Senior Team Leader

PURPOSE:

The OCFS Children Residence consist of 2 programs serving males and females ages 16 to 21 who exhibit a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges stemming from acute and/or chronic traumatization. All the youth are referred to by the Administration for Children’s Services.

The Group Residence (Kaplan and Cedar Knoll House) provide supervised living units and programs of therapeutic and recreational services that emphasize family interaction and strengthening of community support networks, as well as increasing independent living skills. The goal for all our youth is to transition them back to the community, to a family member, significant adult connection, achieve housing, higher education, etc.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Senior Team Leader provides supervisory oversight to direct support staff, ensures program compliance and model fidelity, and is responsible for supporting youth in the program both during scheduled hours and as part of an on-call rotation for after-hours emergencies.

KEY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Participate in intake and admission for new referrals.

• Provide direct milieu care and coverage on an as-needed basis.

• Complete the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) Train-the-Trainer and Foundations courses and oversee coordination and delivery of TCI training to program staff.

• Conduct on-site trainings for Senior Direct Support Professionals and Direct Support Professionals staff.

• Become trained in MAT (Medication Administration Training) to administer and oversee administration of medication to clients.

• Become certified to conduct fire drills (complete S95, F07, and F01 certificates within six months of hire).

• Actively participate in weekly Integrated Treatment Model (ITM) groups, learning communities, required meetings, trainings, and booster sessions to support model fidelity and program effectiveness.

• Supervise, review, and approve all documentation (incident reports, progress notes, Individual Crisis Management Plans, missing persons, etc.) completed by direct support staff.

• Respond to all client and environmental crises as needed.

• Participate in the on-call rotation, providing supervisory support and guidance to staff during after-hours or emergency situations. This includes identifying coverage when staff call out to maintain proper program ratios.

• Perform additional tasks as directed by management.

• Supervise, manage, and provide guidance to direct reports, including DSPs and Senior DSPs, ensuring adherence to program standards, policies, and quality of care.

Team Process

• Participate in intake, assessment, discharge, and follow-up conferences, as needed.

• Provide ongoing supervision, coaching, and support to DSPs and Senior DSPs, including performance feedback and mentoring.

• Participate in regular staff meetings, treatment meetings, and trainings.

• Respond to crises at the program and across OCFS residences as required.

Documentation

• File incident reports as mandated by regulatory bodies.

• Complete regular and timely documentation of all resident interactions in the electronic records (Avatar and Connections).

• Review, approve, and ensure accuracy of all documentation completed by direct reports, including progress notes, Individual Crisis Management Plans (ICMPs), incident reports, missing persons reports, and other required program records.

• Ensure progress notes meet monthly billing documentation requirements, if applicable.

• Complete overnight shift reports for all three programs.

• Monitor and track documentation compliance to identify errors or gaps and implement corrective actions as needed.

• Provide feedback and guidance to DSPs and Senior DSPs to improve the quality and timeliness of documentation.

• Maintain accurate records to support audits, billing, and program quality standards.

CORE COMPETENCIES for the position include:

• Excellent engagement skills.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Attention to detail.

• Ability to work independently as well as with a team

• Ability to travel to visit resident’s family or escort resident to an appointment.

• Valid driver’s license and willingness to drive agency van.

EDUCATIONAL / TRAINING REQUIRED:

• Associate degree required, bachelor’s degree preferred.

• Two years’ Supervisory experience is preferred.

Additional Qualifications Needed

• Willingness to work with a children/adolescents/ young adults living with the impact of trauma and experience mental health challenges.

• Compassion and respect for vulnerable individuals.

• Patience and understanding for the sometimes-slow process of stabilization and recovery.

COMPUTER SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Ability to use Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word

• Ability and willingness to learn new systems and application software

WORK ENVIRONMENT / PHYSICAL EFFORT:

• Ability to use therapeutic holds on youth when appropriate

• Must have a reliable means of transportation.

• Will be required to commute between the boroughs.

If you join us, you’ll have these great benefits:

• Generous paid time off in addition to paid agency holidays and 15 sick days

• Affordable and high-quality medical/dental/vision plans

• Tuition assistance and educational loan forgiveness

• Free continuing education opportunities

• 403(b) retirement benefits and a pension

• Flexible spending accounts for health and transportation

• 27/7 Accessible Employee Assistance Program

• Life and disability insurance

Who we are:

The Jewish Board delivers innovative, high-quality, and compassionate mental health and social services to over 45,000 New Yorkers each year. We are unique in serving everyone from infants and their families to children, teens, and adults. We are proud to employ and serve people of all religions, races, cultural backgrounds, gender expressions, and sexual orientations. We are committed to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams to help support our mission, and we strongly encourage candidates from historically marginalized backgrounds to apply to work with us.

More on Equal Opportunity:

We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.