Social Services Assistant (Assistant Residential Living Manager)

This position is located on a Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center. The incumbent serves as the Assistant Residential Living Manager (ARLM) of a Civilian Conservation Center on or in association with, a nearby National Forest. As an ARLM, the incumbent serves as a supervisor for a center program area, with direct responsibility for the stewardship of a diverse, full-service, co-educational community of staff and students, operating continuously 24-hours per day, year-round, providing program direction and guidance in the administration and overall supervision of a residential living program.

Job Corps is a in a comprehensive program that provides academic, career and technical education, service-learning, and social opportunities, primarily in a residential setting, for underserved youth, ages 16-24; supports responsible citizenship and provides young people with the skills they need to lead to successful careers that will result in economic self-sufficiency and opportunities for advancement in in-demand industry sectors or occupations or the Armed Forces, or to enrollment in postsecondary education; provides transitional support services, such as help finding employment, housing, child care, and transportation.

The incumbent models the Forest Service Leader’s Stance and Habits to effectively navigate complex management and human resource challenges.

As part of the Residential Living Program, the incumbent serves as a Dormitory Manager for the Center. The incumbent is the primary assistant to a staff officer, responsible for continuous and effective supervision of, and the direction of, students, forming a natural extension of the learning process from academics and career technical training programs to the community living phases of student life.

Directs and coordinates the management of dormitory life, constructive use of leisure time, fosters relationships among students, as well as racial/ethnic group relations. Promotes motivation and attitude change, student conduct and discipline, and the development of supportive staff-student relationships. Ensures that students are provided basic conflict resolution skills.

Typically, is a proctor for the students with such duties as supervising the day-to-day activities of the group in maintaining order, conduct, and safety within the dormitories; instructing and supervising the students in such daily activities as work details to keep the dormitories in order; giving practical advice and counsel to individuals on everyday adjustment to center life; assessing each student’s progress in social development; and maintaining student records.

Continuously evaluates the effectiveness of ongoing community living activities from the standpoint of student response and conduct, unforeseen developments, and program objectives. Adapts and varies program activities as developments require. Performs other duties as assigned.

Assists students, peers, and subordinates in understanding the relevance of, and promotes the development of positive social skills among students through modeling appropriate conduct, positive intervention, and teaching appropriate employability skills for workplace success.

Supports the center’s standards of conduct for students that parallel workplace expectations to the extent possible. Supports the center’s incentives program that recognizes students’ positive behavior and performance.

Incumbent is frequently in charge of the entire center on nights, weekends, and holidays, keeping staff and line officers informed of any developments that may require further considerations.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Exercises the full range of supervisory duties for six or more subordinate employees at various grade levels. Recommends employee status change such as promotion, reassignments, and other personnel changes.

Plans the work to be accomplished by the unit, assigns work to employees, and establishes production or quality standards for the unit’s work. Establishes and communicates guidelines and performance requirements to employees; conducts formal performance reviews; and identifies and provides for the developmental and training needs of employees. Hears and resolves employee complaints, effects minor disciplinary measures, and recommends action in more serious cases. Performs administrative and human resources management functions for the unit; provides advice, counsel, or instruction on both administrative and work matters; and assures full compliance with safety regulations.

Promotes equal opportunity and employs nondiscriminatory practices for merit promotion, recruitment and hiring of applicants; encouragement, recognition, and fair treatment of all employees; and career development and full utilization of employees’ skills. Adheres to nondiscriminatory employment practices regarding race, color, national origin, age, disability; and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal; or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program.

Responsible for leading a work environment that is values-based, purpose-driven and relationships-focused. Responsible for ensuring a healthy, productive, respectful, and empowered workforce by creating an environment where people from diverse backgrounds feel respected, recognized, and valued; and promotes a culture of safety, physically, psychologically, and socially. Demonstrates safety leadership by personal involvement, provision, or resources (staffing, training, equipment, and so forth), communicates safety expectations, and recognizes proactive safety accomplishments. Creates an environment that promotes staff engagement, integration and collaboration is established and continually fostered, creating an open environment for feedback from subordinates.

Provides leadership, allocates resources, and implements activities in a non-discriminatory manner which consistently demonstrates fairness, cooperation, and respect toward others and is following Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights policies. Supports and participates in the Work Environment Continuous Improvement Process. Ensures all communication - written, oral, visual, signed - is non-discriminatory and sensitive to all employees and publics. Creates an environment that promotes staff engagement, integration and collaboration is established and continually fostered, creating an open environment for feedback from subordinates.

Skill in work planning to be able to organize and plan a program of work involving residential living.

Skill in oral/written communication to clearly explain to others complex factual relationships, regulations, precedent decisions, and the application of regulations to facts, or skill to communicate similar complex material; writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

Knowledge of the Career Development Services System and all its components.

Practical knowledge of group and individual counseling techniques to be able to counsel, guide and motivate employees and students.

Ability to use computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.  This includes the various Job Corps related databases and software to perform and process work assignments. 

