Juvenile Justice Youth Development Specialist II

The Department of Youth Services (DYS) is seeking dynamic, positive, and service-minded individuals to fill the role of Juvenile Justice Youth Development Specialist II (JJYDS II). The selected candidate will work with juvenile justice-involved young people ages 12 – 20 years old (most of the youth served are 14 -18 years old) in DYS residential facilities. The role of the incumbent is to support the Juvenile Justice Youth Development Specialist I.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all-inclusive):

• Observe the conduct and behavior of youth confined to the facility and take appropriate action to prevent disturbances and/or escapes, to ensure compliance with established policies, regulations, and procedures, and to ensure the safety of staff and youth; provide one-to-one youth watch, including suicide, elevated and medical watch to ensure the safety of the youth.
• Maintain custodial care and control of youth to uphold order and security within the facility; ensure the security of staff and youth by making periodic rounds, head counts, and security checks and searches of youth and visitors to make certain all youth are accounted for and to ensure that weapons and contraband are not on the premise.
• Supervise and monitor the deployment of up to six (6) JJYDS I staff by checking duty stations and ensuring the completion of assigned tasks to ensure the safety and security of staff, youth, and visitors.
• Assist the Juvenile Justice Youth Development Specialist III in their absence and assume responsibilities for the operation of the assigned shift.
• Conduct intake of youth and complete appropriate documentation; document behavioral issues to establish patterns and monitor changes; complete incident reports and transportation, medical, visitor, and daily operations logs to inform appropriate personnel during meetings and shift changes.
• Maintain resident, program, department, and related documentation, ensuring that shift documentation is completed as well as creating and improving current systems and procedures to help shape an efficient working atmosphere.
• Provide crisis and behavior management to youth as a means to prevent and or intercede with crises; facilitate and/or co-facilitate group meetings to assist the youth in developing coping skills to deal with their problems and issues and to develop pro-social and life skills; establish a rapport with the youth and advocate for the youth to ensure that their needs are being met; provide guidance and support through daily interaction and role modeling to facilitate re-entry into the community.
• Deliver leadership through role modeling and reinforcement of positive practices as well as participation in staff meetings and training sessions as needed.
• Facilitate orientation of new staff as well as train and coach staff with techniques, group interactions, and appropriate responses in emergency situations including physically subduing and/or restraining practices to ensure a safe and secure environment.

Required Qualifications:

• Ability to understand, explain, and apply the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures guidelines, etc. governing assigned unit activities.
• Knowledge of the factors, trends, and challenges in providing secure residential and rehabilitative care to youth including Positive Youth Development (PYD) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, including planning and assigning work according to the nature of the job to be accomplished, the capabilities of subordinates, and available resources, controlling work through periodic reviews and/or evaluations.
• Proficient at gathering information by examining records and documents and through questioning and observation.
• Capacity to interact with people who are under physical and/or emotional stress as well as the ability to maintain a calm manner in stressful and emergencies.
• Effective communication including the ability to give oral and written instructions in a precise, understandable manner.
• Experience in establishing rapport with persons from different ethnic, cultural, and/or socio-economic backgrounds including the ability to deal tactfully with others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with youth including residential care, treatment, counseling, and/or rehabilitation of juveniles and/or adult offenders.
• Proven ability to interact with youth in a supportive, safe, and encouraging way.
• Demonstrated program measurement, reporting, and evaluation skills.
• Proficient usage of Microsoft Office products including Word, Outlook, and Excel.

Special Requirements:

• Minimum Age Requirement: 21 years
• Applicants must have at least a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Must be able to perform the physical requirement of the job (i.e. Ability to properly restrain or subdue youth through appropriate use of handcuffs or other restraint techniques) if necessary.
• Able to talk and/or hear, stand, walk, run, kneel, and climb stairs, as well as lift, carry, push, or pull up to 55 pounds with or without assistance and with or without the use of devices and/or equipment to assist in the lifting effort.
• Based on the assignment, incumbents may be required to possess a current and valid motor vehicle driver’s license at a class level specific to the assignment.
• Upon hire, incumbents must complete and maintain a valid certification in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and first aid.

Working Conditions:

• Incumbents may be exposed to verbal and/or physical confrontations and potentially dangerous environments.
• Incumbents may be required to physically restrain youth.
• Incumbents typically work a standard work week (five 8-hour shifts); however, may be required to work extended hours, nights, holidays, or weekends.
• Incumbents may be required to travel in-state and based on assignment may be required to travel out of state.

Shift: 1st shift (7 am-5 pm) with Sunday, Monday and Tuesday off

Employees in this position will be required to perform mandatory overtime.

Pre-Hire Process:

Candidates must pass a pre-employment screening which includes:

• Drug Screening
• Psychological Screening
• Medical Examination
• Physical Abilities Test (PAT)

Pre-Offer Process:

A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services before the candidate is hired. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/hhs/cori

Education, licensure, and certifications will be verified by the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the ADA Reasonable Accommodation Request Form.

For questions, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 1-800-510-4122 and select option #4.

Qualifications

First consideration will be given to those applicants who apply within the first 14 days.

Minimum Entrance Requirements:

Applicants must have at least (A) a high school diploma or equivalent and (B) at least one (1) year of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in the military, or working with at-risk or justice-involved youth and/or adults with responsibilities for one or more of the following: community supervision, safety and security in a 24/7 treatment or detention residential program, counseling, coaching (athletic or personal), mentoring, advocacy, mediation, de-escalation, substance use/abuse prevention, rehabilitation and/or in a law enforcement capacity C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. An associate’s degree or higher may be substituted for the required (B) experience.

Based on the assignment, incumbents may be required to possess a current and valid motor vehicle driver’s license at a class level specific to the assignment.

Upon hire, incumbents shall be required to complete and maintain a valid certification in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and first aid.

Salary placement is determined by a combination of factors, including the candidate’s years of directly related experience and education, and alignment with our internal compensation structure as set forth by the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines. For all bargaining unit positions (non-management), compensation is subject to the salary provisions outlined in the applicable collective bargaining agreement and will apply to placement within the appropriate salary range.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.