DJS RESIDENT ADVISOR TRAINEE Garrett & Allegany Counties Only

Main Purpose of Job

Join Us in Making a Difference at DJS!

The Maryland Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) is dedicated to transforming young lives, creating safer communities, and fostering equitable systems. We are seeking passionate individuals for the role of DJS Resident Advisor Trainee. So come join our team and make a meaningful impact on youth and the community at DJS!

Position Duties

• Learns to escort groups of youth to and from daily activities at the facility and to supervise their conduct during movement and daily activities.
• Learns to observe individual and group behaviors and to determine when intervention or guidance is needed by the youth under his/her care.
• Learns to intervene in situations involving agitated or overwrought youth to prevent fights and to de-escalate potentially harmful behaviors.
• Learns to suggest alternative ways of reacting to problems, and may be required to physically restrain youth.
• Learns to promote an environment conducive to learning helpful alternative behaviors by encouraging communication among youth and staff, guiding and critiquing group discussions, offering advice at appropriate junctures and serving as a mentor and role model for resident youth.
• Learns to monitor the behavior of youth and assist them in complying with daily and weekly schedules of attending classes, completing school assignments, sleeping, eating and performing personal hygiene tasks.
• Learns to record behavior observations, prepare progress and incident reports on assigned youth for review by supervisors, and recommend behavioral sanctions.
• Learns to inspect residence areas for safety, security and cleanliness.
• Learns to assess inappropriate behaviors and recommend behavioral sanctions to supervisors.
• Attends in-service training on topics, such as crisis prevention, suicide prevention, emergency medical treatments, and behavioral modification models to maintain knowledge of childcare needs, counseling methods and trends in the juvenile justice field and to obtain and maintain certification.
• Learns to assess emergency and crisis situations, make appropriate contacts and referrals, and provide interim emergency medical and other assistance until specialized assistance is available.
• May be assigned to a cottage or dormitory post at night.
• May accompany youth to community service activities outside the facility.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
• Experience: None.

Desired or Preferred Qualifications

• Employment experience within the past 18 months
• Associate’s Degree in a related field (e.g., Criminal Justice, Social or Behavioral Sciences)

Benefits

• FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Selection Process

• Please ensure that your completed application includes sufficient information to demonstrate that you meet the qualifications for this recruitment. All documentation related to your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date; information received after this date will not be considered. Candidates who meet the qualifications will remain on the certified eligible list for a period of one (1) year. This list may also be used to fill similar positions within this classification in the future.
• The assessment will involve a rating of your application based on your education, training, and/or experience as it relates to the position's requirements. Therefore, it is essential that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Please report all relevant experience and education. For education obtained outside the U.S., you will be required to provide proof of equivalent American education, as determined by a Foreign Credential Evaluation Service, at the time of hire. Please complete the supplemental questionnaire, if applicable. They will be used when rating applications. Please note that your answers on the supplemental questionnaire must correspond to the information provided on your completed application to receive credit. Missing or incomplete supplemental questionnaires may impact the overall rating of your completed application.
• If you are a Veteran applying for this position, please submit your DD 214 Long Form with your completed application to receive proper credit.