Senior Mentor REGIONS Staff Secure Program

Community Partners in Action • Hartford, CT

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Mentor works in Community Partners in Action’s REGIONS Staff Secure Residential Treatment Program for male youth in Hartford, Connecticut. The program serves up to eight youth in a home-like, relationship-driven residential setting. Its treatment approach is individualized, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, gender-specific, linguistically appropriate, and strengths-based, with the goals of improving youth’s social, physical, and emotional well-being, developing coping skills and positive relationships, supporting behavioral change, and preparing youth to re-enter their communities. The program aims to intervene therapeutically in the cycle of offending and reduce risk factors.

The Senior Mentor supervises shift activities and Youth Mentors, makes operational decisions related to youth safety, and may assume program operational responsibilities when the Program Manager and Assistant Program Manager are absent. The position includes direct supervision of youth, facility safety and security duties, documentation, staff development, group facilitation, and crisis response. The role requires professional boundaries and consistent use of relational, strengths-based practices and program policies. The work may involve approved verbal or physical interventions and restraint techniques when needed to address risk of harm. The position carries a risk of injury from assaultive or abusive youth and possible exposure to communicable diseases.

Candidates must complete and pass all phases of approximately seven weeks of pre-service training, followed by shadowing in the facility. Training includes suicide prevention, CPR, First Aid, Safe Crisis Management, and approved restraint techniques. Applicants must be willing to work evening and/or night shifts, weekends, holidays, and likely mandatory overtime. The position pays $28.05 per hour ($58,337 annually).

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and experience working with at-risk or court-involved adolescents, residential treatment programs, and demonstrated supervisory experience; equivalent experience and training may be considered, particularly specific experience in a juvenile residential program.
• Knowledge of the juvenile justice system and the operation of juvenile residential programs.
• Understanding of gender-specific, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and linguistically appropriate issues and needs.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, emotional intelligence, decision-making, and crisis-management skills.
• Ability to interact effectively with a multicultural population.
• Belief that people can change and that individuals in need deserve quality services and an opportunity to succeed.
• Valid Connecticut driver’s license and reliable transportation; ability to transport clients to appointments and into the community.
• Capacity to become medication and Safe Crisis Management (SCM) certified.
• Ability and willingness to work evening and/or night shifts, weekends, and holidays; mandatory overtime is likely.
• Ability to attend and pass all phases of approximately seven weeks of pre-service training and complete facility shadowing.
• Ability to acquire and apply training in suicide prevention, CPR, First Aid, Safe Crisis Management, and approved restraint techniques.
• Awareness that the job involves a risk of injury from assaultive or abusive youth and possible exposure to communicable diseases.
• Regular, reliable attendance and punctuality.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Spanish/English ability is preferred.
• Lived experience is welcomed; individuals with lived experience are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Supervise shift activities and provide assistance and guidance to Youth Mentors.
• Make operational decisions concerning the safety of youth.
• Assist the Program Manager and/or Assistant Program Manager as required; assume operational responsibilities in their absence.
• Directly supervise youth during daily activities, including school and groups, and maintain accountability for their location at all times.
• Maintain a safe, strengths-based, gender-responsive, trauma-informed, linguistically appropriate, and culturally sensitive environment.
• Implement agency and program policies and procedures governing facility operations and ensure compliance.
• Complete required logs, incident reports, inspections, forms, pre-post assignments, and ongoing training.
• Supervise, train, coach, develop, and evaluate Youth Mentors.
• Oversee proper use of equipment and other program property.
• Meet regularly with management and staff to clarify operational policies and procedures and review programming.
• Mediate and resolve youth problems using relational and strengths-based practices consistent with policies and procedures.
• Use approved verbal and/or physical intervention skills, program behavior motivational procedures, and de-escalation or restraint techniques when necessary and permitted; communicate with necessary parties about restraints.
• Initiate the Egregious Behavior Protocol when needed after hours.
• Monitor youth visits and maintain professional boundaries with youth, families, visitors, staff, and providers.
• Facilitate groups and conduct therapeutic programming under the supervision of the Rehabilitation Therapist; reinforce each youth’s individual treatment plan.
• Model pro-social behavior for youth and staff.
• Conduct formal and informal counts and internal and external facility security and safety checks.
• Conduct investigations as required.
• Conduct pat-downs of youth and visitors to maintain security.
• Maintain regular, reliable attendance and punctuality; perform other duties as required.
• Transport clients to appointments and into the community.
• Work additional hours and/or overtime as needed, including likely mandatory overtime.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees working at least 25 hours per week; eligibility begins after 60 days of employment.
• Eligibility to participate in the 401(k) plan after 60 days of employment.
• Employer-paid basic life, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage for employees working at least 25 hours per week.
• Voluntary critical illness, identity theft protection, pet insurance, prepaid legal services, personal accident insurance, supplemental short-term disability, and whole life insurance.
• Generous vacation, personal, and sick leave.
• 13 paid holidays each year.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program.
• A supportive workplace environment focused on employee health, wellness, and meaningful work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior