Houseparent

Job Description

Summary of Position

The Houseparent is responsible for the students assigned to the home, as well as the care of the home itself. The employee is expected to work cooperatively with their assigned partner, the core team and the community. This is an exempt position starting at $42,500 and summers off.

Accountability

Reports to the assigned Residential Coordinator

Core Responsibilities
Supports and models the Catholic Mission and the Native American Culture that are the foundations of St. Joseph's Indian School.
Promotes a reclaiming environment for all students through the Circle of Courage.

Duties and Responsibilities
Guiding Each Student in Developing Age-Appropriate Living, Social, and Educational Skills
Promotes a reclaiming environment for students by:
Establishing trust
Advocating for students' best interest
Mentoring students
Developing strong, mutually respectful relationships
Providing consistent emotional support through praise, empathy, and recognizing student achievement
Listening to students' thoughts, feelings, concerns, and problems
Creating a family style environment by establishing student home family rituals and traditions
Helping students in developing healthy relationships
Maintaining students' dignity and self-esteem
Providing opportunities for students to develop personal maturity through developmentally appropriate freedoms and responsibilities
Teaching developmentally appropriate decision making and critical thinking strategies
Providing opportunities for students to practice and demonstrate learned social skills including manners, conflict resolution, budgeting, cooperation, and teamwork
Maintaining confidentiality of sensitive materials
Supporting students by attending as many functions that involve their student as practical
Orientating students and their families to the student home upon acceptance
Providing opportunities for and promoting interaction with siblings residing on campus
Communicating with the family regarding student's progress, accomplishments, growth areas, and concerns as appropriate.

Protects the rights and dignity of individual students by:
Making decisions based on the best interest of students
Supporting the ethical treatment of all students
Promoting problem solving and relationship development between students
Collaborating with others to decide how to help each child reach their best potential
Working cooperatively with fellow team members (House parents, Teachers, FSC's) and Residential Coordinator to meet the student's needs
Supporting and working toward decisions made by the team, administration, and other in the SJIS community

Attends to students' health care needs by:
Recognizing students' health care needs and referring to the health center when appropriate
Immediately reporting serious accidents or illnesses affecting students to the Residential Coordinator and health center
Maintaining and securing prescription and non-prescription medications as well as other medical/first aid supplies
Implementing and administering prescribed/suggested medical treatments
Maintaining accurate medication sheets

Attends to students' mental health needs by:
Immediately reporting any type of abuse or neglect (suspected or alleged)
Being aware of and attentive to warning signs of emotional distress
Reporting signs of student sadness and self harm to the Residential Coordinator and Family Service Counselor
Referring students for specialized services via the completion of the Student Service Request Form
Maintaining students' dignity and self-esteem
Recognizing and supporting students in grief and separation issues
Actively listening to students' thoughts, feelings, concerns, and problems
Implementing prescribed/suggested behavioral treatments and systems

Attends to the moral, spiritual, and character development of students by:
Teaching and modeling values related to sound moral and character development.
Leading morning, evening, and meal prayer
Teaching and role-modeling appropriate choices in movies, music, and television programs
Supports student's attendance and serves as a role model at church services

Teaches social, self-help, life-long learning, and basic life skills by:
Facilitation of weekly Enrichment activities (1st-8th grades only)
Facilitation of social skills or independent living curriculum, and other identified curriculum.
Providing a supportive and flexible structure from which students learn responsibility, problem solving, and time management
Teaching students developmentally appropriate leadership and communication skills
Encouraging individuality and creative thinking from students
Teaching, modeling, and reinforcing identified social skills
Teaching students to choose and prepare nutritious meals and snacks

Facilitates student scholastic achievement by:
Providing a structured learning environment and assisting with homework when necessary
Teaching appropriate study skills
Communicating daily with teachers and other school personal
Assessing students' school grades and performance and implementing additional learning support when necessary
Preparing students for post-secondary education and/or careers (High School Only)

Attends to students' personal safety by:
Being aware of student location
Maintaining an accurate student check out log
Adhering to home guidelines regarding visitation
Supporting overall campus supervision

Facilitates student leisure and recreational activities by:
Teaching students to make leisure activity choices
Encouraging and supporting students' involvement in SJIS and Chamberlain community activities
Planning, participating, and involving students in regular physical activity
Planning for and leading students on educational/recreational trips and activities

