Children's Residential Care Counselor - Extra-

Position Information

Make a difference in a child's life. Join us at Valley of the Moon Children's Center as an Extra-Help Children's Residential Care Counselor I! This is an excellent opportunity to serve our community's youth and work with some of Sonoma County's finest trauma‑informed youth counselors.

Starting salary up to $40.78 per hour, depending on experience.

• Participate in Multi‑Disciplinary Team meetings to provide feedback on youth behaviors, engagement, and progress toward goals.
• Provide positive and nurturing experiences to children and youth while maintaining care and supervision.
• Teach, coach, and provide feedback to youth to help them develop a self‑regulation skill set.
• Provide transportation to and from school and coordinate recreational activities.
• Document youth participation in activities, as well as their strengths, challenges, behaviors, interactions, and application of therapeutic skills.
• Counsel youth to help minimize the trauma associated with separation from family members and/or guardians.
• Plan and implement small and large group activities, study support, and field trip activities.
• Coach, mentor, and teach life skills, social skills, and coping mechanisms using established Trauma‑Informed Care methods.
• Utilize Therapeutic Crisis Intervention techniques to de‑escalate youth in acute crisis.
• Administer medication to individual children per written instruction from medical providers.
• Build relationships with a variety of youth and their caregivers as they transition out of VMCC.

• A strong youth development and experiential learning background.
• Experience in Trauma‑Informed Care practices and working with youth who have experienced significant trauma.
• Multiple years of experience working in a youth residential program, wilderness program/camp, or other environment requiring strong supervisory facilitation skills, interactive support, and coaching.
• The ability to develop positive connections with youth while utilizing role‑model, problem‑solving, and conflict resolution practices.
• An aptitude for monitoring and intervening in high‑risk behaviors, handling crises, and providing consistency and behavioral limits through relationship‑based interventions.
• Understanding of Cultural Competence and diversity.
• Expertise in teaching and modeling the Department's mission, vision, and values.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to problem‑solve and/or negotiate in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment.
• Basic computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.

VMCC operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so the ability to work evenings and weekend hours is required. Applicants must be willing to undergo a thorough background investigation, psychological evaluation, fingerprinting, criminal history, and a medical and physical abilities examination prior to employment.

The Valley of the Moon Children’s Center is a resource hub for caregivers of foster youth and houses two residential programs: a 24‑hour emergency shelter and a Short‑Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP). The STRTP is an intensive, residential therapeutic treatment services program designed to meet the behavioral and mental health needs of foster youth. The Emergency Shelter provides a stable, supportive, and nurturing environment for youth separated from their families due to abandonment, abuse, or neglect.

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Extra‑help employees relieve or augment permanent staff. They are not classified in civil service and do not have rights to permanently allocated positions. They do not receive most regular employee benefits, such as long‑term disability insurance coverage, vacation accrual, participation in the County retirement program, or eligibility for promotional examinations. They may qualify for a County contribution toward medical coverage and are limited to a maximum of 1,380 hours within any twelve‑month consecutive period.

Experience as a group or youth counselor or related experience working with…