Youth Mentor REGIONS Site Secure Program

Community Partners in Action • Hamden, CT

6d • $27 - $27 • Onsite

About The Position

Community Partners in Action is hiring a Youth Mentor for its REGIONS Site Secure Residential Treatment Program for male youth in Hamden, Connecticut. The program serves up to 16 high-risk male youth in a secure residential setting. Its mission is to provide a home-like, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, gender-specific, linguistically appropriate, strengths-based, and relationship-driven environment that supports young people’s social, physical, and emotional well-being. The program aims to therapeutically interrupt offending patterns, reduce risk factors, and help youth return to their communities better equipped to succeed.

The Youth Mentor provides direct supervision and care, assists youth with daily activities, supports therapeutic programming, and helps maintain a safe and secure environment. The role includes responding to crises using approved verbal de-escalation and physical restraint methods when necessary, reinforcing individual treatment plans, and participating as a member of the treatment team. The position works Wednesday through Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, with Monday and Tuesday off. Applicants must be willing to work evenings or nights, weekends, and holidays; mandatory overtime is likely.

The position requires successful completion of a mandatory 120-hour training curriculum during the first year of employment, followed by at least 40 hours of training annually. Training includes topics such as ethics and boundaries, suicide prevention, First Aid/CPR/AED, Safe Crisis Management, PREA, and DCF mandated reporting. The work may involve exposure to assaultive or abusive behavior, risk of injury, and communicable diseases.

Requirements

• Associate’s degree or higher, with experience working with at-risk or court-involved adolescents and in residential treatment programs.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a criminal justice field with a related internship may be considered in lieu of work experience.
• 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 multicultural population.
• Must share the belief that people can change and that individuals in need deserve quality services and an opportunity to succeed.
• Willingness to work in a hardware-secure environment.
• Valid Connecticut driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Ability to transport clients to appointments and into the community in mechanical restraints.
• Capacity to become medication and Safe Crisis Management certified.
• Willingness to work additional hours and/or overtime as needed, including evenings or nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability and willingness to complete and pass the mandatory 120-hour training curriculum during the first year and complete at least 40 hours of training annually.
• Ability to work in an environment that may involve exposure to assaultive or abusive behavior, potential injury, and communicable diseases.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Spanish/English ability.
• Lived experience; candidates with lived experience are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct supervision and care and assist youth with daily activities, including school and groups.
• Maintain a safe, secure, strengths-based, gender-responsive, trauma-informed, linguistically appropriate, and culturally sensitive environment.
• Maintain accountability for youth locations and implement agency and program policies and procedures governing facility operations.
• Mediate and resolve youth problems using relational and strengths-based practices in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Use approved verbal and/or physical de-escalation techniques as necessary to address risks of harm to self or others, significant property or program destruction, and escape, while communicating with necessary parties.
• Use program behavior-motivation procedures as needed.
• Use DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) coaching with youth and conduct groups to address negative behaviors.
• Monitor youth visits and maintain professional boundaries with youth and their families and visitors.
• Maintain and complete accurate logs and forms.
• Facilitate therapeutic programming under the supervision of the Rehabilitation Therapist.
• Reinforce youth individual treatment plans and assist with discharge planning as part of the REGIONS treatment team.
• Conduct formal and informal counts and internal and external facility security and safety checks.
• Complete all pre-post assignments.
• Apply knowledge of universal precautions and related communicable-disease risks.
• Model pro-social behaviors for youth and staff.
• Promote respect, empathy, mutual support, and belonging, and work to eliminate unconscious bias and discrimination in beliefs, rules, and systems.
• Establish and maintain professional boundaries with staff, youth, and providers.
• Participate in all required training.
• Conduct pat-downs of youth and visitors to maintain security.
• Become proficient in using mechanical restraints and apply them when necessary, such as during youth transport.
• Maintain regular, reliable attendance and punctuality.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees working at least 25 hours per week, with eligibility 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, short-term disability, and long-term disability coverage for employees working at least 25 hours per week.
• Voluntary benefits including critical illness coverage, 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: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree