Job Details

Extra-Help 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 an Extra-Help 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. Starting salary up to $40.78 per hour depending on experience.

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, and application 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 established Trauma-Informed Care methods
• Utilizing Therapeutic Crisis Intervention techniques to de-escalate youth in acute crisis
• 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

The ideal candidates will possess many of the following:

• A strong youth development and experiential learning background
• Experience in Trauma-Informed Care practices and working with youth who have experienced significant trauma
• 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
• 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

Extra-Help Employment: Extra-help employees relieve or augment permanent staff. Intermittent, extra-help employees are not in the classified civil service and do not have property rights to permanently allocated positions. In addition, they do not receive most regular employee benefits such as long-term disability insurance coverage, accrual of vacation, participation in the County retirement program, or eligibility to take promotional examinations. Intermittent, extra-help employees are limited in their employment to a maximum of 1,380 hours within any twelve-month consecutive period. Extra-help employees who meet the eligibility requirements may qualify for a County contribution toward medical coverage.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Experience as a group or youth counselor or other experience related to working with children or youths would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed.

Education: Completion of sixty semester units at an accredited college with at least nine semester units in child development, sociology, behavioral and social psychology, social casework, social welfare, counseling and guidance, child psychology or a closely related field in behavioral science would provide an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Two years of full-time experience in a position equivalent to the level of Counselor I with Sonoma County may be substituted for thirty semester units of coursework.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position. The positions advertised on this announcement require possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Additional Requirements: Candidates certified for employment must be willing to undergo and successfully complete an in-depth background investigation, including a psychological evaluation, finger printing, criminal history check, and a medical examination.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: sociology, behavioral and social psychology; social casework, social welfare, counseling and guidance, child development, behavioral and related sciences; relationship to personality development, behavior patterns, motivation and group and family dynamics; psychological, sociological, behavioral cultural factors and child development as they relate to dealing with children who are dependent, abused, or neglected; typical child and youth behavior patterns and methods of guidance, counseling and modification of behavioral patterns. Learns working knowledge of child care services; daily care and nurturing of infants, young children and youth; personal hygiene, grooming; the ability to teach hygiene techniques to children; record keeping; departmental policy, regulations and functions; first aid and CPR; child abuse reporting laws; recreational activities for children and youth; food preparation and service. The Valley of the Moon Children's Home uses a specific method of interacting with children. Staff is expected to learn and use the prescribed method.

Ability to: effectively communicate orally and in writing, and to listen actively; read and comprehend instructions and standards and apply them to a variety of situations; make and record detailed observations. Write descriptive narratives, including incident or observation reports. Relate to a wide variety of individuals from varied socio-economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and experiences. Establish and maintain appropriate relationships with children and youths. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, supervisors, health and social service providers, parents, volunteers, foster parents, guardians, and family, law enforcement agencies, other County Departments and the public. Learns to guide, teach and supervise children and youths; apply basic first aid; bathe, dress, feed and provide recreation where appropriate for infants, children and youths; perform light janitorial and maintenance tasks; direct groups of children and youths during work, meal and leisure time activities; manage aggressive behavior; restrain children for the safety and protection of themselves and others. Supervise children while in a school setting, working in collaboration with school staff to help children achieve their current educational goals. Work different shifts, weekends and holidays.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions are used to evaluate your qualifications. Please provide sufficient information to allow for a thorough evaluation of your qualifications.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination: An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (pass/not pass) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's combination of educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities that relate to this position to ensure satisfaction of the minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who possess the minimum qualifications for the position will be placed on an extra-help employment list and referred to the department. The department may contact candidates from the employment list who possess the most appropriate job-related qualifications for further consideration.

A background investigation is required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities