• Work closely with management, the program and clinical staff to ensure program operations, goals and objectives are being met and the residents are receiving the highest quality of services and support.
• Work as team player and exhibit professional behavior and a positive attitude with both internal and external clients that reflect positively on the Agency and is consistent with Agency policies and practices. Always work within the Agency’s Code of Ethics and establish working relationships within the ethical boundaries established.

Minimum qualifications

• High school diploma or GED equivalent
• 6 months experience working in a similar environment
• Ability to use good judgment and think and react rationally and calmly in difficult and stressful situations
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with a diverse staff and resident population
• Ability to provide conflict resolution and de-escalation methods and techniques to ensure the well-being and safety of residents
• Strong verbal communication skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to meet deadlines and complete tasks in a timely manner
• Demonstrated ability to write legibly and in a concise and understandable manner
• Ability to work both in a team environment and independently
• Proficient with basic computer skills, such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook)

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in Social Work, Social Services, Human Services, or closely related field
• 1 year experience in residential care facility or similar setting
• Basic knowledge of behavior modification and therapeutic settings

The physical requirements for this position with or without reasonable accommodation are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. While performing this position the employee with or without reasonable accommodation should have the ability to walk, stand, sit, kneel, speak, and hear with aid, see, read, reach with arms and hands, and use equipment that is essential to performing the job, such as a computer, copier, fax machine, telephone, and automobile, if applicable. This position will require continuous viewing of a computer screen, sitting and standing for long periods of time and frequent walking. It will require the ability to safely perform movements, such as pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, kneeling, reaching, and lifting up to 50lbs. with or without reasonable accommodations.

The statements herein indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by an employee in this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job. Management may assign or reassign duties and responsibilities of the job and may request the employee to perform other duties and responsibilities not listed at his/her discretion. This job description is not a contract between the employee occupying the position and the employer. Upbring is an at-will employer.