Youth Counselor - BFOQ/Female

Chesterfield County • Chesterfield, VA

33d • Onsite

About The Position

Serving At-Risk Youth: Ensuring time with us is rare, fair, and beneficial. The Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home is hiring a Youth Counselor to provide general supervision and care to court-involved youth. You will be working directly with up to eight residents in a secure environment. Our residents need help maintaining positive behavior through encouragement, redirection, and a positive focus on our incentive-based behavior management program. While in our care, residents are trying to navigate a confusing world: the juvenile justice system. Many of our residents do not come from the best backgrounds. They may not have much family or community support. You may be the first positive influence they have had in their lives. So, when they have a rough day in school, receive bad news from family or in court, or just wake up on the wrong side of the bed, they are counting on you to help them through the day with a positive, caring attitude. You will help them manage conflict with peers; work towards their education; conduct psycho-educational groups that address anger, peer pressure, and substance use among other topics; have fun during gym time, and sometimes just discuss a movie they watched or a book they read while sharing a meal with them. You’ll also perform other work as required.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED and three years of experience working with children or teenage groups; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Great active listening skills and a genuine curiosity.
• Superior interpersonal skills.
• Professional maturity.
• A calm, empathetic, and consistent demeanor.
• The ability to communicate clearly, tactfully, and efficiently, both orally and in writing.
• Receptivity to constructive feedback.
• The ability to remain calm, problem-solve, and make decisions in stressful situations.
• Must pass a Virginia Central Registry check.
• Pre-employment drug testing, FBI criminal background check and education/degree verification required.

Nice To Haves

• A bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, sociology or related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide general supervision and care to court-involved youth.
• Maintain positive behavior through encouragement, redirection, and a positive focus on the incentive-based behavior management program.
• Help residents manage conflict with peers.
• Assist residents in working towards their education.
• Conduct psycho-educational groups that address anger, peer pressure, and substance use.
• Engage residents during gym time and other activities.
• Perform other work as required.
• Physically restrain a resident in order to protect the safety of staff, other residents, or their own safety when necessary.

Benefits

• Attractive benefits package.
• Career Development Plan (CDP) with career progression opportunities and salary incentives, as funding permits, based on performance, qualifications and experience.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED