JUVENILE JUSTICE SPECIALIST

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Under general supervision, performs professional duties in a juvenile justice facility at the full performance level in conjunction with other professional staff in combining core security with a range of individual and group facilitation and social development services providing for the care, safety, well being and personal development of youth. Work at this level involves delivery of a range of individual and group facilitation and social development services at the full performance level. Participates as an active member on living unit resource treatment teams.

Specific assignments are made on the basis of training and demonstrated and tested competencies in the areas of assignment, which may include youth supervision of social and recreational activities, motivational training, personal care and social skills development, teambuilding and group facilitation, work habits training, job interviewing, goal setting, academic skills and study habits mentoring and monitoring, and individual behavioral case records maintenance for the individual service plans. Assignments include searches, sally port control and movement through the facility, supervision of library, healthcare security, crisis team member, staff training and mentoring, various committee assignments including adjustment committee, etc.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Provides role-modeling behavior, facilitating appropriate communications and developing suitable problem solving and conflict resolution skills for assigned youth, supervising and monitoring the progress of youth in accordance with the individualized service plan.
• Provides youth with immediate reinforcement of appropriate interaction, limit setting, and correction of inappropriate communication and interaction.
•  Works with counselors and other professional and direct support staff to provide additional assistance and support services to youth, through individualized student interaction and facilitating group programs where trained and certified to do so.
• Supervises youth in accordance with specified agency rules and standards. Participates in the development and implementation of an individualized service plan including, but not limited to, monitoring implementation of the plan, preparing periodic written and oral reports, attending professional staff meetings for assigned youth, and contributing to the plan in areas of specialization, goal setting, behavioral observations and management issues.
• Completes all required reports and notifies appropriate staff of issues, concerns and activities.
• Transports and supervises youth movement to and from destinations inside and/or outside the facility grounds; observes behavior and social interaction of youth and intervenes when conflicts occur and deescalates the situation.
• Administers nonprescription medications per established protocols and ensures youth have access to necessary and appropriate medical services.
• Conducts periodic inspections of facility to assure the safety and well being of youth being served.
• Receives ongoing training to develop new and updated skill and proficiency in carrying out specialized service delivery programs to targeted youth involving group or individual services.
• Provides guidance and conducts peer training for specialists and interns to familiarize them with different and more challenging assignments and to assist the training coordinator with cyclical training, instruction, and reinforcement of existing directives and procedures and new or improved work methods and techniques.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

QUALIFICATION PATH A

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to the completion of four years of high school.
• Requires two years of experience providing direct care to youth in the form of residential care, coaching, case management or mentoring..

QUALIFICATION PATH B

• Requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Candidates must be over the age of 21.
• Requires the ability to pass an IDJJ/IDOC background check.
• Requires the ability to pass an IDJJ/IDOC drug screening.
• Requires the successful completion of a Department of Juvenile Justice Training Program.
• Requires the ability to speak, and write in English
• Requires possession of an appropriate valid driver's license.
• Requires physical agility and strength to stand and walk for up to three hours at a time, to run for short distances, and to provide physical intervention and control, as necessary, in order to protect and/or restrain individuals.