Youth Development Specialist

City of New York•New York City, NY

About The Position

The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare, juvenile justice services, and community supports. The Division of Youth and Family Justice provides services and programs for youth throughout the juvenile justice process, with goals that include preventing system involvement, providing therapeutic care to youth in custody, and helping young people leave the justice system. ACS operates two secure detention facilities that provide round-the-clock care, supervision, and rehabilitation. Facilities promote safety and positive behavioral development while prioritizing security, education, mental health support, restorative practices, and compliance with regulations and best practices. Youth Development Specialists work under direct supervision during an assigned tour of duty. They engage and support youth in daily activities, teach and reinforce pro-social, academic, and vocational skills, mentor youth, help manage behavior, and contribute to individualized treatment and safety planning. Specialists respond to conflicts and emergencies using de-escalation and the least physical intervention necessary, follow facility policies and security protocols, document observations and incidents, participate in admission and orientation, and transport youth when required. The selected candidate will be offered a salary of $55,075. Candidates are advised to file for, take, and pass the next civil service examination for Youth Development Specialist when available to avoid being bumped from the position when the eligible list is established. Certain positions require a valid New York State motor vehicle driver license, which must be maintained for the duration of the assignment. Candidates for child-caring positions are subject to inquiries regarding child abuse and maltreatment reports as required by New York Social Services Law.

Requirements

A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent is required.
Qualifying experience and education may be met through one year of full-time satisfactory experience working directly with juveniles or young adults ages 10–24 in juvenile detention, education, vocational rehabilitation or education, antiviolence work, mental health, counseling, mentoring, youth or young adult leadership development, recreation, sports or athletics, health promotion, community organizing, or closely related activities.
Alternatively, qualifying experience may be one year of full-time satisfactory security or public-safety work in an educational setting, juvenile or young adult detention, or a community-services setting primarily serving juveniles and young adults ages 10–24.
Alternatively, qualifying experience may be one year of full-time satisfactory work in health or human services, such as mental health, counseling, nursing, life or career coaching, casework, social work, probation, congregate care, physical fitness, or sports training.
Alternatively, qualifying experience may be one year of honorable full-time United States military service commanding service members.
Internships, volunteer work, athletic programs, and closely related experience may count toward certain experience pathways; adult-population correctional officer experience does not qualify under the stated juvenile-security pathway.
An associate degree or 60 semester credits from an accredited college, including or supplemented by six months of qualifying full-time experience, is an alternative qualification pathway.
A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college is an alternative qualification pathway.
A satisfactory combination of education and experience may qualify. Relevant academic coursework may substitute for qualifying experience at 12 semester credits for six months of experience; all candidates must still have a high school diploma or equivalent.
A valid New York State motor vehicle driver license is required for certain positions and must be maintained for the duration of the assignment.
Candidates for child-caring positions are subject to a child abuse and maltreatment report inquiry under New York State Social Services Law.

Responsibilities

Facilitate, engage, and support youth in activities such as school, daily routines, meals, chores, recreation, religious services, court preparation and attendance, family visits, and healthcare visits.
Facilitate youth learning of pro-social, academic, and vocational skills.
Mentor and guide youth individually and in groups, using a behavior management system to shape behavior.
Facilitate group meetings in residential units.
Address conflicts using crisis intervention methods, including verbal de-escalation, reframing strategies, and physical de-escalation techniques with the least physical intervention necessary.
Potentially serve on a rapid response team for emergency situations.
Provide gang remediation activities and anti-bullying and violence-reduction interventions.
Work as part of an interdisciplinary team to develop individualized and group treatment, programming, and safety plans, and support academic achievement.
Follow policies and procedures, including health, safety, and security protocols related to searches, headcounts, bed checks, volatile situations, and restraints.
Closely observe youth and record observations.
Complete required attendance, incident, and behavior-observation reports.
Participate in youth admission and orientation processes.
Drive transport vehicles and ensure youth safety in vehicles and court detention rooms.