Youth Specialist chez Ottawa County, MI

About the Department

Provides services, including guidance counseling, behavioral observation and custodial care, to youth detained in the Juvenile Detention facility. This position serves as a direct caregiver under the direction of a Shift Supervisor, providing structure and supervision for youth in detention.

This is a part-time benefited position working 26 hours per week. Typical hours are Sunday 2:45pm-10:45pm, Thursday and Friday 10:30pm-7:30am. The Juvenile Detention Center is located at 12110 Fillmore Street, West Olive, MI 49460.

Position Duties

The essential functions of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Provides custodial care and supervision for youths remanded to juvenile detention facilities.
2. Operates electronic control board strictly controlling ingress and egress of the facility.
3. Provides individual and group orientations and guidance, and ensures that youths in detention participate in educational, counseling, treatment and other programs to which they have been referred or in which they are required to participate by order of the court.
4. Searches residents and resident living quarters for weapons and other contraband articles.
5. Maintains logs of observed behaviors and participation in programs.
6. Maintains security by following established policies and procedures.
7. Organizes and supervises recreational and other group activities.
8. Responds to crisis situations with appropriate intervention techniques and restrains/secures individual residents as necessary to maintain the safety and security of all facility residents and staff.
9. Serves as a positive role model for residents.
10.  Assists and instructs residents in daily living skills including personal hygiene and maintenance of living areas (i.e., bed making, cleaning, vacuuming, etc.).
11. Implements a behavior management program that strives to engage, foster accountability, teach responsibility and reinforce appropriate behavior choices from youth.
12. Escorts residents to and from court hearings.
13. Provides initial response to medical emergencies in the facility, performing CPR while emergency medical services are contacted, and administering first aid in both emergency and non-emergency situations.
14. Inspects living and sleeping quarters to ensure that conditions are safe, sanitary, and appropriate.
15. Performs other functions as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Associate's degree or successful completion of sixty (60) semester credit hours or equivalent quarter credit hours in psychology, sociology, child development, criminal justice, or a closely related field, with a minimum of one year of experience in a child/youth care facility or institution serving at-risk youth, preferred.

Other Qualifications

Required Knowledge and Skills: 

1. Good working knowledge of accepted principles and practices of guidance and treatment as related to the rehabilitation of delinquent, emotionally impaired, mentally ill and socially maladjusted adolescents.
2. Working knowledge of the juvenile justice system and federal, state and local statutes and regulations with respect to the involuntary detention of juveniles.
3. Working knowledge of crowd control, crisis prevention and restraint techniques.
4. Working knowledge of child and adolescent development and court programs.
5. Knowledge of the principles and practices of group and recreation leadership, and of a variety of games, sports and crafts.
6. Basic knowledge of the practice and principles of social casework and standard format and content of case notes.
7. Working knowledge of crisis management.
8. Ability to gain the respect, confidence and cooperation of youth, and to interact with youth with problems in a positive, patient and caring manner while maintaining appropriate discipline and structure.
9. Ability to interact positively and professionally with at-risk youth from widely diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and with varying levels of social and interpersonal communications skills.
10. Must successfully complete standard first aid and CPR training within six months of date of hire.
11. May require possession and maintenance of a valid, unrestricted Michigan Driver's License.

1. Employees in this classification must be able to pass a stringent background investigation.
2. Verbal and written fluency in Spanish, Thai, Lao or other language commonly spoken by one or more demographic groups represented in the population strongly preferred.