Juvenile Custody Services Specialist

Current employees: Please apply through the employee portal to be considered for this opportunity.

Pay Range:

$30.18 - $40.18 Hourly

Department:

Department of Community Justice (DCJ)

Job Type:

Regular Represented

Exemption Status:

United States of America (Non-Exempt)

Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):

February 16, 2026

The Opportunity:

Overview

• Do you have a passion to help youth involved in the juvenile justice system?

• Do you want to make a difference in youths' lives and the lives of their families?

• Do you believe that all youth are capable of turning their lives around?

• Are you passionate about helping others?

• Do you thrive when working on a team?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, we want you to join our team as a Juvenile Custody Services Specialist!

The Department of Community Justice Juvenile Detention is seeking committed, enthusiastic and compassionate Juvenile Custody Services Specialists (JCSS) to serve a critical, operational role within the Juvenile Detention Facility. 

Working with culturally diverse juveniles, you will be responsible for the guidance, supervision, security, safety and general care of youth who present a variety of behavioral, cognitive, emotional and intellectual challenges. This work includes group and recreational programming, facilitation of cognitive skill groups, and fostering pro-social behavior.  Documentation, accurate record keeping, and report writing are critical to this role. 

Detention Facility

Using an interactive model of supervision, we place particular emphasis on skill development, engaging youth in prosocial development, cognitive restructuring programming, leisure time activities, personal hygiene, and enrichment activities.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Conduct behavior observations and assessments of individual youth detainees and groups of detained youth through active supervision, which is the intentional and focused monitoring of youth in custody utilizing the components of movement within the environment, situational awareness, and frequent pro-social youth interactions.

• Prepare detailed incident reports for incidents that occur, document daily individual behavior summaries of youth, and both verbal and electronically documented daily unit and shift reports, individual youth records, and for juvenile counselors/workers and/or court purposes.

• Assist with the intake process of juveniles into the facility. Staff may be expected to collect and secure youth’s personal belongings, supervise and manage juveniles prior to screening to determine if youth will be admitted into the detention facility.

• Support the youth with problem-solving conversations and restorative processes in partnership with our restorative justice coordinators.

• Ensure the safety and security of the detention facility at all times.

• Deliver prosocial role modeling and facilitate skill-building activities for individual youth and groups of detained youth through skill groups with an emphasis on developing pro-social behaviors and skills.

• Oversee volunteers and/or contractors while they facilitate skill-building activities for individual youth and groups of detained youth.

• May assist with orientation of newly admitted youth to the juvenile detention facility by explaining facility rules and the facility behavior level system. Staff are expected to introduce youth to the structure of daily routines, outlining the expectations for behavior and providing information to youth on available programs and services. Staff will also ensure youth understand the importance of their safety, rights, and responsibilities within the detention facility.

• Perform other duties as assigned

The detention facility has two-level pods that house youth. All Juvenile Custody Services Specialists must have the ability to use verbal skills to de-escalate volatile situations. You must also be willing and able 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.

The facility operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Applicants must be willing to work a variety of shifts, including overnight, swing, weekends and holidays. JCSS are Essential Personnel that are required to be at work regardless of inclement weather or building closures and work on a continuous duty shift, which means that you may not be relieved of duty during your work day.

Come Find Your Why! (video)

The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill future full-time, part-time, regular, temporary, limited duration, and on-call positions.

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 regular, on-call, and temporary employees. The Department supervises justice-involved individuals and those defendants requiring pretrial services. DCJ's Juvenile Services Division operates the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Facility and is responsible for 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.

Internal candidates: After you have applied, you will receive an acknowledgement task and the Oregon Veteran Preference Questionnaire in your Workday inbox. Your application as an internal candidate is not complete until you complete and submit these tasks in Workday.

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, AND;

• Two (2) years of responsible experience working with at-risk youth (12-18) in one of the following environments (Bachelor's degree may substitute for 1 year of the required experience):

  • 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 which includes, but is not limited to, a review of applicant’s criminal, civil, driving, military, educational and employment history prior to employment.

• Valid driver's license

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 with justice involved youth (12-18)

• Experience working in an alcohol and drug treatment facility or program

• 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, restorative justice  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.

SCREENING AND EVALUATION

The Application Packet:

*Please be sure to provide all of the required materials below in your application submission.

• Application:  A completed online application.

• Resume:  An uploaded resume covering relevant experience and education.  Please include the following for each employer: name of employer, location, dates of employment, your title, and a summary of your responsibilities.

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

• Phone screen, oral exam or written exam may be used to determine the most qualified candidates

• Consideration of top candidates/interviews

• Must pass a thorough background investigation which includes, but is not limited to a review of applicant’s criminal, civil, driving, military, educational and employment history prior to employment.

• Psychological Evaluation

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Type of Position: This hourly position is eligible for overtime.

• Type: Represented, Essential Personnel

• FLSA: Non-Exempt

• Pay: Pay starts at $30.18 per hour and is not negotiable.

• Schedule: 24/7 operation: variable schedules including weekends, swing, graveyard or relief schedules, or a mixture of these.

• Location: Onsite at the Juvenile Justice Complex-Detention Center @ 1401 NE 68th Ave Portland, OR 97213

Multnomah County offers a comprehensive benefit package to all eligible employees. A few highlights include:

• Health insurance (medical, dental, vision, Moda or Kaiser Permanente).

• Qualify for a defined benefit pension after five years of vesting; we pick up the employee's share of the retirement contribution (6% of subject wages).

• Generous paid leave (vacation, sick, parental, bereavement, military etc.)

• Life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance

• Optional deferred compensation and flexible spending accounts

• Free annual Tri-met bus pass

• Access to wellness resources

• Access to Employee Resource Groups

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

In accordance with Oregon Law, Multnomah County is not collecting school attendance dates in the initial application process; please do not include these dates in your resume, cover letter and other application materials.

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 Know Your Rights 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.

Juvenile Custody Services Specialist