Senior Youth Mentor - 3rd Shift

Community Partners in Action • Hartford, CT

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Community Partners in Action (CPA) is seeking a Senior Youth Mentor for the 3rd Shift at the REGIONS Staff Secure Residential Treatment Program for Male Youth in Hartford, CT. CPA, founded nearly 150 years ago, is dedicated to criminal justice reform and advocating for the dignity of individuals. The organization serves over 4,000 individuals annually through programs focused on reentry, housing, youth initiatives, a Prison Arts Program, and alternatives to incarceration. CPA is committed to a culture of Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (BEDI), aiming to build an inclusive workplace and positively impact criminal justice reform in CT by ending racial inequities and ensuring humanity and dignity within the system.

The REGIONS Staff Secure Program is a residential treatment facility for up to 8 male youth. It provides a home-like, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, gender-specific, linguistically appropriate, strengths-based, and relationship-driven environment. The program's vision is to therapeutically intervene in the cycle of offending, reduce risk factors, and prevent youth from entering the adult justice system. The treatment philosophy is individualized to help youth develop a positive self-image, learn coping skills, experience success, build confidence, foster positive relationships, achieve behavioral changes, and re-enter their communities better equipped for success. The youth in this program may have a high violence risk, but it is not likely to be chronic or have a later onset. They are amenable to treatment and pose a reduced risk to public safety.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with experience working with at risk or court-involved adolescents.
• Experience in residential treatment programs.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of the juvenile justice system and the operation of juvenile residential programs.
• Understanding and knowledge 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 multi-cultural population.
• Must share the belief that people can change and individuals in need deserve quality services and an opportunity to succeed.
• Must have and maintain a valid CT driver’s license and have reliable transportation.
• Must be able to transport clients to appointments and into the community.
• Capacity to become medication and Safe Crisis Management (SCM) certified.
• Ability to work additional hours and/or overtime as needed.
• Applicants must be able and willing to work evening and/or night shifts, weekends and holidays.
• Mandatory overtime is likely.
• Selected candidates will be required to attend and pass all phases of an approximately 7-week pre-service training followed by a course of shadowing in the facility.
• Skills to be acquired will include suicide prevention, CPR, First Aid, Safe Crisis Management, and other skills relevant to the care and safety of the youth as well as the safety of staff.
• The pre-service training will include the proper application of approved restraint techniques.

Nice To Haves

• Bi-lingual individuals strongly encouraged to apply
• Bi-lingual ability (Spanish/English) preferred

Responsibilities

• Provide supervision of shift activities including assistance and guidance to Youth Mentors.
• Make operational decisions around the safety of the youth.
• Assist Program Manager and/or Assistant Program Manager as required.
• Direct supervision of youth in daily activities including school and groups.
• Maintain a safe, strengths-based, gender responsive, trauma informed, linguistically appropriate and culturally sensitive environment.
• Promote a culture of respect, empathy, mutual support, belonging and work to eliminate any unconscious bias or discrimination in our beliefs, rules and systems.
• Implement all agency/program policies and procedures governing facility operations to ensure compliance.
• Ensure that all necessary logs, incident reports, inspections and forms are completed as required.
• Supervise, train, coach, develop and evaluate Youth Mentors.
• In the absence of the Program Manager and Assistant Program Manager, assume the operational responsibilities of the program.
• Oversee the proper use of equipment and other program property.
• Meet with management team and other staff on a regular basis to clarify operational policies and procedures and review programming.
• Always maintain accountability for location of the youth.
• Mediate and resolve youth problems. Handle all situations in a manner consistent with relational and strengths-based practices, and in accordance with policies and procedures. As necessary, utilize approved verbal and/or physical intervention skills.
• Utilize program behavior motivational procedures as needed.
• Initiate Egregious Behavior Protocol when needed after hours.
• De-escalate and use of restraint techniques when needed if harm to self or others is exhibited; do not restrain to prevent AWOL or minor property destruction and maintain communication with all necessary parties about the restraint.
• Monitor youth visiting, maintaining professional boundaries with youth and their families/visitors.
• Facilitate groups and conduct therapeutic programming under the supervision of the Rehabilitation Therapist.
• Reinforce youth’s individual treatment plan.
• Serve as a role model to youth and staff modeling pro-social behaviors.
• Establish and maintain professional boundaries with all staff, youth and providers.
• Conduct both formal and informal counts and complete internal and external facility security and safety checks.
• Complete pre-post assignments and all required on-going training.
• Conduct investigations as required.
• Knowledge of universal precautions and related issues including risks of communicable diseases.
• Conduct “Pat Downs” of Youth and Visitors to maintain security.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Medical and Dental insurance through Cigna
• 401k Eligibility after 60 Days of Employment
• Life Insurance, Short- and Long-Term Disability at NO cost to you
• Generous Vacation, Personal, and Sick Time
• 13 Paid Holidays
• A commitment to employee health & wellness
• The opportunity to make a difference and be a part of a team dedicated to systemic change and criminal justice reform

What This Job Offers

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