Ability to develop others to perform and contribute to the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods. 

Working knowledge of human capital management to build and manage workforce based on organizational goals, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and rewarded; takes action to address performance problems. Manages a multi-sector work force and a variety of work situations.

Ability to organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes.

The staff officer outlines objectives, major goals, priorities, and budget. Within a framework of priorities, funding and overall project objectives, the employee and supervisor develop a mutually acceptable work plan which typically includes identification of the work to be done, the scope of the project, and establish overall objectives for work performance.

Incumbent is responsible for planning and carrying out the assignments; resolving most of the conflicts which arise; coordinating the work with others; interpreting policy on own initiative in terms of established objectives; and, in some assignments, determines the approach to be taken and the methodology to be used. Keeps supervisor informed of progress and potentially controversial matters. Completed work is reviewed only from an overall standpoint in terms of feasibility, compatibility with other work, or effectiveness in meeting requirements or expected results.

The incumbent’s work is reviewed for adequacy and compliance with governing policies, regulations, and procedures. 

Guidelines include applicable Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor, and Forest Service regulations and Job Corps manuals and directives. Guidelines are usually applicable but may have some gaps in specificity.

Guidelines are not always directly applicable to specific work assignments, the incumbent must use sound judgment, creativity, and resourcefulness in interpreting, applying and/or modifying general guidelines to the specific needs of the center’s operational programs.

Most assignments have aspects which require the incumbent to select, adapt, or interpret existing methods, practices, and instructions, or to generalize from several guidelines and techniques in carrying out the activities. Some assignments require frequent departures from standardized procedures to establish tentative direction for completion of the assignment. The employee determines when problems require additional guidance.

The work involves performance of a wide range of duties designed to contribute to the personal and social development of students. It includes behavior management and discipline, providing instructions and counseling on a variety of basic social skills, maintaining order and standards, and maintaining records of student activities and progress.

Underserved youth come from a variety of environments, creating a microcosm of the interrelationships between persons of differing backgrounds. The incumbent must navigate and lead students through learning to live together in a shared space while accepting each other. Students may have prior trauma and post traumatic stressors that impact their ability to get along with others. Students may have prior drug and alcohol use that affects their ability to participate in the social programs on campus. Students may have other psycho-social issues that have the potential to interfere with the program goals.

Decisions made and actions taken must often be implemented without delay due to the nature of the work, i.e., disruption to overall residential programs and plans may occur due to the nature of the work situation. The work of the incumbent involves the need for independence and ingenuity to meet the objectives of the overall residential living program for all students, as well as to contribute to the growth of each individual student.

The purpose of this position is to provide direction in providing an atmosphere conducive to the optimum learning and living conditions for students. Activities and services provided directly contribute to the student's morale, emotional well-being, and social development. Social and group living skills gained provide students with tools for resisting undesirable environmental influences, and for leading socially acceptable and useful lives.

Contacts are with students in a community living/dorm setting, staff officers, center staff, National Field Office staff, Forest personnel and Department of Labor officials. External contact is with parents/guardians, judicial officials, probationary personnel, local law enforcement officials, state, city, or local governments, merchants, churches, educational institutions, employee unions, and members of the public.

Students, parents, and guardians, have strong and sometimes conflicting interests regarding student needs. Department of Labor and Forest Service leadership operate under different policy umbrellas. Local communities often have differing needs and opinions of the Job Corps program and of students.

Contacts are to plan, coordinate, advise, and inform on matters concerning the operation of the residential living program as well as to facilitate the operation of other programs on the center. Contacts with students are to influence, motivate, and control to gain compliance with established plans, policies, and regulations. Contacts with students involve a high degree of interpersonal skill as they may be hostile, aggressive, and unresponsive to leadership or direction.

The work requires some physical activity such as walking, standing, bending, light lifting or may involve periods of sitting and driving. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

The work is performed in both an office and dormitory environment. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, dormitories, and recreational facilities.

The Residential Living Program contains disciplines of administrative, technical, complex clerical or comparable in nature where the incumbent provides leadership and guidance to students in a group living environment and provides practical counseling to students. The services provided significantly affect center operations as well as having an impact on students and their personal development and future career opportunities. The effect of the work has broad impact and directly affects the acceptance of the Job Corps program through-out the Forest Service as well as impacting the overall public by helping to develop students into employable and useful members of society.

The incumbent: Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets, and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work; Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees; Evaluates work performance of subordinates; Gives advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both work and administrative matters. Interviews candidates for positions in the unit; recommends appointment, promotion, or reassignments to such positions; Hears and resolves complaints from employees, referring group grievances and more serious unresolved complaints to the Center Director; Effects minor disciplinary measures, such as warnings and reprimands, recommending other actions in more serious cases; Identifies developmental and training needs of employees, providing for and arranging for needed development and training; Finds ways to improve production or increase the quality of work directed; Develops performance standards.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $61,111.00 - $79,443.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Evening shift
• Every weekend
• Night shift

Work Location: In person

Salary : $61,111 - $79,443