"Alerted.org

THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT STAFF

Program : Special Education/Day Treatment (R&E May School)

Type : Full-time; Non-Exempt

Pay Range : $21.00 – $23.00 (Hourly)

Job Ref. #: 326

Schedule : Monday-Friday, 8:00am-3:30pm, Wednesdays, 8:00am-4:00pm

About Us:

St. Catherine’s Center for Children is a non-profit organization located in the Greater Capital Region of New York. We offer a wide array of human services designed to meet the needs of vulnerable children, families and adults, including residential and therapeutic foster care programs for children and youth, Kinship support, homeless and community-based services for adults and families, a special education elementary school for ages 5-13, and so much more. St. Catherine’s is committed to cultivating a culture where all employees feel safe to bring their authentic and best selves to the workplace. Our DEIB initiatives are designed to foster an equitable, inclusive and diversified workplace; collaboratively embracing mindfulness, relevance, respect and solidarity.

Our Mission:

St. Catherine's Center for Children provides a comprehensive range of human services designed to offer hope, foster growth, and improve the lives of the children, families and adults we serve.

Our Vision:

St. Catherine’s willingness to embrace change and develop new services is, and will remain, our guiding philosophy as we support the human service needs of children, families, and adults throughout the region.

Position Overview:

The Therapeutic Support Staff is responsible for assisting students who are temporarily unable to function in their classroom program. The Therapeutic Support Staff utilizes crisis de-escalation techniques, and their relationship with the student, in order to bring the student back to baseline, assist with resolving the issue, and help the student to develop a plan for them to return to academic programming and achieve success within the school environment.

Organizational Relationships:

Works under the supervision of the Supervisor of Behavior Supports. Works cooperatively with program staff to effectively assist all students.

Position Specifications & Requirements:

+ Ability to work: Monday-Friday, 8am – 3:30pm, and Wednesday (8am – 4pm) w/ flexibility as needed.

+ Bachelor’s degree in human services or a related field, preferred. In lieu of a college degree, a combination of relevant professional experience and relatable life experience will be considered. High school diploma or equivalency is required.

+ Experience working with children who exhibit significant emotional, behavioral and interpersonal challenges, trauma history and mental health diagnoses within a Special Education/Day Treatment program, preferred.

+ Experience in the use of Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), with ability to respond effectively and therapeutically in crisis situations. TCI Certification must be earned upon hire and maintained.

+ Local travel is required; A current Clean and Valid New York State Driver’s License (actively licensed at least one year) is required*.

+ Ability to work in a therapeutic manner with the students of the R&E May School.

+ Ability to adapt individual mindset and de-escalation skills based on each encounter with students (grades K-6).

+ Ability to use developmentally appropriate practices for each student.

+ Proficiency in computer applications: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel), Google Business Workspace Suite (Gmail, Google Docs, Meet, Sheets, etc.), and secure Internet practices.

+ Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills; Capable of building strong working relationships with regulatory bodies.

+ Self-motivated and engaged, with a strong attention to detail; Excellent writing aptitude.

+ A kind, warm and caring mindset; Capable of exhibiting empathy for those in need.

+ Ability to nurture and show compassion and understanding for clients/children in crisis.

+ Qualities of positivity, flexibility and adaptability; A professional record of integrity, proven reliability and dependability.

+ Capable of exercising ethical, independent judgment and discretion, handle sensitive data with strict confidentiality.

+ Ability to pass pre-employment background check requirements, including fingerprinting.

*Staff in driving positions must be able to meet agency’s minimum requirements of our insurance policy for authorized drivers; including, but not limited to the minimum age of 21 at time of hire.

Duties & Responsibilities include:

+ Utilizing a wide variety of agency approved techniques to de-escalate students experiencing crisis.

+ Conducts life space interviews with students when necessary.

+ Conducts classroom “re-entry” interviews between student and teacher.

+ Prepares incident reports and documents interventions when necessary.

+ Responsible for reporting back on progress from ICSP meetings.

+ Attends Tier 2, Universal and Classroom Meetings.

+ Must be able to model appropriate de-escalation and processing skills for other employees.

+ Utilizing Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) strategies to de-escalate students and develop a plan for them to return to the classroom and achieve success throughout the school day.

+ Builds positive relationships with all students and staff members.

+ Assists students in developing effective emotional coping and problem-solving skills, as well as prosocial skills.

+ The Therapeutic Support Staff coordinates with the Behavior/ Therapeutic Support Team to prepare and submit all Critical Incident Reports for the day, prior to the end of the shift.

+ Creates and submits Incident Reports (as necessary): Accident reports, Critical Incident Reports, Justice Center reports, etc.

+ May be requested to attend TCI “Train the Trainer” as professional development and to join the agency’s TCI training team.

+ May be requested to attend various meetings (i.e. Med Review, Suspension Re-Entry meetings, Treatment Plan Meetings, etc.).

+ Works collaboratively with Master Teachers, Teacher Assistants and other staff in order to provide a comprehensive, inclusive and supportive program for all students.

+ Must be able to model and coach appropriate de-escalation and processing skills for other employees.

+ Knowledgeable and assists with implementation of all students’ Individual Crisis Support Plans (ICSP), Individual Education Plan (IEP) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP).

+ Responsible for logging student data when utilizing Therapeutic Support Spaces.

+ Works in a classroom as indicated by the Supervisor of Behavior Supports, Principal, or other school administrators.

+ Meets with Supervisors to review progress toward professional goals, and design and implement specific treatment strategies for individual students, whole classes, and/or the student population as a whole.

+ Additional position-related duties and responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor or director.

What We Offer You :

+ Competitive Pay with an Excellent Benefits Package

+ Health Insurance options*: Medical, Dental and Vision

+ $600 Well-being Reimbursement Benefit*

+ Generous Combined Leave Time (CLT) and Paid Holidays*!

+ $500 Employee Referral Bonus*

+ We are a 501(c) (3) agency, which is a qualifying employer for eligible staff under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program*

+ Pension Plan with Generous Agency Contribution*

+ 403b Retirement Savings Plan*

+ Life Insurance* – Automatic Benefit at no cost to employee

+ Paid Training, including TCI and CPR/AED/First Aid Certification & Update courses, if role appropriate

+ Tuition Reimbursement*

+ Travel/ Mileage Reimbursement*

+ Professional Development & Career Growth Opportunities

+ The Comfort of a Business Casual Environment

+ Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging.

*To qualify, certain conditions may apply

EEO Statement: St. Catherine’s Center for Children is committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, reproductive health and pregnancy, family history and genetics, disability, age, military status, veteran status, politics, or other beliefs, and any other characteristics protected by law.

Background Check: We are required to run a thorough and complete background check on All Candidates being considered for any position within our agency. Whether you are going to be a Permanent Employee, work with us through a staffing agency as a Temp, completing an Internship or perhaps you will be Volunteering with us. The background check includes Criminal Background Check (CBC) fingerprinting for the NYS Justice Center (NYS-JC) under the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Some positions require additional fingerprinting under the Office of Mental Health (OMH) and/or the Department of Health (DOH). All candidates must successfully clear the background check process, following NYS-DOJ requirements. We pay for all our background checks!