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Eager learners

SOCIAL WORKER, Hollis, Oklahoma

Westview Boys’ Home, having served young men from hard places for over 60 years, has an opening for a social worker as a permanent part of its program for youth.  This position represents an opportunity to acquire extraordinary experience working with a team of 18 other godly women and men serving neglected, rejected, and troubled youth on a full-time basis.  Our Home is located on a 1,500-acre ranch spread over rural Harmon County, Oklahoma. An experienced social worker would begin with a great advantage but a beginning social worker would have the opportunity to acquire significant skills and experience. Not only are there significant on-the-job learning experiences, but there are also opportunities for graduate work as well.

Job Description – The job has several components:
Working with the families served
  • Answering questions about placing a young man in care
  • Developing the necessary files to make a placement decision
  • Participating in Placement Team meetings
  • Gaining family input on plans of care
  • Helping families deal with obstacles to success
Working with the young men at Westview
  • Helping them understand and participate in their plan of care
  • Coaching them in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practices
  • Coordinating services to meet specific needs of each young man
Working with the Westview Team
  • Gaining input from caregivers about plans of care
  • Helping caregivers meet the medical needs of each young man
  • Making certain that resident files are up-to-date and complete
Working on self-development and professional expertise

Qualifications

  • Sound spiritual, mental, and physical health
  • Couples who have been married for at least two years
  • Successful completion of high school or a GED; college experience is a plus
  • Valid driver’s license; no criminal record
  • Outstanding references from their church leaders
  • Because we are a faith-based organization, an active member of a local Church of Christ

Ministry mentors

  • Counseling – Chase Thompson, LPC, MS, Cameron University
  • Trust-Based Relational Intervention – Joshua Birney, Manager of Social Services, Certified TBRI Practitioner
  • Youth Ministry – Ron Bruner, DMin, Abilene Christian University
  • Social Work – Terry Owens, MBA, Colorado Technical University
  • Animal Programs – Doug Gonzalez, Ranch Manager, BS, Liberty University

Compensation

  • Salary commensurate with experience and education
  • Health and life insurance group plans available (Westview pays 80%)
  • Paid vacation
  • Financial assistance with relevant college education
  • Participation in a 403(b) retirement program after one year of service

Training we provide

  • Initial training
    • Residential Child Care Standards
    • Handling of Confidential Information
    • Westview Boys’ Handbook (our behavioral management program)
    • Westview Houseparent Handbook (supervisory policies and procedures)
    • Red Cross First Aid and CPR
    • Safe driving of 15 passenger vehicles and use of child safety restraints
    • Managing aggressive behavior
  • Trust-Based Relational Intervention – the core of our evidence-based methodology. For more details, go here.
  • Ongoing training
    • Behavior management
    • Childhood and adolescent psychology
    • Spiritual care and development of children and adolescents
    • Personal development

Challenges

  • Hollis (population 2,000) is a rural community in Oklahoma’s poorest county (Harmon).
  • Working with our boys is exciting, interesting, and emotionally demanding.  Gains are slow and hard-won.  Team members encourage one another, resist relational triangulation, and patiently and persistently model the life of Christ.
  • This couple will have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our boys and a contribution to our team of godly Christians.  At the same time, those who come to learn with us will fare better than those who think that they have all of the answers.  Regardless of your years, your age is both an advantage and vulnerability.

To apply, send a resume with cover letter to Ron Bruner, Executive Director, Westview Boys’ Home, P. O. Box 553, Hollis, OK 73550, or e-mail these to rbruner@wbh.email.