Family Service Specialist

City of New York • New York, NY

1d • $62,868 - $97,593

About The Position

The Family Service Specialist works with the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), Division of Youth and Family Justice, supporting the Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI). JJI is an alternative-to-placement and aftercare program that uses evidence-based therapeutic interventions to serve adolescents with delinquency findings who can remain in the community with intensive services. The role supports program planning, implementation, coordination, and monitoring and helps assess the suitability of individual youth for JJI services.

The position involves assessing court-involved youth, conducting interviews in detention centers and family homes, coordinating with justice-system and social-service stakeholders, preparing reports for court, and testifying about program acceptance and recommendations. The specialist may also coordinate case conferences, address cases involving youth with both child-welfare and juvenile-justice involvement, and provide coverage for colleagues in other boroughs as needed.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community-centered activities related to the described duties; or high school graduation or equivalent and six years of related community-work or community-centered-activities experience; or equivalent education and/or experience.
• Candidates using an equivalent combination of education and experience must have at least one year of experience in related community work or community-centered activities.

Responsibilities

• Assess court-involved youth and determine eligibility for Juvenile Justice Initiative programs and services.
• Interview youth in detention centers and family members in their homes as part of eligibility assessments.
• Act as a liaison among detention, the Department of Probation, Family Court, Corporation Counsel, and the youth’s attorney in individual juvenile delinquency cases.
• Prepare detailed written reports for judges, attorneys, and social-service providers regarding whether JJI is appropriate for a youth.
• Testify in court regarding youth acceptance into the program and in support of submitted written reports.
• Develop an understanding of evidence-based therapeutic modalities, including Multi-systemic Therapy and Family Functional Therapy.
• Troubleshoot cases involving dual-jurisdiction youth who are involved in both child welfare and the juvenile justice system.
• Coordinate case conferences with parties involved in a case to determine the best outcome for the youth.
• Provide coverage for colleagues in other boroughs as necessary.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time