Associate Commissioner

City of New York•New York City, NY

10h•$181,426 - $191,426

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. The Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ) provides a wide range of services and programs for youth at every stage of the juvenile justice process. Our goals are to (a) build stronger and safer communities and advance public safety by preventing juveniles from entering the New York City's juvenile justice system, (b) provide therapeutic treatment and services to youth in our custodial care, and (c) help juveniles access the tools they need to leave the justice system for good. We strive to help families and young people by providing supportive services that are responsive to the needs of individual youth and families. 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. Some specific duties include, but are not limited to:

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;
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

Oversight and management of Detention operations:
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 Communications 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.
Implementation of program performance improvement initiatives:
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.