Here at the Ranch, there are dozens of job available at any given time. We employ people from various backgrounds, factoring in their previous experience, training, and formal education. The frontline workers are those who make up the bulk of our staff. Some of the most well-known positions are Youth Care Workers (YCW), Youth Care Leaders (YCL), Personal Support Workers (PSW), and Clinical Support Leaders (CSL). But what does it take to hold these titles? How do they differ from one another? And what meaning really stands behind those acronyms?
Join us in exploring a few of the different types of frontline roles at Ranch Ehrlo Society.
YCW: Youth Care Workers provide day-to-day child/youth care functions which include basic parenting duties like transporting children to school, participating in games and activities, shopping for clothing, or accompanying them to appointments or activities. YCWs provide residents with a safe, nurturing and structured living environment, they role model positive behaviours by building trusting relationships and transmitting values.
YCL: Youth Care Leaders are responsible for leading the team, the clients, and the unit. Their job is to provide leadership, continuity, and expertise during day-to-day operations. The YCLs are responsible for overseeing shift activities, promoting pro-active frontline decision making, and positive role modeling.
PSW: Personal Support Workers provide care to youths and adults with developmental disabilities. These care functions include basic parenting and daily living duties, dispensing medications, report writing, and implementing treatment plans. The work setting may be a small group of adults or working with an adult one-on-one. PSWs provide a more adult focus to care.
PSL: Personal Support Leaders lead the unit staff and youth through day-to-day activities and operations. They are responsible for creating a positive environment and for coaching frontline staff. The PSL reports to the unit manager and provides feedback on the staff’s performance and makes recommendations for treatment plans and development groups for residents. PSLs oversee shift activities and are responsible for making decisions when the unit manager is absent.
CSL: Clinical Support Leaders serve a multi-purpose role, spending approximately one-third of their time providing clinical support, while the remaining time is spent fulfilling youth care worker/leader or personal support worker/leader responsibilities. The CSL provides resources to programs with extra houses, which may not have a full-time caseworker assigned to them. CSLs complete quarterly reports, work directly with the youth, communicate with referral agencies, monitor goals and treatment plans, facilitate group education, and coordinate therapy. The CSL helps identify stressors in the youth’s physical and social environment, and works with the youth to help them learn effective ways to cope with crisis.
All frontline jobs at Ranch Ehrlo include working conditions that are physically, emotionally, and psychologically demanding. It’s an intensive environment which requires perspective, sensitivity, and the ability to handle stressful and difficult situations. While the jobs do demand a lot, they deliver even more. The Ranch offers great incentives, but more importantly, it gives you the chance to make a positive difference in somebody’s life, every single day.
