Resident Care Specialist

Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs•Shawnee, OK

12d•$19 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of Juvenile Affairs is hiring a Resident Care Specialist at Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Tecumseh, Oklahoma. The role provides care, custody, supervision, and security for adjudicated youth in the juvenile justice system. It includes paraprofessional guidance and counseling, behavior monitoring and documentation, crisis intervention, transportation, and role modeling. The agency describes its approach as hope-centered, emphasizing residents’ strengths, resilience, and future-oriented goals. The facility operates 24 hours a day. Employees must be willing to work any shift needed to provide coverage, and overtime may be required to maintain facility operations. Shifts are 6:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m., and 10:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. Eligible employees may receive a $2.50-per-hour shift differential for second or third shifts Monday through Friday, or any shift on Saturday or Sunday. A $5,000 sign-on bonus and a $6,000 continuous service bonus are available, subject to eligibility criteria. The role requires job-related travel, a valid Oklahoma driver’s license at appointment, and willingness to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Applicants must pass a background check, fingerprinting, and drug screening. The position is safety sensitive and has a 12-month trial period.

Requirements

Direct-care staff must be at least 21 years old.
RCS I: High school diploma or equivalent.
RCS II: RCS I requirements plus 30 semester hours from an accredited college or university, or one year of security experience.
Applicants must be willing and able to perform job-related travel, hold a valid Oklahoma driver’s license at appointment, and be willing to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Must pass a background check, fingerprinting, and drug screening.
Must be willing to work any shift as needed; overtime may be required.
Knowledge of security methods, basic human physical and psychological needs, basic first aid, crisis intervention, health and safety precautions, behavioral problems common among delinquent residents, household management, environments and events affecting youth in custody, and relevant state statutes and agency policies.
Ability to interact with juveniles; maintain effective working relationships; follow written and oral instructions; gather facts and communicate them in reports; interact positively with residents from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds; respond appropriately to emergencies; physically handle escapees and violent or unruly residents; and exercise sound judgment.
Applicants testing positive for marijuana will not be hired, including applicants with a valid medical marijuana license.

Nice To Haves

Previous security experience working with juveniles in a residential care and treatment facility.

Responsibilities

Provide security and supervision to adjudicated residents in varied situations and activities.
Perform routine care, custody, education, and treatment duties; observe, record, and report residents’ health symptoms, behavior, and activities.
Manage aggressive and non-aggressive behavior using prescribed verbal and physical intervention techniques, and respond to assaults, riots, and other emergencies.
Conduct resident counts, enforce institutional rules, and observe resident and staff activities on surveillance monitors.
Provide paraprofessional counseling and instruction, direct residents’ daily activities, support personal goals, and participate in treatment teams and group leadership.
Inspect living areas and work locations for health and safety; search for unauthorized objects, materials, and contraband; and maintain security at assigned posts.
Control resident movement to activities and off-campus appointments, and maintain order during programs, meals, and recreation.
Patrol facility grounds, living quarters, and work areas; monitor movement; and control access by checking authorized persons and denying access to unauthorized persons.
Check facility physical security, including doors, windows, and lighting.
Prepare written or typed incident and behavior reports, maintain a daily activity log, communicate using a hand-held radio, and contact emergency responders by telephone during crises.
Safely transport youth in OJA custody to and from placements, juvenile detention centers, court hearings, and other appointments, including medical, dental, and mental health evaluations.
Handle GPS monitoring, tracking, inventory, and documentation in assigned areas.
Perform other assigned high-risk transportation duties and assist other OJA employees as needed.

Benefits

$5,000 sign-on bonus available, subject to eligibility criteria.
$6,000 continuous service bonus available, subject to eligibility criteria.
$2.50-per-hour shift differential for eligible second- or third-shift work Monday through Friday, and any shift worked Saturday or Sunday.
Generous state-paid benefit allowance to help cover insurance premiums.
Choice of insurance plans with no pre-existing condition exclusions or limitations.
Flexible spending accounts for health care and/or dependent care expenses.
Retirement Savings Plan with a generous match.
15 days of vacation and 15 days of sick leave in the first year for full-time employees.
11 paid holidays per year.
Student loan repayment options.
Employee discounts with a variety of companies and vendors.
Longevity bonus for years of service.