Support Team Counselor

This is a temporary position

Do you enjoy working outdoors? Do you have a passion for helping people, or you love to see youth and young adults work hard to reach their full potential?   Want to provide at-risk-youth with the tools to begin their process of change and be successful?  Come work with us as a Support Team Counselor, and contribute to the positive transformation of the at-risk teens in our adolescent residential academy program located in Manson, NC, and give them a second chance to succeed.

Our Benefits: 

• Low-Cost Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 19 days of Paid Time Off the first year
• 11 paid holidays
• Retirement savings plan with employer match up to 5%
• Flexible spending accounts
• Paid short-term and voluntary long-term disability
• Group Term Life and AD&D Insurance

Extra Benefits:

• Meals provided when on duty

Position Concept

The Support Team Counselor will work in coordination with the youth counselor team, and service team, to support identified clients with complex primary and secondary traumas, escalating behaviors, or experiencing a crisis. With the development of crisis plans, additional supervision, and ability to network resources, the Support Team Counselor will provide care to clients reducing the likelihood of involuntary commitments. To ensure that clients are well supported by all staff, the Support Team Counselor will offer trainings to the youth counselor team to address trauma, triggers, bullying, and working with clients with complex needs.

• Responsible for the overall supervision of clients to ensure the safety and security of all youth and staff.  This supervision may include shift work. When not working with a client in crisis or heightened supervision, staff should be developing therapeutic alliances and observing for potential client’s needing additional supports. 
• Develop strong, comprehensive crisis plans that address client’s triggers. Communicate in words/phrases that staff and the client can understand and utilize as a resource. Determine when plan should be adjusted to meet the client’s needs.
• Provide one on one close supervision with youth and in partnership with the clinician when identified needs are presented such as escalating behaviors, expressed self-harm, or inability to commit to personal safety. Staff will offer counseling and coaching during the mental health crisis until such time the youth has worked through the issues that triggered the mental health crisis and effectively engages in safety planning and released from one-on-one supervision by the clinician.

• Utilize interventions, during a crisis, that are client specific, based on the assessment & plan created with the youth, to ensure safety. 
• Review and debrief each crisis that occurs on campus. Report any trends, recommend additional safety measures, or corrective actions to leadership team promptly. 

• Lead group of youth through a variety of daily activities while providing group and individual counseling, with an emphasis on strength-based development; Maintain a high standard of successful role modeling for youth and staff that reflects trauma responsive practices, enthusiasm, creativity, flexibility, and activities that are educational and engaging.
• Support the evidenced based practices delivered such as Seeking Safety and TF-CBT. Staff member will be intimately aware of triggers and trauma discussed during TF-CBT while working with clinician. Staff member will use information to support the client and youth counselors while maintaining group confidentiality. 
• Ensure balanced activities for all levels of involvement of youth based on capabilities.
• Ensure successful development of the youth through rational living cognitive behavioral therapy to help youth define their life goals and then help them achieve those goals-pointing out thinking errors and faulty cognitions along the way.
• Provide feedback, growth experiences, and recognition for youth to enhance confidence, self-esteem, and pro-social behaviors.
• Develop and participate in planned trips and activities as required to ensure progress of the youth.
• Participate in staff meetings with Case Managers, Senior Counselor/Teacher, Director of Programming, Lead Teacher, and others.
• Will participate and/or deliver in depth training with the staff regarding trauma informed care, culturally sensitive approaches, and increasing their overall skills in response to client needs. Responsible for enhancing the skill level of the staff on campus to recognize and respond to the early signs of emotional distress in the clients on campus. 
• Submit written evaluations as scheduled on all individuals and groups ensuring documentation and communication is shared at all levels of program involvement. Implement individual service plans as specified by primary staffing teams. Staff will be responsible for documenting all crisis plans for the juveniles on campus and attaching it to the individual service plan. 
• Document and track all pilot identified objectives and outcomes within CCP in a timely manner. 
• Demonstrate both sensitivity and responsiveness to the cultural differences within the client population.
• Responsible for enhancing the skill level of the staff on campus to recognize and respond to the early signs of emotional distress in the clients on campus. 
• Review all assessments and documentation related to the juveniles on campus to support the clients from admission to discharge in moments of crisis. 

• Participate in training and development activities as required.
• Willingness to participate as a team member in all activities for overall program’s success.
• Maintain living area and equipment.
• Report any acts, incidents or conditions that reflect the possibility of inappropriate youth-to-youth or staff-to-youth relationships.
• Report any use of physical force and all unusual incidents per Eckerd policy and state guidelines.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education:  Two years of college in a social or human service field or a high school diploma or equivalent with a minimum of two years’ prior experience working with a female population with a history of trauma is preferred. Two years of youth experience is minimum requirement.  Bachelor’s degree, from an accredited College or University, in social or behavioral services or outdoor recreation specialties preferred.

Experience:  Must be 21 years of age or older. Direct childcare experience in a therapeutic/rehabilitative setting preferred.  Experience in outdoor recreation preferred.

Skills:  Group leadership, communication, self-motivated, level-headed, objective, flexible.  Knowledge of group dynamics and experiential education preferred.  Ability to complete job-related training and have satisfactory evaluation at conclusion of 90-day probationary period.

Other:  Must meet state criminal background check requirements.

Travel:  Must be able to meet requirements for Eckerd’s Auto Insurance and be able to drive for business purposes.  Valid and appropriate driver’s license or state identification is required.  Position may require incumbent to drive.  Employee must obtain valid driver’s license or state identification in the state in which they are employed within 90 days of hire.

Physical Demands:  Ability to travel about property, through wilderness terrain.  Must be able to pass evaluation of crisis intervention/physical restraint techniques and written certification exam, and use approved techniques as needed.  Must be able to participate in aquatic activities.  Ability to stand, sit or walk for extended periods of time.   Constant exposure to outdoors and/or weather conditions.  Must have near and far visual acuity, any deficiencies of which must be able to be mitigated with corrective lenses.  Responsible for the overall supervision and safety of clients.  Supervision may include shift work.  Ability to frequently lift/move up to 25 pounds.  Ability to transport clients and staff.  Must be free of communicable diseases as defined by the appropriate state and to the extent that data is attainable under federal law.

*This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by a person assigned to this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties that may be performed by a person so classified.

Girls Residential Academy at Kerr Lake

633 Shepards Way Lane | Manson, NC  27553

About Us Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYHTa-sBxJI&t=25s

To learn more about our program copy and paste the link into your browser: https://eckerd.org/juvenile-justice-services/residential-services/short-term-residential-services/ 

Eckerd Connects' Girls Short-Term Juvenile Justice Residential Program is a gender responsive, complete rehabilitative experience delivered in 4 to 6 months for girls ages 13-17.  This 20-bed program is for girls who are referred by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJ).  During the 4-6 month stay, the program assists young women in learning the skills and tools needed to successfully re-integrate with their families, and back into their communities. This residential treatment concept combines promising and evidence-based practices with a strong family transition component and signifies a public-private partnership with the Division of Juvenile Justice which has produced an innovative shift in the way youth are served in North Carolina's juvenile justice system.  Intensive, short-term services include individualized treatment and academic plans that combine formal and experiential education, community service, behavioral health, and family counseling in a non-punitive environment designed to address the youth's behavioral challenges through a strength-based approach.  Youth also receive accredited educational services on-site and work together in small group settings with assigned counselors.

Eckerd Youth Alternatives, Inc. ("Eckerd Connects") considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran.  

Eckerd Connects is a drug-free workplace and utilizes E-verify to confirm employment eligibility.

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