Residential Case Manager

Residential Manager — Position Overview

The Residential Manager serves as the operational leader of an assigned residential treatment unit within Cornerstone Youth Residential Services, overseeing the safety, well-being, treatment implementation, and daily operations for up to eight youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral health needs, and complex trauma histories. The position promotes a structured, therapeutic, trauma-informed, person-centered environment that supports youth in developing independence, emotional regulation, social skills, adaptive functioning, and individualized treatment goals.

The Residential Manager reports to the Program Director and directly supervises Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), providing leadership, coaching, performance feedback, and operational direction. The position works collaboratively with the QIDP, Nursing, Clinical Services, education providers, families, guardians, DCS, juvenile probation, Medicaid Waiver providers, healthcare professionals, and other community partners to ensure continuity and quality of care.

Essential Responsibilities

Leadership & Staff Supervision

• Supervise, coach, mentor, and evaluate DSPs while establishing clear expectations for professionalism, attendance, communication, documentation, resident care, and policy compliance.
• Conduct routine staff observations, provide corrective and positive feedback, identify training needs, and promote teamwork, accountability, and staff development.
• Ensure effective shift-to-shift communication and address staffing or interpersonal concerns promptly.

Residential Operations

• Oversee daily operations, staffing, schedules, routines, transportation, appointments, activities, meals, hygiene, medication routines, school attendance, recreation, and independent-living programming.
• Maintain a safe, clean, organized, therapeutic environment and ensure adequate supplies, equipment, and emergency resources.
• Identify and address operational, maintenance, and safety concerns proactively.

Youth Care & Treatment Implementation

• Oversee daily supervision and individualized care for assigned youth.
• Develop each youth's initial standardized treatment plan and ensure staff consistently implement treatment plans, behavior support plans, crisis plans, safety plans, and physician recommendations.
• Monitor progress, participation, behavioral and developmental changes, and communicate significant concerns to the QIDP and treatment team.
• Protect youth rights and promote dignity, choice, inclusion, cultural responsiveness, and developmentally appropriate care.

Behavioral Support & Crisis Response

• Provide leadership during behavioral and medical emergencies, including aggression, self-injury, elopement, property destruction, suicidal ideation, and other high-risk situations.
• Ensure staff use approved trauma-informed de-escalation and crisis-intervention strategies.
• Review incidents, facilitate post-crisis debriefings, support youth following crises, and collaborate with the QIDP on behavioral trends and treatment needs.

Admissions, Discharges & Transitions

• Coordinate admissions and discharges with Intake, Program leadership, QIDP, Nursing, Clinical Services, families, and external providers.
• Prepare the residential environment, verify required documentation and medical supports, orient youth to the program, and ensure staff understand individualized needs and safety requirements.
• Support discharge planning, documentation, medication reconciliation, belongings, and continuity of care.

Documentation & Quality Assurance

• Review DSP documentation for accuracy, completeness, objectivity, timeliness, and compliance with agency, Medicaid, licensing, and legal requirements.
• Monitor progress notes, communication logs, medication documentation, incident reports, transportation records, visitation documentation, and other required forms.
• Maintain confidentiality and organized records while ensuring the unit remains audit- and inspection-ready.

Family & Interdisciplinary Collaboration

• Maintain professional communication with families, guardians, youth, treatment providers, educators, healthcare professionals, and community stakeholders.
• Participate in treatment reviews, family meetings, staffing meetings, and interdisciplinary planning.
• Promote consistent communication and implementation of treatment recommendations across settings.

Compliance, Safety & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with agency policies, licensing and accreditation standards, Medicaid requirements, and applicable federal and state laws.
• Monitor health, safety, sanitation, supervision, medication, emergency preparedness, and environmental standards.
• Report abuse, neglect, exploitation, serious incidents, safety concerns, and regulatory violations appropriately and within required timelines.
• Promote continuous quality improvement, ethical decision-making, professional boundaries, and a culture of safety.

Core Leadership Expectations: The Residential Manager models professionalism, accountability, ethical decision-making, servant leadership, compassion, and respect while ensuring staff are supported, youth are empowered, and high-quality services remain the highest priority.