Youth Case Manager- Youth Services Center

City of Indianapolis and Marion County; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Indianapolis and Marion County seeks a Youth Counselor to provide counseling, crisis intervention, and supportive services for residents in the Marion County Youth Services Center. You will collaborate with Detention Officers on behavior management and document needs for probation and court resources.

The role emphasizes assessing resident needs, developing individualized plans, guiding detention adaptation, and coordinating with education and community resources.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with two years’ experience in adolescent services.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual, group, or family counseling to residents in the detention center.
• Offer in-depth crisis intervention counseling for high-risk situations.
• Consult with Detention Officers on interpretation and management of resident behavior.
• Prepare written reports for probation officers, court, and placement resources as requested.
• Coordinate communication between residents, legal representatives, and the probation department.
• Instruct residents on rules, administer ASO testing, and build constructive rapport.
• Use assessment instruments to determine security risks and programmatic needs.
• Assist with or prepare admission classifications and detention summaries.
• Respond to emergencies; enforce policies and participate in hearings.
• Interview residents, prepare incident reports, and review progress for classification.

Skills

Communication skills

Crisis intervention

Adolescent development

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in human services

Job description

To provide counseling, evaluation, information, referral, and support services to resident youth in the Marion County Youth Services Center; to provide consultation in behavior management to the Center's Detention Officers and other employees.

Responsibilities

• To provide individual in-depth, group or family counseling (as needed) to residents detained in the Center which is targeted on their special and individual needs.
• To provide in-depth crisis intervention counseling to residents in situations which are beyond the scope of Detention Officer's responsibilities.
• To consult with Detention Officers in the interpretation, understanding and management of problematic behavior of youth. To implement instructional and counseling programming aimed at meeting the special psychological, social, and emotional needs of youth.
• To provide written reports on residents' behavior and adjustment to probation officer and Court and placement resources as requested.
• Coordinates communication for residents with their legal representatives and the probation department
• Instructs residents on the rules and regulations of the unit and expected behavior; Administer ASO testing to new residents to the detention environment and to develop a constructive rapport with them. Provide guidance to residents including assisting them in adapting to the detention environment, solving problems, teaching how to think and act responsibly, filing grievances, and preparing them mentally for transfers to treatment facilities (placements) and or Department of Correction commitments.
• Uses assessment instruments to determine the resident’s security risks and programmatic needs
• Advises residents on personal problems, employment resources, vocational skills, educational and training needs, family problems and detention adjustment.
• Assists with, or prepares reports such as admission classification, detention summaries, or court ordered presentence investigations.
• Receives and takes necessary action on incoming and outgoing mail to or from assigned residents.
• Reports observations and information to assist in the development of personalized treatment programs. Report critical behavior. Responds to emergency situations. Restrain and control residents in crisis situations when needed.
• Follow written directives, post orders, special instructions in addition to policies and procedures which dictate daily, routine and emergency procedures. Enforce rules and regulations. Participates in disciplinary hearings to review with residents regarding the consequences for non-compliance with established policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Communicates with other staff by using portable and mobile radios, telephones, and similar equipment. Complete and maintain annual certification of training classes including CPR, Handle with Care, and first aid. Employ techniques learned when necessary.
• Assists residents in adjusting to detention rules and regulations and the behavior modification system; utilizes safe physical management restraint procedures for highly troublesome residents, as necessary; participates in the organization of, and provision for, individual/small group leisure activities; requisitions and maintains special interest activity supplies; encourages and supports residents’ involvement in recreational, educational, and religious program offerings; inspects living area of residents daily to check for cleanliness, vandalism and contraband.
• Receives increasingly complex and difficult resident custody and mediation assignments while achieving competency in supervising residents to ensure that proper conduct and security are maintained in the Youth Servies Center; prevents residents from engaging in physical confrontations and destruction of facility property; observes behavior patterns in order to detect signs of depression or other emotional stress and reports observations; monitors closely those residents suspected as being suicidal or extremely depressed.
• Participates in treatment team meetings as required.
• Assists in educational programming and assists educational staff personnel as required.
• Interview residents to elicit background information; collaborates with child guidance and educational staff about residents; prepares incident reports, adjustment contacts and submits unit repair requests; orients residents on the policies, procedures, operations and rules of the facility; rewards appropriate behavior as part of an established behavior modification system; encourages residents to discuss their behavior and personal habits/attitudes; guides discussion towards the establishment and reinforcement of appropriate behavior patterns.
• Reviews and prepares records of all assigned residents to determine progress or necessity of changing assignments or security classification; serves as a member of the classification unit for an assigned caseload. Research residents’ backgrounds to establish a social history and to provide information for proper classification.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in human services related area. Two years’ experience in providing services to adolescents. Must be able to inter-act with diverse groups of individuals. Must have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal and be able to work cooperatively with human services professionals in the community at large to provide services to youth. Knowledge of community resources, child abuse and juvenile justice laws, personnel policy manual, behavior management system and emergency evacuation code essential. Specialized training in one or more specific clinical areas required, including, but not limited to: addictions and substances abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, gang behavior, various adolescent Developmental Disorders, adolescent mental health issues, aggressive behavior, crisis intervention and parenting skills.

Salary

This salary is base pay with no experience. Will increase with applicable, credible experience. Salary enhancement for bi-lingual skills, particularly Spanish, Burmese and ASL.

Hours

The hours for this position are 12p - 8:30p with rotating days everry three months. Must be able to work any shift if needed.

Minimum age requirement is 25 years old.

Working within a secure youth services center.