Community Liaison

City of New York•New York City, NY

20h

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 child care 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. Non-Secure Placement (NSP) - Youth reside in small, home-like residential facilities, operated by contracted providers, in or near the five boroughs where they are close to resources that can support their treatment and transition back into their communities. DYFJ oversees a network of five contracted providers that operate a total of 7 non-secure detention facilities across New York City. Limited Secure Placement (LSP) - ACS contracts with non-profit providers to operate LSP group homes in or near the five boroughs. Each LSP group home serves between 6-20 youths. The LSP residences will both serve general and specialized high-level youth by providing services to meet each youth's needs. ACS contracts with community-based providers to operate 25 non-secure and 6 limited secure placement programs. In addition, LSP homes have more restrictive security features compared to NSP group homes to ensure the safety of residents, program staff, and local communities.

Requirements

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

Responsibilities

Coordinate trainings for Non-Secure Detention (NSD), Close to Home (CTH) Placement staff on conflict resolution, utilizing appropriate de-escalation and restraint techniques.
Conduct contraband and safety security inspections in accordance with the agency policy.
Perform safety and security school inspections with resident movement and transitions for crisis intervention.
Prevent absconds in Non-Secure Detention (NSD), Close to Home (CTH) Placement schools.
Observe and document residents’ behavior in agency logbooks.
Participate in regular team meetings and case conferences.
Maintain the fire safety logbook and conducts fire drills.
Assist with both external and internal recreation activities.
Prepare incident reports and collaborates with the Movement, Communications, and Control Unit (MCCU) on incident reporting when applicable.
Utilize physical restraints (ESPI) when intervening in incidents to prevent injury to residents or staff.
Coordinate with ACS and external stakeholders to track and record incident reports and follow up with residents and Non-Secure Detention (NSD), Close to Home (CTH) Placement staff as necessary.
Oversee the day-to-day operations at Department of Education (DOE) Passages Academy school sites.
Monitor resident(s) in school, facility environment.
Coordinate, develop and implement program events at DOE District 79 Passages Schools, trips, tournaments, afterschool programming, teambuilding, health and fitness activities, and other offsite activities, including safety and security logistics.
Collaborate with NSD, CTH Placement staff Directors and Assistant Principals to create and promote school safety plans and procedures to reduce behavioral incidents in the school.