Residential Safety Security Specialist

Lawndale Christian Legal Center; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Lawndale Christian Legal Center seeks a Residential Safety & Security Specialist in Chicago to maintain a safe, secure environment for Deer Housing residents and staff at the Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center. This unarmed role emphasizes de-escalation, access control, and crisis response.

You will monitor entrances, perform safety checks, document findings, and support emergency procedures while upholding resident dignity and privacy. Full-time, second shift, in-person.

Qualifications

• Associates degree in human services, social work, psychology or related field.
• 5+ years of personal or professional experience with justice-involved youth.
• 5+ years working with diverse populations and understanding criminal justice involvement.
• Valid Driver’s License, Insurance, and reliable transportation.
• Strong judgment, de-escalation, and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintain safety and security of residents, staff, visitors, and the facility.
• Monitor entrances, exits, and common areas; respond to safety concerns.
• Conduct routine safety checks and document significant findings.
• Assist with emergency evacuations and crisis response.
• Enforce intake procedures and ensure privacy and dignity of residents.

Skills

Strong judgment

De-escalation

Crisis response

Interpersonal skills

Surveillance awareness

Documentation

Education

Associate degree in human services or related field

Job description

Residential Safety Security Specialist

Full Time Clerical Chicago, IL, US 1 Attachments

3 days ago Requisition ID: 1111

Salary Range: $45,000.00 To $50,000.00 Annually

Title: Residential Safety- Security Specialist

Location: Full-Time In-Person at Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center

Hours: 2nd Shift

Status: Full-Time

Reports to: Residential Manager

Salary: Commensurate with experience

Who We Are Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC) was founded to provide a unique form of community holistic defense representation grounded in restorative justice values to minors and emerging adults (25 and under) in the North Lawndale area caught in the criminal justice system. LCLC’s highly relational, community-led model of representation is performed by an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, case managers, outreach workers, circle-keepers, and community partners. In addition to providing full criminal defense representation, LCLC’s community holistic defense team identifies and meets the legal and social needs of our clients at every phase of the criminal justice system: from diversion, arrest, through trial, and the completion of any period of probation, supervision, and parole.

In early 2025, LCLC opened a new $22 million facility named the Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center, a three-story office building plus twenty units of studio-style housing (hereinafter “Deer Housing”) for emerging adult men, 18-25 years old, who are or have been represented by our community holistic defense team and other criminal justice partners. The community holistic defense team and criminal justice partners identify emerging adult men at high-risk of going to prison and negotiate for them to stay in one of the twenty units of Deer Housing as an alternative to incarceration.

By serving justice-involved minors and emerging adults holistically in their community, LCLC is leading the transformation of the traditional criminal justice system by building out age-appropriate interventions and new best practices grounded in repair and restoration that are more effective, cost less, and result in greater public safety for all. Our holistic, community-led model of restorative justice is a template for creating a justice system that better serves Cook County and the nation. More information on LCLC can be found at www.lclc.net.

About North Lawndale North Lawndale is a vibrant and resilient community and we are proud to be a part of it. Our Freedom Center office site is located just next door to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Apartments and Exhibit Center, built on the site where Dr. King lived for six months during his Chicago Freedom Campaign in 1966. North Lawndale is tightly knit, and we are gratified by our affiliation with the Lawndale Christian Community Church and North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, two organizations that have done much to bring necessary health and legal services to the community.

As a result of decades of disinvestment, “white flight”, redlining, and other harbingers of systemic poverty and violence, North Lawndale suffers from high levels of poverty, economic hardship, violence, and over-policing. In North Lawndale, approximately 850 officers are assigned to the two police districts that patrol 35,000 residents. In addition, a significant percentage of specialized units (which are historically aggressive and abusive) rove in our community. More than 1,500 youth are arrested in North Lawndale yearly, the second highest rate in Chicago. Indiscriminate stops and searches of North Lawndale residents are a daily occurrence; 66% of adults surveyed perceived no legitimate reason for their most recent police stop. A startling 59% of adults in North Lawndale have been arrested, 30% convicted, and 27% jailed.

Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds that our youth encounter within North Lawndale, they demonstrate hope, resolve, and a drive to make their neighborhood a better place. We are continually inspired by our clients’ resilience and positivity in the face of external challenges. It is both an honor and a privilege to help them walk them through and away from the criminal justice system and equip them to take control of their future.

What We Do LCLC reaches over 350 minors and emerging adults in the criminal justice system annually with the following services:

• Community Holistic Defense for Juveniles and Emerging Adults : Free legal representation for indigent clients grounded in holistic defense practices which acknowledge that quality of representation and criminal legal outcomes are improved for youth when their unique developmental needs are simultaneously addressed by an integrated, interdisciplinary team of attorneys and social service providers.

• Community Housing : LCLC owns and operates 20 units of studio style housing for emerging adult men, 18-25 years old, inside the Deer Community Justice Center. In addition, LCLC has created a network of approximately 275 private landlords and funders that place other LCLC clients and their families in subsidized affordable housing units.

• Restorative Justice Community Court : LCLC was the lead agency that gathered numerous community and cook county court stakeholders together to design and launch the first Restorative Justice Community Court in the country in North Lawndale in September 2017. This court is based upon the tradition of restorative justice circle keeping and other restorative justice practices to enable repair and community integration for emerging adult men, 18-25, facing qualifying felony criminal legal charges. LCLC hopes to add a juvenile call to this court to serve minors 17 and younger under the same model.

