Youth Support Specialist

State of New York - Children & Family Services, Office of; Town of Claverack (NY); On-site; USD 62,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

The Youth Support Specialist (YSS) works directly to supervise court-placed youth, ages 12-20, who reside at OCFS secure, limited-secure, and non-secure residential facilities. YSSs are part of a team that ensures the facility is physically secure and emotionally safe for both youth and other staff.

A YSS must establish professional relationships, participate on a youth's support team, and use graduated harm reduction strategies to manage risk and support positive development.

Qualifications

• Two years full-time direct care experience in the care and programming of youth 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.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and monitor youth in OCFS facilities as part of a treatment-focused team.
• Help create a professional, healthy, and therapeutic environment for youth.
• Engage with youth under stress and apply harm reduction strategies to prevent harm.
• Assist youth in education, work readiness, and community transition goals.

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Associate’s degree

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

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Agency Children & Family Services, Office of

Title Youth Support Specialist

Occupational Category Enforcement or Protective Services

Salary Grade 14

Bargaining Unit OSU - Operational Services Unit (CSEA)

Salary Range From $61702 to $68630 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Permanent

Jurisdictional Class Non-competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Workweek Variable

Workday

From 12 AM

To 12 AM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? Yes

Compressed workweek allowed? No

Telecommuting allowed? No

County Columbia

Street Address Brookwood Secure Center

419 Spook Rock Road

City Claverack

State NY

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

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.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

Name New York State Office of Children and Family Services

Telephone [phone]

Fax [phone]

Email Address [e-mail]

Address

Street Bureau of Personnel - TAB

52 Washington Street, 231 North

City Rensselaer

State NY