PROGRAM CONSULTANT-SOCIAL SERVICES

State of Louisiana; Columbia (LA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Office of Juvenile Justice, Columbia Center for Youth in Columbia, Louisiana, is seeking a Program Consultant – Social Services to strengthen service delivery and support youth, families, and staff across residential and community-based settings.

You'll gather data, aid with reporting, coordinate engagement activities, and work with internal teams and external partners to ensure programs meet agency standards and deliver positive outcomes.

Qualifications

• Six years of experience in administrative services, public health, social services, or health services.
• Six years of full-time experience in any field plus three years in administrative/public health/social services.
• Bachelor’s degree plus three years in relevant fields; or an advanced degree with related experience.
• Experience substitution: 30 semester hours equals one year of experience; max 120 semester hours.

Responsibilities

• Oversight of ACA, PbS, and PREA compliance with accreditation documentation.
• Coordinate accreditation activities and audits with internal and external bodies.
• Conduct internal audits across multiple locations for statewide compliance.
• Support policy updates reflecting ACA, PREA, PbS standards and best practices.
• Manage compliance reporting and create metrics-rich spreadsheets.
• Collect and analyze incident data related to PREA, ACA, PbS indicators.
• Collaborate with facility leadership to ensure standards are implemented.

Skills

Experience in administrative services

Public health

Social services

Health services

Education

Bachelor’s degree + 3 years experience in applicable fields

Advanced degree in social science, public health, counseling, social work, rehab, business or health admin or JD + 2 years experience

Job description

Office of Juvenile Justice

Columbia Center for Youth

132 LA-850 Hwy, Columbia, LA 71418

https://ojj.la.gov/location/columbia-center-for-youth

The Office of Juvenile Justice is seeking a compassionate, detail-oriented Program Consultant – Social Services to support youth, families, and program staff across both residential and community-based services. This role is ideal for a professional who communicates clearly, collaborates effectively, and values structured, youth-centered support.

As a Program Consultant, you’ll help strengthen service delivery, coordinate youth and family engagement activities, and support staff with program needs and best-practice approaches. You’ll assist with data collection, reporting, problem-solving, and service coordination to ensure programs operate consistently and in alignment with agency expectations. You’ll also work closely with internal teams and external partners to support positive outcomes for youth and families.

If you’re organized, empathetic, and committed to improving the quality of social-services programming, this position offers a meaningful opportunity to contribute to OJJ’s mission.

Qualifications

• Six years of experience in administrative services, public health, social services, or health services; OR

• Six years of full-time experience in any field plus three years of experience in administrative services, public health, social services, or health services; OR

• A bachelor’s degree plus three years of experience in administrative services, public health, social services, or health services; OR

• An advanced degree in a social science field, public health, counseling, social work, rehabilitation services, business, public, or health administration, or Juris Doctorate plus two years of experience in administrative services, public health, social services, or health services.

• EXPERIENCE SUBSTITUTION: Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university will be credited as one year of experience towards the six years of full-time work experience in any field. The maximum substitution allowed is 120 semester hours which substitutes for a maximum of four years of experience in any field.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties

• Oversees ACA, PbS, and PREA compliance — maintains accreditation documentation, verifies policy/SOP alignment with standards, and ensures staff are trained in required compliance areas.

• Coordinates accreditation activities — communicates with accrediting bodies, schedules audits and reviews, and gathers documentation from unit heads to support accreditation readiness.

• Conducts internal audits — reviews accreditation files, policies, SOPs, and physical plant conditions across multiple OJJ locations to ensure statewide compliance.

• Supports policy updates — works with leadership to revise OJJ policies to reflect changes in ACA, PREA, and PbS standards and best-practice requirements.

• Manages compliance reporting — maintains records, researches data, prepares written reports, and creates spreadsheets to track accreditation-related metrics.

• Collects and analyzes incident data — gathers information on youth injuries, investigations, physical plant issues, and other indicators relevant to PREA, ACA, and PbS reporting.

• Collaborates with facility leadership — works with department heads to verify consistent implementation of standards across all operational areas.

Position-Specific Details

Work Location: This vacancy is located at Columbia Center for Youth in Columbia, Louisiana.

Appointment Type: Full time, Probational

The Office of Juvenile Justice is a State as a Model Employer (SAME) agency that supports improved employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. For more information on employment-related resources available for those with disabilities, refer to the Louisiana Employment Resource Guide.

The incumbent of this position must not have been convicted or pled nolo contendere to a crime listed in R.S. 15:587.1 (c)

NOTE: Prior to an appointment, the selected applicant must take and pass a drug screening test, possess a valid Louisiana Driver's License, and clear a background check.

In the supplemental questions section, applicants must authorize the HR Office of Juvenile Justice to contact prior employers to check references under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) to be considered for employment.

Contact

Garilyn London

OJJ/ Human Resources

[e-mail]