Young Adult Housing Case Manager

Who We Are Looking For

The Housing Case Manager will coordinate quality case management services for all youth and assist in meeting the needs of youth, by maintaining a safe and consistent environment, allowing them the opportunity to grow emotionally, spiritually and academically. More significantly, this staff member will have the opportunity and responsibility to encourage, motivate and support youth to work through the program successfully and transition back into the community. This requires the Specialist to understand where each youth is developmentally and employ a plan of intervention based upon that individual’s needs. The Specialist will serve as the liaison among all of the treatment team members including the Department of Children’s Services, the youth’s family, and other community partners.

Responsibilities of the Case Manager

• Creating and maintaining a positive environment by demonstrating a positive disposition
• Interact in a Trauma Informed manner with all youth at Monroe Harding, viewing each youth through the lens of, “What happened to them” (instead of labeling them as good or bad). Seek to be curious and interested in youth experiences before expecting compliance, promoting youth self-reflection and learning, and modeling healthy social and emotional regulation skills, and providing constructive behavioral feedback to youth from a TRIC perspective.

• Participate as a member of case management team planning for the development of the individual youth in residence, and carrying out those plans in conjunction with the individual program plan.
• Responsible for teaching youth appropriate behaviors, utilizing various counseling and supportive techniques.
• Assist in scheduling necessary appointments and arrange transportation for youth during the hours of 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Act as liaison when necessary to medical and psychiatric providers as well as insurance providers.
• Be available at lease once/week for youth to share his/her feelings and personal needs when appropriate.
• Timely submittal of precise case notes that capture goals from each young adults, Individual Treatment plan, daily goals and the young adults plan in collaboration with each individual young adult.
• Acclimate young adults to their new home by assisting the young adult in bringing in personal belongings, completion of intake documentation, providing information about the community, distributing bus passes listening for questions and concerns and facilitation of a meet and greet with housemates.
• Capture each young adult’s monthly progress, highlighting strengths, reporting on goals, noting flaws along with plans to assist in addressing areas of concern.
• Engage in meaningful conversation with young adults individually or in groups to discuss weekly life skills topics. Creatively facilitate discussions and life skills activities that encourage conversation, ponder learning styles of each individual and promote implementation of the life skills presented.
• Teach young adults the importance of maintaining their physical and mental health by guiding them in making appointments, encouraging preparation for the appointment, practicing timeliness in making appointments and arriving to appointments and following through on doctors’ orders.
• Prepare bedrooms for young adults entering the program making it welcoming which includes fully cleaning the bedroom, bathroom and closet, making the bed up, arranging the furniture, organize a welcome basket and stock the bathroom with cleaning supplies.

In addition this position requires:

• Establish positive norms and routines that respect young adults, admonish the rights of every young adult and encourage a community of understanding.
• Redirect youth in ways that teach lessons and allow for natural consequences to reveal the need for change.
• Practice handle with care techniques that proactively encourages tension reduction, decreases additional trauma, encourages acknowledgement of ones owns feelings and offers genuine support.
• Provide encouragement through listening, understanding, acceptance of differences, focusing on young adult issues that matter to them and offering advice.
• Enforcement of program structure and expectations without being threatening but directing in a way that guides, provides limit setting that is intellectually clear and not demeaning and finds ways to reward compliance and progress.
• Consistently be present in every situation that offers balance, understanding and empathy with out under or over reacting.
• Expressing thought in a manner that is not offensive or condescending. What you say is not as important as how you say it (and act).
• Seek and identify when young adults are upset, disappointed or frustrated and offer emotional support.
• Participate in on-call rotation (Thurs-Weds) assisting staff with emergency situations.

What we expect in a Case Manager at Monroe Harding

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree and one year experience in a residential setting preferred.

Qualifications Required

• Optimistic, hopeful personality encourages youth engagement.
• Someone who refuses to “label” youth negatively, and instead, views behaviors through a trauma lens, asking, “What has he been through,” as a means to better understand the “why.”
• Has fun with youth while maintaining healthy and safe boundaries.
• Interested and curious in youth’s experiences and forms trusting, dependable relationships which result in authentic sharing of thoughts/feelings.
• Balances providing “understanding” to the youth with an expectation of “doing better.” Can communicate in a sincere, compassionate, and hopeful manner. Able to be firm without being harsh.
• Adept at influencing change using positive interventions like praise/rewards, validation, distraction/redirection or extinction. Celebrates small successes. Views and deals with mistakes or misbehavior as opportunities to learn and grow. Limits use of consequences as way to control behavior.
• Never gives up on the youth.
• Models self-awareness and emotional regulation: notices when getting “triggered” and handles in an appropriate manner. Learns from own experiences.
• Builds effective relationships with youth and staff. Takes accountability, notices impact on others, and apologizes or attempts to restore relationships after negative incidents.
• Seeks to provide youth feedback in a non-confrontational, developmental manner.
• Effective de-escalator of emotional situations.
• Basic understanding of healthy brain development, the impact of chronic stress/trauma on development and how positive experiences can be restorative to brain development.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to make effective decisions during crisis situations
• Ability to function effectively as part of a treatment team, demonstrating ethical/good judgment.
• Flexible with regard to work schedules in order to get the job done.
• Able to communicate effectively with others, utilizing verbal, written skills, and electronic documentation/computer skills.
• Possesses a strong set of organizational and leadership skills.
• Able to hold self to the same rules and expectations as the youth and act as an appropriate role model for them.
• Relates in a positive manner to youth and adults regardless of race, creed, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin

Applicants must pass thorough background check and drug screen.  Must have valid Tennessee driver’s license.

Additionally, The Diana Screen® is administered to all potential applicants to help ensure that ethical boundaries between children and adults are maintained. At Monroe Harding, the safety and protection of the youth who have been entrusted to us is our #1 priority.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance available
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• Generous paid time off package
• 401k (Monroe Harding will match up to 4%)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional development and training

Complete the Online Application