Teaches students to exhibit behaviors and values deemed appropriate for a member of the SJIS community through:
Displaying appropriate role modeling
Maintaining personal self-control
Respecting and appreciating diversity

Establishes and maintains a developmentally appropriate behavior management system by:
Collaborating with students in developing student home norms
Effectively utilizing Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) and Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI) skills to prevent and/or de-escalate intense situations while maintaining the dignity and respect of the student.
Utilizing LSCI foundations such as listening, responding, and decoding skills
Holding students accountable by delivering natural and logical consequences and using corrective teaching
Utilizing the student phase system consistently to reinforce and reward students' appropriate behavior (1st-8th grades only)
Providing structure while consistently following all rules and guidelines governing student conduct
Collaborating with fellow team members, other SJIS departments, and contracted agents to develop strategies to effectively manage student behavior

Demonstrates efforts to involve all families in some aspect of their child's programming in order to promote good relationships and support for the student by:
Welcoming parent/guardians into the home for a meal or conversation, inviting parent/guardians to participate in a home activity, etc
Home Management
Responsible for maintaining the student living facility by:
Ensuring a safe, secure, and clean environment by facilitating daily home charges and super charges
Maintaining staff quarters and other areas not included in home charges
Performing minor home maintenance and submit home RQ's when necessary
Submitting RQ's for maintenance needs of vehicles
Reports any home needs or concerns to the Residential Coordinator
Reviewing emergency exit plans with students (i.e., fire and tornado drills).

Maintains the student home structure by:
Preparing student home schedule and instructions for subs
Managing and monitor student home budgets with other staff in the home
Maintaining food and supply inventories with the other staff in the home
Facilitating weekly home meetings and completing meeting minutes
Planning and serving quality meals
Providing proper clothing for students in the home

Maintains the student home office by:
Corresponding to email (i.e., reading email before starting afternoon shift and responding in a prompt professional manner)
Completing accurate student home logs, student check out logs, student account sheets, and case service plan checklists
Maintaining accurate student data sheets in a confidential location
Completing required paperwork (i.e., incident and safety reports, purchase orders, visitor log, home meeting minutes, change over forms, head check forms, Circle of Direction phase sheets, COPING forms, Enrichment lesson plans, petty cash reconciliation, etc.)
Student Programming
Implements and maintains individualized student programs as designated by:
Participating actively in student service plan meetings
Participating actively in staff meetings
Participating actively in change over meetings
Participating actively in student reclaiming meetings as necessary
Collaborating and/or implementing individual behavioral management programs for students as necessary
Assisting with individual community restitution programs in collaboration with the Residential Coordinator
Professional Development

Achieves and maintains SJIS professional Child Care Worker expectations
Attends training and staff development sessions
Evaluates self performance in collaboration with supervisor(s)
Soliciting and implementing feedback on job performance and professional behavior
Additional
Performs other responsibilities as required by the Residential Coordinator.

Expectations of Hours Worked When On-Duty
Expectation of hours worked when on-duty are as follows:

HP's are to report to work by 3:00pm, at the latest.
HP's are to remain on-duty until 8:30am, or until all students in their care are in school and additional responsibilities have been completed.
Qualifications
Valid driver's license required
High School Diploma or GED required
4-year degree in related field or experience preferred
Working knowledge of basic computer skills i.e. typing, e-mail
Physical Demands
An employee must meet the physical demands listed below to successfully perform the essential functions of a Houseparent.

Lifting/Carrying: Must lift and carry up to 25 pounds.
Standing: Must be able to stand and walk for up to 8 hours a day with limited breaks.
Walking: Employee must be able to walk to various locations while supervising students, including four blocks away from the school or residential home during activities or transitions.
Climbing/Stooping/Kneeling: Frequent stooping, kneeling, and climbing stairs multiple times daily.
Safety Provisions: Including but not limited to exiting buildings in a timely manner and de-escalating student situations.
Driving: Including transporting students to activities, school, and other locations locally, as well as within the state

About the Employer

St. Joseph's Indian School is a private, residential school that provides for the spiritual, emotional, social and educational development of Native American children grades 1-12. The majority of these students are from low-income communities and families. Our mission is to partner with Native American children and families to educate for life--mind, body, heart and spirit.