Youth Support Specialist (Hourly)

NYS Office of Children and Family Services; City of Oneida (NY); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training and professional development

Work with diverse youth populations

Job summary

The NYS Office of Children and Family Services is hiring a Youth Support Specialist (YSS) in Oneida, NY. The YSS will supervise youth aged 12-20 in residential facilities, ensuring both physical and emotional safety. This role requires building trust with youth, participating in support teams, and maintaining professional relationships.

Candidates must have direct care experience or relevant degrees. Training will be provided for specific skills. This position may require shift work, including weekends and holidays.

Qualifications

• Two years full-time direct care experience with youth.
• Experience with youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
• Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator’s license.

Responsibilities

• Supervise court-placed youth in residential facilities.
• Participate in a youth’s support team.
• Engage with youth in recreational and educational activities.

Skills

Direct care experience

Crisis management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Associate's degree and 6 months experience

High school diploma and 1 year of experience

Job description

Duties Description

The Youth Support Specialist (YSS) works directly to supervise court-placed youth, age 12-20, who reside at OCFS secure, limited-secure, and/or non-secure residential facilities. YSSs are part of a team that ensures that a facility is physically secure (e.g., responsible for youth movement, key and door control, and conflict resolution) and emotionally safe for both youth and other staff. YSSs help create a professional, healthy, and therapeutic environment. A YSS must:

• Establish a relationship of professionalism, confidence, safety, and trust with youth and other staff from different racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, physical ability, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Expression (SOGIE) and/or socio-economic backgrounds. Supervise and monitor youth, which, depending on a youth’s clinical needs, may include 1-to-1 supervision.
• Actively participate as a member of a youth’s support team. A support team is a treatment-focused group of professional and para-professional staff who work together to address the emotional and behavioral needs and goal of youth.
• Be confident in engaging with people who may be under physical and/or emotional stress.
• Employ graduated harm reduction strategies while supervising youth. This includes correcting, and in some cases, verbally or physically intervening when a youth displays unsafe behaviors toward themselves or other youth and staff. Harm reduction requires that a YSS learn to recognize personal or situational flags that could lead to conflict or harm, provide positive mentorship to youth, and help youth work on their own interpersonal skills and use of self-regulation strategies.
• Take opportunities to improve the well‑being of the facility community by being collaborative and informed.
• Supervise and/or assist youth during recreation and education activities, as well as take on various, as‑needed assignments.
• Establish and maintain positive, professional, and appropriate relationships with youths’ families and loved ones.
• Assist youth in achieving education, work readiness, and community transition goals.

Training Requirements

Attend a 2‑week Juvenile Justice Basic Training orientation, be proficient in OCFS-approved physical skills and youth restraint techniques (given two times a year for eight hours total), take NYS employee‑mandated annual trainings, and other annual training refreshers.

• Some intrastate travel may be required (e.g., supervision at youth medical appointments, intramural games, extracurricular activities, or other events).
• The YSS position is physically demanding. A candidate must be prepared to act to ensure the health and safety of youth and staff, which may include use of approved physical restraint techniques.

Additional duties will be discussed in detail during the interview.

Other Information

• The YSS position is at all nine facilities operated by OCFS. Vacancies are throughout the state.
• The YSS position requires shift, weekend, holidays, and overtime assignments, including mandatory and voluntary overtime.

Minimum Qualifications

• Two years full‑time direct care experience in the care and programming of youth from ages 6-21.
• OR a Bachelor’s degree.
• OR an Associate’s degree AND six months experience.
• OR a high school graduation or equivalency diploma AND one year of experience.
• OR a satisfactory equivalent combination of the above education and experience requirements.

• Direct care experience with youth involved in the juvenile justice system or in an institution, camp, school, community center, youth rehabilitation program, mental health or correctional institution, or residential center.

Appropriate verifiable part‑time experience will be accepted on a prorated basis.

Satisfactory completion of the probation period must include possession of a valid motor vehicle operator’s license and the ability to operate a motor vehicle legally in New York State.

Background Investigation Requirements

• All prospective employees will be investigated through a Criminal Background Check (CBC), which includes State and federal Criminal History Record Checks. All convictions must be reported; conviction of a felony or misdemeanor, or any falsified or omitted information on the prospective appointee’s employment application, may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case will be determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of State and federal laws, rules, and regulations. Prospective employees will be fingerprinted in order to obtain a record of their criminal history information, and may be required to pay any necessary fees.
• All prospective employees will be screened against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). Prospective employees will be required to pay any necessary fees.
• For Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth (DJJOY) prospective appointees will be checked against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. Prospective employees whose names appear on the SEL as having been found responsible for serious or repeated acts of abuse or neglect will be barred from appointment and may have their names removed from the eligible list(s) for the title(s) if applicable.

Physical/Medical Requirements

Your physical and medical condition will be evaluated to ensure that you are able to satisfactorily perform the duties of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. The physical/medical standards include a fitness test, a medical standards evaluation, and a substance abuse screening.

Statement Regarding Vulnerable Youth

All youth who reside in OCFS facilities, regardless of age, are considered ‘vulnerable persons’ and protected by the NYS Justice Center. The Justice Center works to ensure that no youth is subject to abuse, neglect, or other mistreatment while residing in an OCFS facility.

Civil Service Representation

Civil Service Employees Association, Inc (CSEA) represents that YSS position. The position is subject to all attendant CSEA-OCFS agreements, rules, and opportunities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) is an equal‑opportunity employer. OCFS does not discriminate based upon age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, military or veteran status, sex, disability (including pregnancy‑related conditions), predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We devote special attention to dismantling racial injustice and recognize that diversity in our workforce is critical to fulfilling our mission. We are committed to the diversity of our staff and encourage applicants from marginalized communities to apply. In furtherance of Executive Order 31 and OCFS’s mission to have a diverse workforce, all people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. All applicants must be dedicated to working in and sustaining an environment of inclusion that affirms and celebrates the backgrounds, learned, and lived expertise, whole identities, and individual perspectives of our staff. Applicants of all backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to self-identify during the application process.