House Parent – St. Labre Indian Catholic School (Ashland, MT)

Social Work, FT Employee
St. Labre Indian Catholic School (Ashland, MT)


Provides youth with proper parental role-modeling while implementing a professional program that emphasizes skills and personal development. Provides youth with a safe and secure environment in which to grow and learn. Teaches youth social skills, self-help, academic skills, and independent living skills. Fosters the moral and spiritual development of youth. Administers the day-to-day operations of a large family residence by performing the following duties.


Teaches Youth
1. Observes and defines on-going behaviors of youth. Identifies what skills are present or lacking. Prioritizes target behaviors for each youth in order to emphasize maximum skill development.
2. Compliments and encourages youth in doing something well in order to build self-confidence and respect.
3. Describes appropriate skills or behaviors to youth. Provides rationales why a youth should or should not do certain things.
4. Practices appropriate skills with youth in order to increase learning and maintenance of skills. Role-plays with youth pertinent skills until he or she is comfortable using them.
5. Provides feedback to youth to ensure skill development.
6. Implements consequences for appropriate or inappropriate behaviors. Reward youth with praise and positive feedback for practicing and displaying appropriate behavior.
7. Monitors appropriateness of skills demonstrated by youth. Reassesses youth’s target behaviors and measures progress.
8. Serves as role model for youth by exhibiting skills taught in program.

Teaches Youth Specific Skills
1. Teaches youth appropriate social skills such as following instructions, giving and accepting feedback, greeting and conversational skills, helping others, and proper manners. Teaches youth appropriate social conduct in public so that they are able to generalize their behavior to other settings and are successful in life.
2. Teaches youth self-care habits such as maintenance, personal hygiene, cooking, home safety, laundry and dress.
3. Teaches youth money management skills such as opening and using a checking account, budgeting, and savings.
4. Teaches youth employment skills such as job searches, setting up interviews and appointments, interviewing, adhering to work and attendance rules. Serves as a medium between the youth and his or her employer. Facilitates career decision making.
5. Teaches youth independent living skills such as obtaining a driver’s license, comparative shopping, etc.

Provides for Moral/Spiritual Development
1. Attends and/or takes youth to religious services. Discuss with the youth the scriptures and sermon and how it is applicable to his or her everyday life.
2. Teaches youth appropriate religious behavior such as praying daily at meals, reverence in church, and leading a Christian-Judeo family life.
3. Sets up sacramental preparation and coordinated this through religious class.
4. Discusses with youth why it is important to obey social laws and to develop their own convictions based upon the needs of others.
5. Encourages youth involvement in religious activities in service as altar servers, readers, ushers, and religious service projects in the community.

Monitors Academic Development
1. Discusses school performance with youth including grades, credits earned, performance ratings and academic goals.
2. Monitors home study time. Assists youth with school assignments. Teaches and reinforces good study habits. Checks homework for thoroughness and quality of work.
3. Attends school conferences. Confers with teachers and other school personnel by oral and written communication (school notes regarding student’s progress).
4. Provides youth rationales for performing well in school and completing his or her secondary education.
5. Assists youth in preparing for post-secondary or vocational education. Identifies alternatives and develops career plans.

Record Keeping
1. Maintains daily logbook entries.
2. Prepares Progress Reports and Discharge Summaries for Youth Group Home manager.
3. Prepares and submits Incident Reports by the next business day.
4. Maintains financial records for receipts of food, clothing, entertainment, allowances, supplies and other expenditures.
5. Maintains home filing system for daily schedules, menus, maintenance items, and appliance warranties.

Consumer Contacts/Communications
1. Consults with other Home staff about youth’s behaviors and progress.
2. Answers telephone to obtain and/or provide information to consumers. Makes telephone calls to obtain and give information, schedule appointments and to coordinate activities.
3. Attends in-service workshops and training programs to improve knowledge and skill in implementing the Youth Group Home Program components.
4. May appear in juvenile court on behalf of the youth.
5. Maintains direct and frequent contact with school personnel (teacher, principals, counselors, and coaches) concerning youth’s school performance.
6. Communicates with consultants on youth strategies.
7. Reads correspondence to keep abreast of policies, procedures, events, announcements, and student progress.

Provides Loving and Caring Environment
1. Assists youth through personal problems via the use of rational problem solving.
2. Provides constant emotional support by using praise, affection, and empathy.
3. Celebrates birthdays and holidays so that youth will see meaning in holidays. Makes youth feel special on their birthdays.
4. Provides a safe home life for troubled youth who are socially disadvantaged and would be neglected or abused in natural home. Provides family support system for youth.
5. Listens to youth’s thoughts, feelings, concerns and problems to guide them and to improve relationships. Counsels youth on appropriate sexual behavior.
6. Educates and informs youth on issues relating to chemical dependency.

Monitors Youth’s Behaviors and Well-Being
1. Monitors youth during home maintenance tasks. Checks youth’s work for completion, thoroughness and timeliness. Checks on safety aspects of the house.
2. Plans individual and family fun activities that are entertaining and educational. Monitors off-campus activities to ensure appropriate social skills and appearance.
3. Constantly monitors and observes interactions of youth out of instructional control. Maintains emotional self-control during crisis and role models rational problem solving behaviors.
4. Attends to youth’s medical/physical condition. Schedules appointments for doctors and dentists and transports youth to appointments. Cares for ill home bound youth. Transports youth in medical emergencies as necessary.

Budget Management
1. Purchases clothes, food, household supplies, and vehicle fuel for large household.
2. Prepares reimbursement statements by collecting receipts and accounting for money spent. Submits reimbursement statements.
3. Monitors budget to stay within guidelines.
4. Makes recommendations for purchase of capital items that will benefit household.
5. Manages budget for home maintenance and repairs.

Fosters a Team Environment
1. Attends staff training and workshops that will enable them to understand the job and implement the components of the model.
2. Provides a monthly schedule on a calendar so that the other staff can plan the work accordingly and bring up any concerns that might conflict with their schedule.
3. Participates in weekly meetings to discuss the youth, their goals, the home, and upcoming events to ensure coordination among staff members.
4. Accepts feedback and suggestions or questions from the other staff by letting them know they can bring up topics or concerns any time with the other staff.
5. Teaches and develops skills that staff will need in their job, through role-play practice and dissemination of information to aid them in their professional growth and ensure longevity of their job.
6. Gives feedback to, as well as receives feedback from, the coworkers in a rational way to strengthen team relationship, as well as develop positive change.

Transports Youth
1. Transports youth via a motorized vehicle on a daily basis to various activities and events to include school, shopping, movies, dances, family outings, and medical appointments. Transportation distance includes driving youth in Ashland, to Lame Deer, Crow, and Billings and on occasion, distances farther than Billings (round trip of 240 miles). On average, 50% of time is spent transporting youth in the summer and 75% during the school year. (0) (7411 Posts)

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