Developmental Care Specialist (Full-Time)
Wedgwood Christian Services
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Grand Rapids, MI, USA
USD 22.5-22.5 / hour
Posted on Feb 25, 2026
Developmental Care Specialist (Full-Time) - VanderArk Program
What you’ll do
Working in one of our residential homes alongside our experienced care team, you’ll implement individual treatment plans tailored to meet the needs of girls ages 12-18 in our program. You’ll ensure the safety of each child, and manage tasks that create a warm, loving home for kids who need a refuge.
In addition to supporting normal daily operations of the residential unit, you will coordinate with the Program BCBA to implement focused behavioral intervention based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). You may facilitate social interactions, as well as design and conduct exciting daily small group activities in a fun, engaging environment.
Compensation + Collaboration
We’re starting team members up to $22.50 per hour with a generous benefits package. You’ll join a passionate, purposeful, and collaborative team who is committed to doing what it takes to give youth a brighter future.
Where healing begins.
The teens who come to live at Wedgwood often have little sense of what a loving home feels like. As a Wedgwood Developmental Care Specialist, you can help instill the compassion, self-worth, and optimism that our residents need to overcome their trauma, addiction, and behavioral health issues. You’ll work alongside our expert clinical care team to mentor residents, building relationships utilizing trauma-informed care techniques, helping them develop healthy life skills, and teaching teens to use their voices for position outcomes. By consistently showing up for our residents, you can help transform lives and have an impact on generations to come.
Hours: 4 weekdays (primarily on 2nd shift) and every other weekend, rotating between 1st and 2nd shift.
Responsibilities:
- Strive to create a therapeutic milieu: an environment marked by warmth, empathy and respect.
- Provide a stable, positive role model for residents, while maintaining a primary helping relationship with residents.
- Support behavior-management efforts through timely use of verbal de-escalation, crisis-intervention techniques, and non-violent physical interventions when necessary for safety.
- Instruct residents in social, physical, and daily living skills by interacting with them in routine daily interactions.
- Assure residents maintain good physical health by supporting and encouraging residents in planned physical activities.
- Assure residents receive adequate nutrition. Assist in meal preparation; for certain programs may assist with menu planning and food purchases as assigned.
- Dispense medications at prescribed intervals as assigned.
- Assure residents receive adequate medical, dental, vision, and hygiene care; provide first aid or CPR if required; schedule appointments as assigned.
- Transport residents to scheduled appointments, activities, work, meetings, etc. as needed.
- Maintain neat, accurate records and reports of all activities carried out in the management of the residential program.
- Know and support all agency policies and procedures and all policies and procedures of the program to which they are assigned.
Qualifications:
- Applicant must be at least 20 years of age
- High school diploma required
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Additional education and/or certification in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or a related field preferred.
- Prior experience supervising at risk youth is preferred
- Ability to pivot, bend, twist and stoop while bearing weight of individuals served.
- Ability to lift 50 lbs. non-stationary weight through the approved technique is required.
- Subscription to the Statement of Faith of Wedgwood Christian Services and agreement with the goal, purpose, and objective of the agency.
Benefits:
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
- Medical plans with great coverage options
- Free supplemental virtual PCP care with medical plan
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Health Savings Accounts
- Dental and vision plans
- Pet insurance
- Legal insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- A Locally Partnered Employee Assistance Program
- Competitive time off
- Direct deposit
- Federal Student Loan Forgiveness through PSLF
- Paid Holidays
- We also offer a variety of employer paid benefits for full time staff
- Short term disability
- Long term disability
- Life insurance up to 2x your annual salary
- No-cost, employer paid training and re-certification provided to staff
- Wedgwood has full gymnasium and state-of-the art 24-hour wellness center filled with a wide variety of workout equipment, available to staff at no cost.
- Walking trail that leads around the beautiful campus.
- Through community partnerships, Wedgwood employees and in some cases family members, are eligible for application and tuition fee discounts for several local colleges and universities.
Wedgwood Christian Services
Since 1960, Wedgwood Christian Services has been dedicated to boldly taking on the toughest problems facing children and families through residential care, counseling services and community programs. Leaning on our faith and core values of integrity, compassion, excellence, and diversity, we tackle the crucial work of supporting and restoring the wellbeing of all those who call West Michigan home.
Mission: Wedgwood Christian Services extends God's love to youth, adults, and families through professional counseling and educational services.
Core Values: Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, and Diversity
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