On Call Juvenile Custody Services Specialist

Overview

Do you have a passion for working with youth? Do you want to help teens involved in the juvenile justice system turn their lives around to create a better future?

As a Juvenile Custody Services Specialist (JCSS) with Multnomah County's Department of Community Justice, you'll help foster pro-social behavior with youth residing in our juvenile detention facility and our Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS) residential program.

Working in a culturally diverse juvenile detention facility, you will be responsible for the guidance, security and general care of youth who present a variety of behavioral, cognitive, emotional and intellectual issues. Using an interactive model of supervision, we place particular emphasis on skill development, engaging youth in pro-social development, cognitive restructuring programming, leisure time activities, personal hygiene, and work activities.

You will be responsible for:

• Supervising and documenting youth activities and behavior
• Providing guidance and group programming, including planning recreational programs and facilitating cognitive skill groups
• Maintaining safety, security and order in the living units
• Maintaining routine records; preparing oral and written reports using automated systems

Juvenile Custody Services Specialists work in a secure detention environment and in a Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS) residential program. The detention facility has numerous two-level pods that house youth in detention. All Juvenile Custody Services Specialists must have the ability to use verbal skills to de-escalate volatile situations. You must also be able and willing to respond to crisis situations, including physically intervening with youth who may be violently acting out; this may involve the use of restraints. All Juvenile Custody Services Specialists must have the ability to regularly go up and down stairs.

Some positions are assigned to work in a secure residential Behavioral Rehabilitation Services treatment program for youth of all genders who require a staff secured, out of home placement for assessment/evaluation, stabilization and transition planning.

The facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Applicants must be willing to work a variety of shifts, including weekends and holidays. Juvenile Custody Services Specialists work on a continuous duty shift, meaning that you may not be relieved of duty during your work day.

Workforce Equity: At Multnomah County we are committed to maintaining an effective, respectful and inclusive workplace. We value collaborative problem solving and strive for continuous improvement. We strongly believe in workforce equity, diversity and inclusion. Visit our Workforce Equity Strategies Plan (WESP) to see where Multnomah County is headed with these values.

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY JUSTICE:

Vision ~ Community Safety through Positive Change

The Department of Community Justice (DCJ) is recognized as a national leader in both adult and juvenile community justice. DCJ routinely consults and makes use of evidence-based practices in our program and policy development. The Department's commitment to data-informed decision-making has led DCJ to make smart investments of taxpayer dollars in supervision, sanctions, and services for the county's highest risk and highest need justice-involved individuals. DCJ makes long-term investments in its employees through the provision of education and training. The Department believes that in order to enhance public safety we must work collaboratively with the judiciary, law enforcement, schools, treatment agencies, and the community.

The Department shares information with community members, partners, and staff to keep communities safe by preventing and reducing crime and routinely evaluating which local policies support best practices. DCJ operates 24 hours a day, with nearly 650 permanent, on-call, and temporary employees. The Department supervises approximately 7,600 adult probationers and parolees and those defendants requiring pretrial services. DCJ's Juvenile Services Division operates the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Facility and is responsible for approximately 360 youth on formal and informal community supervision.

More general information about the Department of Community Justice including our mission, vision, and strategies can be found at: www.multco.us/dcj.

The Department of Community Justice's Strategic Plan (Executive Summary and Full report) can be found at: https://multco.us/file/68223/download.

To Qualify

We will consider any combination of relevant work experience, volunteering, education, and transferable skills as qualifying unless an item or section is labeled required. Please be clear and specific about how your background is relevant.

Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills*:

• Associate's degree or equivalent with major coursework in child psychology, sociology, or a related field; a Bachelor's degree may substitute for 1 year of the required experience.
• Two (2) years of responsible experience working with youth (12-18) in one of the following environments:
  • Detention or youth correctional facility
  • Youth residential setting
  • Setting that provides programming for at-risk youth
• Successful completion of a battery of psychological tests / psychological evaluation.
• Physical ability to respond to crisis situations with the youth, including violent exchanges, and must regularly climb up and down stairs
• Must pass a thorough background investigation and a records check with the State of Oregon's Department of Human Services and be fingerprinted.
• Must pass a felony conviction check for Criminal Justice Information Services clearance. Any felony convictions will deny clearance.
• Valid driver's license

Employees with the Assessment and Evaluation (A&E) unit must meet BRS criteria for “Direct Care Staff” by possessing (and showing proof of):

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; OR
• The equivalent credit hours of a bachelor’s degree with coursework in psychology, social work, human behavioral studies, counseling, etc.; OR
• An Associate’s Degree in a related field plus two years of experience OR four or more years of experience working in a secure residential or staff secure treatment environment for adolescents; AND
• Must pass/or have passed DHS background check.

Preferred Qualifications/Transferable Skills*: You do not need to have the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills to qualify. However, keep in mind we may consider some or all of the following when identifying the most qualified candidates. Please clearly explain on your application how you meet any of the following preferred qualifications/transferable skills.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field.
• Group facilitation skills
• Experience working in an alcohol and drug treatment facility or program
• Experience working with justice involved youth (12-18)
• Experience working in a mental health treatment facility or program
• Exceptional skill with Google calendar / documents and electronic record keeping
• Training or education in trauma informed care and adolescent brain development
• Bilingual in Spanish and English

*Transferable skills: Your transferable skills are any skills you have gained through education, work experience (including the military) or life experiences that are relevant for this position. Be sure to describe any transferable skills on your application and clearly explain how they apply to this position.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: To protect the health of the community and employees, Multnomah County requires employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an approved medical or religious exception by October 18, 2021 as a qualification of employment.

The rule applies to all employees, as allowable by law. Candidates who receive an offer of County employment must provide proof of vaccination upon hire or submit an exception request prior to their start date.

The Application Packet:

• A completed online application (***If you have worked or volunteered on an on-call or part-time basis, please include the total number of hours worked for each position***)
• Resume - Please be clear and specific about how your background is relevant and how you meet the qualifications.

The Selection Process: For details about how we typically screen applications, review our overview of the selection process page. We expect to evaluate candidates for this recruitment as follows:

• Initial review of minimum qualifications
• Consideration of top candidates
• Background, reference, and education checks
• Psychological Evaluation

Diversity and Inclusion: At Multnomah County, we don't just accept difference; we value it and support it to create a culture of dignity and respect for our employees.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran or protected veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected characteristics. The EEO is the Law poster is available for your reference. Multnomah County is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We request priority protected veteran referrals.

Veterans’ Preference: Under Oregon Law, qualifying veterans may apply for veterans’ preference. Review our veterans’ preference page for details about eligibility and how to apply.

Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act: We gladly provide reasonable accommodation to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing an application or participating in this recruitment process. Please contact the recruiter below in advance to request assistance. Individuals with hearing or speech impairments may contact the recruiter through the Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 711.