Youth Support Specialist (Hourly)

NYS Office of Children and Family Services; Town of Rush (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

The Youth Support Specialist (YSS) works directly to supervise court-placed youth, aged 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 and emotionally safe for both youth and staff.

You will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to address emotional and behavioral needs, employ graduated harm reduction strategies, and support education and community transition goals.

Qualifications

• Two years of full-time direct care experience in youth care (ages 6-21).
• High school diploma or equivalency with one year of youth care experience (6-21).
• Associate’s degree with six months youth care experience (6-21).
• Bachelor’s degree in any field.
• Direct care experience with youth involved in juvenile justice or related settings.
• Valid NYS driver’s license and ability to operate a vehicle in NYS.

Responsibilities

• Supervise court-placed youth aged 12-20 in secure, limited-secure or non-secure facilities.
• Ensure facility safety and supervise youth movement, keys, and conflict resolution.
• Participate as part of a youth’s support team to address emotional and behavioral needs.
• Engage youth using graduated harm reduction strategies and intervene when needed.
• Collaborate to improve facility well-being and community environment.
• Supervise or assist youth in recreation and education activities; take as-needed assignments.
• Maintain positive relationships with youths’ families and loved ones.
• Help youth achieve education, work readiness, and community transition goals.

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Associate’s degree

High school diploma or equivalency

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.

• 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.

Additional duties will be discussed in detail during the interview

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.
• 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;
• A high school graduation or equivalency diploma AND one year of experience* in the care and programming of youth from ages 6-21;
• An Associate’s degree AND six months experience* in the care and programming of youth from ages 6-21;
• A Bachelor’s degree;

• 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.

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.