Correctional Chaplain - Long Creek Youth Development Center, South Portland.

State of Maine•South Portland, ME

2d•$57,512 - $80,246•Onsite

About The Position

This is a professional services work involving comprehensive religious and spiritual services for male and female youth residing at the Long Creek Youth Development Center in So. Portland, ME. The successful candidate will immerse themselves in- community, creatively developing and encouraging an interfaith and inclusive orientation in religious and spiritual programming and services. They will actively support both familial and resident-identified faith traditions and foster spiritual exploration as a resident expresses interest. Responsibilities include planning, implementation and oversight of programming and services; close collaboration with staff and direction of religious volunteers or interns; effective response to individual and group requests; compassionate care and pastoral counsel to staff and residents; and reliable administration of material, data and records. Work is performed under administrative direction.

Requirements

Knowledge of traditional and non-traditional theological and/or philosophical systems and religions, their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking about forgiveness, loss and healing and other subjects of interest to residents, customs, sacred texts, and practices.
Knowledge of needs and growth of pre-teens and teens and contemporary principles and methods for design and presentation of religious/spiritual material to young adults.
Knowledge of spiritual guidance and counseling.
Insight into or experience work with or active engagement with youth in broad range of activities.
Possess well-developed interpersonal communication skills and capacity for rapport-building.
Ability to exercise initiative, tact, patience, compassionate care and empathy, and good judgment in dealing with people.
Knowledge of human behavior, habits, attitudes, and interests of persons confined or living within the limitations of a correctional facility, and an understanding of unique needs of these individuals.
Knowledge of program planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership, and coordination of people and resources…
Ability to plan and direct all phases of an active interfaith religious/spiritual program
Ability to engage and oversee a volunteer workforce (including clerks and interns).
Ability to establish and maintain professional, collaborative and respectful relationships and collaborate closely with staff.
Ability to maintain accurate records, and present clear written communications.
Ability to use computers to effectively communicate, meet with others, produce brochures, flyers and other program material, record data, create reports.
Requires clinical pastoral education or equivalent specialized training AND endorsement by an appropriate religious certifying body.
Full ordination as a clergyperson and a bachelor’s degree in religion, theology, philosophy, or a directly related field is preferred.

Nice To Haves

Experience or training developing an inclusive inter-faith environment and program/services for variety of faith traditions.
Candidates that possess managerial experience in dynamic and busy work setting
Possess one or more units of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) (or at least one unit as the ACA standard states)
Possess computer skills to support evolving audiovisual needs, creation of materials, data collection/records, admin and correspondence.

Responsibilities

Plans, provides, oversees, and regularly evaluates meaningful religious/spiritual programs and services that meet interests of all residents and of staff toward fulfillment of personal religious/spiritual needs and wellbeing of the whole community.
Discerns the scope and type of spiritual-emotional needs and interests of current residents and staff through interaction and evaluative processes, making effective changes and additions as appropriate.
Provides individual or group spiritual-emotional or religious counsel as requested to support daily life and respond to special situations.
Develops and maintains professional interface with other roles/ disciplines to support integrated and coordinated care of the whole person (or resident and staff member).
Provides spiritual assessment of all in-coming residents and other residents or staff who request individual religious counsel, making referrals to resources, community religious leaders or other staff as appropriate.
Establishes, maintains and directs a cadre of volunteers educated and trained to meet religious needs and interests of active religions. Collaborates closely with facility Volunteer Coordinator regarding training and honoring events.
Oversees and regularly evaluates all religious volunteer activities to ensure they align with desired goals and ensure consistent application of correctional policies, procedures and standards.
Professionally builds and sustains positive, collaborative and professional interpersonal relations with volunteers, staff, residents, community representatives and others in interaction and communication to effectively and respectfully serve all in the exchange of information, coordination of events, meeting requests/needs, working through roadblocks/issues.
Effectively manages data of all program and event attendance and other information to maintain accurate and complete record keeping of religious/spiritual counsel, programming, volunteer work and services.
Proactively and in a timely manner, administers (addresses, meets or resolves) resident requests (to include but not limited to special needs, special concerns or religious needs, actively accessing resources or providing service and follow up with all parties to mutual satisfaction, maintaining forms and records regarding each inquiry.
Participating in policy review, makes recommendations for changes in policy, procedures or standards to best support quality religious programming, services and opportunities for spiritual exploration and growth and comply with all mandated requirements.

Benefits

Work-Life Balance – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave
Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
Health Insurance Coverage– The State of Maine pays 85%-100% of employee-only premiums ($9,893.52-$11,057.52 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State.
Health Insurance Premium Credit– Participation decreases employee-only premiums by 5%. Visit the Office of Employee Health and Wellness for more information about program requirements.
Dental Insurance– The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($350.40 annual value).
Retirement Plan– The State of Maine contributes 14.53% of pay to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS), on behalf of the employee.
Gym Membership Reimbursement– Improve overall health with regular exercise and receive up to $40 per month to offset this expense.
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts– Set aside money pre-tax to help pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or daycare expenses.
Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness– The State of Maine is a qualified employer for this federal program. For more information, visit the Federal Student Aid office.
Living Resources Program – Navigate challenging work and life situations with our employee assistance program.
Parental leave is one of the most important benefits for any working parent. All employees who are welcoming a child—including fathers and adoptive parents—receive six weeks of fully paid parental leave. Additional, unpaid leave may also be available, under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Voluntary Deferred Compensation– Save additional pre-tax funds for retirement in a MaineSaves 457(b) account through payroll deductions.
Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.