Therapeutic Staff Support

Company: TW Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services
Location: Lancaster
Posted on: December 4, 2019

Job Description:

Join the team at TW Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services, Inc. to provide mental health services to children and adolescents in the home, school and ommunity settings. The Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS) employee gives one-on-one support to emotionally disturbed children or adolescents. The main goals of the TSS are to follow the treatment plan, help the child/adolescent eliminate inappropriate behavior(s), provide emotional support to the child, and assist those responsible for the child in fostering greater independence and socially responsible behavior. The TSS will encourage social integration and participation in group activities. He or she will use rewards and consequences to achieve goals and will record data and chart progress of the child/adolescent. Under the supervision of one or more master's level therapists, a TSS is expected to:

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• Follow the Treatment Plan. Encourage the child/adolescent to develop and take part in activities. Encourage the child/adolescent to voice what activities he/she would like to do. Help to make the activities structured and interesting to the child/adolescent. For example, help the child develop age appropriate anger and frustration management skills. For example, help to increase the child's attention span, planning and organizational abilities. Encourage the child to interact and participate actively and appropriately with peers and family members. Develop coping skills to manage behavior.
  
• Follow the Treatment Plan. Encourage the child to eliminate disruptive or dangerous behavior. For example, the child may be making nappropriate noises or hitting another child and the TSS responds by providing appropriate (minimally restrictive) prompts and ongoing emotional support to help the child change his behavior.
  
• Follow the Treatment Plan. Always use positive behavior reinforcement! Rather than yelling at a child, use redirection to get him/her focused on a constructive activity. Give the child an immediate therapeutic response that effectively redirects maladaptive behavior, and offers suggestions for lternative behavior. The use of physical restraint in emergency situations is permissible only if the situation requires this action to preserve the health or safety of the child/adolescent, or the health or safety of others. All planned uses of restraint must be described in the child's treatment plan.
  
• Attend Mandatory Weekly Supervision. TSS employees must meet with a Master's Level Supervisor at least once weekly. TSS employees attend mandatory supervision to discuss treatment progress, concerns, etc. TSS with 19 hours per week or less of assigned client hours must attend 30 minutes of weekly supervision. TSS with 20 hours per week or more must attend 1 hour of weekly supervision.
  
• Transfer skills to the parent or natural caregiver. Empower the parents/guardians in their roles as primary caregivers.
  
• Provide services during school hours, evening and/or weekend hours.
  
• Travel to and from clients' home/school/community program to perform duties.
  
  As a TSS, you agree to follow the treatment plan and to abide by the principles, policies and other guidelines provided by your supervisor and those published from time to time by TW Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services, Inc., the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP). You agree to meet on a weekly basis, face-to-face with your designated supervisor. Compliance with these requirements is a prerequisite for your employment.
  
  
  Minimum QualificationsEducation:
  
  
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  • Bachelor's Degree in Human Services field or
    
  • Bachelor's Degree in other field and 1 year full-time paid child/adolescent experience or
    
  • Associate Degree plus 3 years of full-time paid child/adolescent experience or 60 college credits with 3 years full-time paid child/adolescent experience or
    
  • RN with 1 year full-time paid child/adolescent experience or
    
  • LPN with 3 year's full-time paid child/adolescent experience.
    
    Work Experience: Prior experience must be full-time, paid working experience with children/adolescents, if degree is not in the Human Services field.
    
    Clearances: (Perspective employee must have the following clearances before servicing clients.)
    
    
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    • PA State Child Abuse Clearance (Upon hire, prior to working with clients, and every year thereafter)
      
    • Pennsylvania State Criminal Background Check (Upon hire, prior to working with clients and every year thereafter)
      
    • FBI Clearance
      
      Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short term disability, Paid Time Off, and Paid Holidays
      
      T.W. Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services, Inc. offers a competitive Employee Benefit Package to all eligible employees after 90 days of full-time employment, including Health Insurance, Dental and Vision Coverage, Voluntary Benefits, paid-time off and paid holidays. Part-time employees are eligible to enroll in Dental, Vision, and Voluntary Benefit plans, after 90 days of part-time employment, working a minimum of 15 hours/per week. In addition, employees have access to the discounts provided in the Employee Perks Reward Program, including tuition discounts.
      
      View/Download PDF
      
      
      How to Apply for Employment
      
      Interested applicants should submit the following documents:
      
      
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      • Employment application
        
      • R--sum-- with cover letter
        
      • Evidence of Degree (Transcript or Copy of Diploma)
        
      • PA Criminal History Clearance (Act 34) - Follow the instructions to "Submit a New Record Check" online using a credit card
        
      • Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151) - Print out this form, complete, and mail in as instructed.
        
      • FBI Criminal History - Follow the instructions and enter service code 1KG738
        
        Please email your coverletter and resume to: humanresources@twponessa.com or mail/fax to:
        
        TW Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services, Inc.
        
        410 N. Prince St.
        
        Lancaster, PA 17603
        
        (717) 735-1901
        
        Send questions to: humanresources@twponessa.com
        
        
        

Keywords: TW Ponessa & Associates Counseling Services, Lancaster , Therapeutic Staff Support, Other , Lancaster, Pennsylvania