Associate Commissioner

City of New York•New York City, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services and provides subsidized childcare vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement and programs for youth in the community. ACS’ Division of Youth & Family Justice (DYFJ) is responsible for oversight and management of secure and non-secure detention services for juveniles awaiting disposition in family and supreme courts, as well as a network of community-based delinquency prevention, alternative to detention, and alternative to placement programs for youth involved in, or at risk for involvement in, the juvenile justice system. Further, DYFJ oversees a wide network of providers throughout the five boroughs that operate placement sites for youth who are adjudicated delinquent and are placed by the New York City Family Court as part of the Close to Home initiative. DYFJ directly operates two secure detention facilities for Juvenile Delinquents, Juvenile Offenders and Adolescent Offenders whose cases are pending in Family Court or the Youth Parts in Supreme Court: Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn and Horizon Juvenile Center in the Bronx, where youth receive comprehensive services including medical, dental, mental health care, and education. Under the general direction of the Deputy Commissioner, the Associate Commissioner of the Crossroads Juvenile Center is responsible for planning and day-to-day oversight of the administration and operation of the secure juvenile detention center.

Requirements

A four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and six years of satisfactory full-time experience in group, community, educational, or institutional work involving juveniles (ages 10-18 years); at least eighteen months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial or educational or institutional work involving juveniles (age 10-18 years); or
An Associate degree from an accredited college or completion of 60 credits of study at an accredited college plus five years of satisfactory full-time experience as described in "1" above; or
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four years of satisfactory full-time experience including eighteen months of administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory experience as described in "1" above; or
Education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have a four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and eighteen months of administrative, managerial, executive, or supervisory experience as described in "1," "2," or "3" above.

Responsibilities

Ensure optimal operation of the secure juvenile detention center in accordance with all relevant federal, state, and city regulations, as well as in compliance with all agency policies, procedures, and court orders and decrees.
Ensure community safety is always maintained.
Ensure that all youth services are coordinated within interdisciplinary teams and that family engagement is promoted.
Oversee all aspects of juvenile detention center management including safety and security, programming, plant operation, office management, budget, housekeeping, case management, and food service.
Coordinate with the Associate Commissioner of Horizon and leads for Admissions, Court Services and Movement Control and Communication Unit (MCCU) to ensure optimal operations and alignment across Detention and facilitates short- and long-term planning.
Facilitate resolution of high-priority issues with other ACS divisions, such as IT and Administration, to ensure building needs are met.
Ensure the safety, security, and wellness of personnel and the health, welfare, and safety of the youth in care.
Maintain cooperative, productive relationships with community groups, union locals, public and private agencies, and oversight agencies.
Continue implementation of staff hall-based interdisciplinary teams within the secure juvenile detention center.
Institute standardized supervisory practices that support staff development.
Implement a strong incentive-driven youth behavior management system; seeks out national detention best practices for working with an older youth and young adult population.
Utilize comprehensive statistical analysis to focus on areas requiring improvement.
Reduce the use of physical restraints.
Reduce the rate of assaults and altercations among youth and against staff.
Reduce the rate of gross security breaches.
Develop and implement strategies to reduce the introduction of contraband into the detention facilities.
Direct the creation and revamping of policies and procedures as needed.
Develop quality assurance tools and procedures.
Coordinate with the DYFJ Compliance unit to review and respond to federal, state, and local oversight requirements and requests.
Support planning of staff training and development in partnership with the Executive Director of Organizational Development and ACS's James Satterwhite Academy.
Review and prepare administrative reports and analyses of the implementation and evaluation of programs and services for the population.