Youth Mentor

Community Partners in Action • Hartford, CT

1d • $24 - $24 • Onsite

About The Position

Community Partners in Action is hiring a Youth Mentor for its REGIONS Staff Secure Residential Treatment Program for male youth in Hartford, Connecticut. REGIONS is a home-like residential treatment program serving up to eight male youth. Its trauma-informed, culturally responsive, gender-specific, linguistically appropriate, strengths-based, and relationship-driven approach is designed to support youths’ social, physical, and emotional well-being, develop coping skills and positive relationships, and help them return to their communities better equipped to succeed.

The Youth Mentor provides direct supervision and care, supports daily activities and therapeutic programming, and helps maintain a safe and supportive facility environment. The role involves working with youth who may present a risk of violence, responding to crises using approved techniques, and supporting individual treatment and discharge plans as part of the treatment team. Candidates must complete and pass approximately seven weeks of pre-service training and subsequent facility shadowing. Training includes suicide prevention, CPR, First Aid, Safe Crisis Management, and approved restraint techniques. The position carries possible risk of injury from assaultive or abusive youth and possible exposure to communicable diseases.

The position pays $23.97 per hour ($49,854 annually). Applicants must be willing and able to work evenings and/or nights, weekends, and holidays; mandatory overtime is likely.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED, or higher.
• Experience working with at-risk or court-involved adolescents and in residential treatment programs; an associate or bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a related internship may be considered in lieu of work experience.
• Knowledge and 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, maintained throughout employment.
• Ability to transport clients to appointments and into the community.
• Capacity to become medication and Safe Crisis Management certified.
• Ability and willingness to work evening and/or night shifts, weekends, and holidays.
• Ability and willingness to work additional hours and/or overtime as needed; mandatory overtime is likely.
• Ability to attend and pass all phases of approximately seven weeks of pre-service training and subsequent facility shadowing.
• Ability to complete training that includes approved restraint techniques; awareness of potential injury from assaultive or abusive youth and possible exposure to communicable diseases.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Spanish/English ability.
• Lived experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct supervision and care, and assist youth with daily activities, including school and groups.
• Maintain a safe, 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 and follow applicable policies and procedures.
• Use approved verbal and/or physical intervention skills as necessary; de-escalate and use restraint techniques when needed to address harm to self or others, but not to prevent AWOL or minor property destruction.
• Use program behavior motivational procedures as needed.
• Use DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) coaching with youth and conduct groups to eliminate negative behaviors.
• Monitor youth visits and maintain professional boundaries with youth and their families or visitors.
• Maintain and complete accurate logs and forms as required.
• Facilitate therapeutic programming under the supervision of the Rehabilitation Therapist.
• Reinforce each youth’s individual treatment plan and assist with discharge planning as part of the REGIONS treatment team.
• Conduct formal and informal counts and complete internal and external facility security and safety checks.
• Complete all pre-post assignments.
• Apply knowledge of universal precautions and related issues, including communicable disease risks.
• Serve as a role model for youth and staff by modeling prosocial behaviors.
• 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.
• 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, 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.
• Supportive workplace environment focused on employee health, wellness, and meaningful work.

What This Job Offers

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