Foster Caregiver

**Oak Hill Ranch** is an accredited campus-based treatment facility with a designation in Intensive Treatment. With the support of Children and Family Services, family and other healthy support networks, we strive to create a therapeutic environment that assists in the young person’s growth and development. We offer services to youth between the ages of 9-16 years of age who present various behavioural and emotional challenges. Oak Hill Ranch is located ½ mile south of the town of Bon Accord (20 min. N of Edmonton).
- **Position**:_
- Title_: Therapeutic Foster Caregiver
- Status_: Contractor
- _

Aligning with the 6 care principles at Oak Hill, the Therapeutic Foster Caregiver position is within our family-based program model. The Therapeutic Foster Caregiver acts as the primary caregiver in the life of the young person in our care. As the primary caregiver, you will be opening up your home to support a young person in need of a safe, stable and therapeutic placement. As one of the key members of our team, theTherapeutic Foster Caregiver will be focusing on the 6 care principles that help foster conditions for change which leads us to strive towards our primary goal, which is to achieve congruence in the best interests of the child.
- **Our Care Principles**_

**Developmentally Focused**
- All children have the same basic requirements for growth and development.
- Children learn best when skills are within their zone of proximal development.
- Children need support to engage their innate capacity to grow and develop.

**Family is actively Involved**
- Contact with the family is an indicator of successful treatment.
- Planning for adequate community support is essential for a successful return.
- The child’s ethnic and cultural identity is tied to the family.

**Relationship-Based**
- The ability to form relationships is associated with healthy development and life success.
- Relationships are central to helping children build competencies.
- Children respond to people they trust.

**Competency-Centered**
- Problem-solving skills, flexibility, critical thinking, and insight are necessary life skills.
- Focusing on strengths and positive attributes helps build a positive identity.
- The child’s strengths and resources are the biggest factors in making positive change.

**Trauma-Informed**
- Trauma has a debilitating effect on children’s growth and development.
- Maintaining a non-coercive and safe environment is essential for children to learn new responses to stressful situations. Challenging behaviour is often pain-based behaviour.

**Ecologically-Oriented**
- Children learn by interacting with their environment.
- The environment is influenced by the interactions with the children and staff.
- **Schedule**_:_

This position is a full-time position with a salary range of $40,000.00-$80,000.00 per year. The salary received is based on multiple factors including but not limited to:

- Applicant’s education
- Applicant’s experience
- The young persons’ level of care needs
- The amount of additional support received in the program

**Experience**:

- Child and Youth Workers: 3 years (preferred)
- Social Work: 3 years (preferred)
- Foster parent: 3 years (preferred)
- Criminology, Psychology, Nursing, or other human services fields: 5 years (preferred)

**Key Responsibilities**: *NOTE* This is not a comprehensive list of the job description, but an overall understanding of the position:

- Constructs and revises individual treatment plans and daily evaluation sheets in consultation with other unit workers and resource people (psychologists, teachers, volunteers, family, etc.).
- Prepares and presents reports outlining the treatment progress of young people.
- Observes, assesses and documents significant behaviours emitted by a young person in activity logs and reports.
- Creates and designs age-appropriate, daily living activities as a forum for therapeutic and educational interventions.
- Initiates, organizes, monitors and actively participates in group activities, (special outings, concerts, sports, dances, party games, crafts, camping, music) as part of the treatment plan.
- On an ongoing basis, observes and assesses interactions, behaviours and affect.
- Teaches, supports and assists young people in acquiring appropriate skills relating to daily chores, routines, and personal hygiene habits.
- Escorts young people to medical, dental and optical appointments as necessary.
- Advocates and actively builds a therapeutic relationship with young people (and family) through interactive play, activities, and personal interactions.
- Provides opportunities for young people to focus on developing new skills based on their needs.
- Intervenes in a crisis with young people, utilizing non-physical de-escalation restraint practices as necessary.
- Maintains a therapeutic approach to behaviour management and explains behavioural expectations and consequences to young people.
- **Skills & Abilities**_
- You