• Community Holistic Juvenile Diversion : Since 2020, LCLC has worked with the Mayor’s office and the Chicago Police Department to close the Juvenile Intervention and Support Center (JISC) and create a new model of juvenile diversion for Chicago. LCLC is one of service providers in the city and focuses on serving youth from the west side diverted from the courts by the Chicago Police Department.

LCLC looks to continuously innovate our program portfolio to build upon new best practices for serving minors and emerging adults and better serve our communities.

Job Summary : The Residential Safety and Security Specialist is responsible for maintaining a safe, secure, structured, and supportive environment for residents, staff, visitors, and property for Deer Housing, located at the Dr. Dennis Deer Community Justice Center, residential complex.. Security Specialists are employees of Deer Housing and are expected to understand the Center’s mission, residents, policies, programming, and culture. Staff will receive Deer Housing-specific training and will be held accountable to organizational standards regarding professionalism, resident interactions, de-escalation, boundaries, documentation, confidentiality, and crisis response. This is an unarmed position. Employees in this role are not permitted to carry firearms or other unauthorized weapons while performing Deer Housing duties.

Responsibilities

Facility Safety & Security

• Greets and assists all clients, visitors, vendors, and employees in a friendly, courteous and professional manner.

• Maintain the physical safety and security of residents, staff, visitors, and the facility.

• Maintain a visible and professional presence throughout the residential facility.

• Conduct routine interior and exterior safety and security checks.

• Monitor entrances, exits, common areas, residential areas, parking areas, and other designated locations.

• Monitor security cameras and promptly respond to observed safety concerns.

• Maintain appropriate access control and ensure unauthorized individuals do not enter restricted areas.

• Verify visitors and follow established visitor- management procedures.

• Monitor resident and visitor movement in accordance with Deer Housing policies without creating an unnecessarily restrictive or correctional atmosphere.

• Identify and report environmental hazards, unsecured doors, damaged security equipment, suspicious activity, or other potential safety concerns.

• Assist staff with appropriate room, common area, or facility searches when authorized and conducted in accordance with organizational policy.

• Support emergency evacuations, fire response, severe weather procedures, medical emergencies, other facility emergencies.

• Maintain familiarity with emergency exits, fire-safety equipment, AEDs, first-aid supplies, Narcan, emergency contact procedures, and other safety resources.

• Conduct required searches of all residents entering or re-entering the residential facility in accordance with Deer Housing’s search protocol.

• Conduct required searches or screening of visitors entering the facility in accordance with Deer Housing’s search policy.

• Complete required documentation related to significant search findings.

• Maintain resident dignity and privacy at all times

• Ensure newly arriving residents follow the Center’s established intake procedures for clothing and personal belongings before those items are brought into designated residential areas

• Enforce residents do not bypass required clothing procedures.

• Inspect incoming luggage, bags, boxes, clothing, and other personal property in accordance with established intake procedures.

Crisis Prevention & De- Escalation

• Continuously assess the environment for behavioral, interpersonal, and physical safety risks.

• Use verbal de-escalation, active listening, redirection, appropriate positioning, and other approved interventions to reduce the likelihood of physical confrontation.

• Maintain a calm, professional demeanor, during highly stressful or emotionally charged situations

• Assist with controlling the physical environment during a crisis so clinical, case management, residential, or supervisory staff can address the needs of the resident when appropriate.

• Conducts safety inspections of all residential floors and room and exterior of the building.

• Verify residents are accounted for and in compliance with housing rules.

Support of Other Programs and Administrative Services As Needed and Assigned

• LCLC anticipates there will be downtime when residents are participating in training, working off site, or sleeping. Other job responsibilities may be assigned during these times to support other programs or administrative services as needed for the organization. Additionally, duties will vary depending on the assigned shift.

Required Qualifications :

• Associates degree in human services, social work, psychology or a related field. Equivalent experience may be considered.

• 5+ years of personal or professional experience working with justice involved youth under 25.

• 5+ years of experience working with diverse populations and an understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with criminal justice involvement.

• Valid Driver’s License, Insurance, and reliable transportation.

• Strong judgment, situational awareness, critical thinking, de-escalation, and negotiation skills.

• High level of interpersonal skills, relationship-building, and ability to relate to young people in the criminal justice system under 25.

• Passion for criminal justice reform, particularly reducing incarceration for young people through supportive community alternatives.

• Flexible and willingness to serve on a team.

• Ability to create a culture of continuous quality improvement in service delivery and innovation;

• Criminal background check and fingerprinting

• Prior experience in security, residential care, corrections, violence prevention, behavioral health, youth development, or community based violence intervention strongly preferred.

• Passion for, understanding of, and commitment to LCLC’s vision and mission;

While performing the duties of this job, the employee works full-time in a residential setting. Some local, county, or state travel may be required.

Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger; reach with hands and arms; climb and descend stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, or crouch; communicate verbally. The role requires near visual acuity (approximately 20 in or less) to utilize a computer. The employee will be expected to respond appropriately to any verbal or physical conflicts among residents and will need to be trained in de-escalation and emergency protocols as a result.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work This is a residential services position requiring the exercise of discretion and independent judgment and is required to work a full-time work week, as designated by the LCLC Employee Handbook, with periodical longer hours, including potential evenings, weekends, and odd hours. Residential Safety & Security Specialists may be called upon to cover 2nd or 3rd shift when other Residential Safety & Security Specialists are out of the office or call off.

Lawndale Christian Legal Center is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and organizational needs. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative of those we serve.

North Lawndale, Austin, and East and West Garfield Park residents, minorities, and individuals impacted by the criminal justice system are encouraged to apply.

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