Direct Care Staff

Published: 6/14/2022

Personal Care

Job Description

Catholic Charities San Francisco, the Juvenile Probation Department (JPD), and the Department of Children Youth and their Families (DCYF) collaborate to provide community-based residential services to boys ages 12-17 under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Juvenile Court. The San Francisco Boys’ Home (SFBH) is the only short-term residential therapeutic program (STRTP) located in the City and County of San Francisco. SFBH provides therapeutic, rehabilitation, and recreational services in a home-like setting that is staffed 24 hours a day. The youth live in a residential San Francisco house and receive therapeutic services onsite.

The Direct Care Staff provides client-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive care that promotes safety, stability, dignity, trust, and positive development. The position works collaboratively with the Clinical, Educational, and Juvenile Probation Department (JPD) teams to provide consistent, coordinated support to youth throughout their placement at SFBH. Direct Care Staff play an essential role in maintaining a safe, structured, trauma-informed, and supportive residential environment while reinforcing each youth’s individualized care and treatment goals.

Establish and maintain nurturing, firm, and consistent limits for individual clients and the group to promote safety, structure, accountability, and self-regulation. Model and teach appropriate behaviors, decision-making, conflict resolution, and self-control.
Support clients in managing impulsive, disruptive, or unsafe behaviors through trauma-informed verbal intervention, redirection, de-escalation, and consistent implementation of established routines, expectations, and behavioral supports.
Perform food service and meal-related responsibilities, including menu planning; preparing and serving meals; supervising the cleaning and organization of kitchen, dining, and food storage areas; ensuring applicable areas are secure; and involving clients in meal preparation, service, and clean-up when appropriate.
Complete required meal production records and documentation, including accurately documenting meals prepared and clients served, in accordance with program procedures and applicable requirements.
Perform food preparation duties such as menu planning; prepare and serve meals; supervise cleanup of kitchen and dining areas, storage areas, and ensure all necessary areas are secured; Involve clients in preparation, serving and clean-up as appropriate; and prepare meal production records, and document clients served.
Creatively implement, participate in, and make use of the philosophy, opportunities, and facilities of the ongoing educational, clinical, recreational, day treatment and extracurricular programs designed to meet client needs.
Transport and supervise clients to, from and during various outings, locations, appointments, home visits, & community-based activities in accordance with all procedures and policies regarding outings and the use of Agency vehicles, including the ability to obtain a valid California driver’s license and other licenses as necessary to operate agency vehicles.
Be familiar with individual clients’ treatment plans and integrate clients’ treatment plans into all aspects of their day-to-day treatment at SFBH, including all program activities, recreation activities, and crisis intervention. Support, direct, and advocate for youth to access all treatment and program related activities.
Provide documentation such as charting in client logs, critical incident reports, communication logs, day treatment logs & reports and milieu reports.
When required, participate in individual, group, and family therapy, as directed by any administrator or clinician.
Act as partner to parents and facilitate family contact, as appropriate.
Participate in case conferences and as required, other treatment planning forums such as I.E.P.s and court hearings.
Be familiar with and liaison with Health Care Services and implement health care systems and procedures such as infection control, first aide, diet, and medication distribution within the individual clients’ treatment plans.
Be familiar with the philosophy and procedures of clients’ education programs, and act as liaison between their schools and the house programs. Assist in the integration of school input into other modalities, and other modalities back into the school program. Be available for crisis intervention work at the school and act as a support system while clients are in attendance.
Be familiar with and make use of, as necessary, the administrative organization of SFBH and its established decision-making supervisory channels.
Participate in regularly scheduled supervision with immediate supervisor and be able to receive feedback, make changes, and discuss your own issues as they come up and relate to the job.
Participate in regularly scheduled staff training and apply training to the work.
Be familiar with and implement, as required, agency policies and procedures regarding emergency situations.
Be familiar with and administer, according to established policy and procedures, house accounting systems and the following: clothing and personal need allowances; personal allowances; recreation funds; food & house supply purchasing.
Be familiar with and properly utilize Agency forms, ledgers, logs and charts.
Help orient and train new staff, as directed by the Residential Director.
Must maintain all required mandated training courses for the position as specified in the STRTP/CCL.
Perform all other such duties as directed by the supervisor.
Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education & Experience:

Bachelor of Arts or Science degree required
Experience with residential treatment, teaching, recreation, childcare, or other social service preferred and highly valued.
Direct Care Staff must possess a valid California Driver’s License and must possess the following abilities.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Experience with residential treatment, teaching, recreation, childcare, or other social service work is preferred and highly valued.
Ability to be a positive role model for individual clients and the group.
Ability to maintain supportive relationships with other staff.
Ability to both give and receive feedback.
Maintain high standards of personal hygiene, grooming, and appropriate standards of personal dress.
Maintain clear boundaries between personal life and professional behavior on the job.
Display situation-appropriate emotional responses.
Maintain identification within the duties and responsibilities of a Direct Care Staff as outlined in this job description, not with the identity of the residential group.
Consistent in supporting agency policies, philosophy, and ethics.
Punctual in arriving for shifts, meetings and appointments.
Demonstrates the necessary attitudes, knowledge & skills to deliver culturally competent services and work effectively in cross cultural situations.
Demonstrates the necessary attitudes, knowledge and skills to deliver culturally competent services and work effectively in cross-cultural situations.

Prerequisites Required Prior to the First Day of Employment:

Fingerprints: Required

TB Screening -

Negative Tuberculosis Test: Required

First Aid

Certificate: N/A

· Is responsible for accurate and timely data entry that aids Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) reporting and case record reviews.

· Is responsible for accurate and timely submission of case records.

· Serves on a quarterly case record review committee for Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) reporting.

· Serves on department or program Performance and Quality Improvement PQI Committee responsible for monitoring goals and reporting.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Occasionalbending, standing, stooping, kneeling, reaching, twisting, and walking.
Occasionallifting, pushing, and pulling.
Occasionalrepetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
Light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

· The worker is required to have visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned.

· Driving is required for this position.

If driving a car is required for the position, incumbent must have a valid California driver's license and be able to provide proof of DMV record and personal insurance (if required.)

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· The work environment consists of home, school, office, recreational and community milieus, and is navigable by those possessing the above-named physical requirements.

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER and is committed to providing equal employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, legal domicile status, veteran status, disability or AIDS/HIV status or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

\nCompany Description

CATHOLIC CHARITIES IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER and is committed to providing equal employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, legal domicile status, veteran status, disability, or AIDS/HIV status or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Company Description

Catholic Charities is one of the largest, oldest, and most comprehensive nonprofit human services organizations in Northern California, annually reaching more than 60,000 vulnerable individuals of all faiths in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Marin Counties. With a staff of approximately 450, reaching peaks of nearly 600 with seasonal hires, a budget of $54.3 million, and a current governing board of 27, this venerable, fully-accredited, independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit addresses some of the most pressing community needs – homelessness, generational poverty, immigration, inequality, hunger, aging in isolation, and communicable disease -- to name a few – with compassion and services of highest quality.\r\n\r\nCATHOLIC CHARITIES IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER and is committed to providing equal employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, legal domicile status, veteran status, disability, or AIDS/HIV status or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law.\r\n\r\nPursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.