TJJD - Juvenile Correctional Officer II / III / IV

About the role

We are committed to transforming lives and building safer communities by working collaboratively, communicating openly, and upholding the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. Our team models accountability, transparency, and respect, taking proactive steps to ensure the physical and emotional safety of youth, staff, and the community.

Job Description

Provides supervision and direct care for youth in a residential correctional facility. Works to help youth to achieve progress in learning and applying methods to identify and manage reactions to stress and trauma and react in more socially appropriate ways. Uses appropriate intervention methods in response to behavioral issues that seeks to aid in learning and correcting behavior.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates youth rehabilitation, supervises youth, and coaches their personal development in accordance with individualized treatment plans
• Maintains a consistent effort to ensure safe environments and employs security measures when youth, staff, or others are in danger
• Interacts and engages with youth in ways that both maintain appropriate structure and exercise understanding of brain development in youth with complex trauma
• Maintains healthy relationships and boundaries with youth and consistently recognizes progress and good choices made by youth

Requirements

• Works assigned shift, is subject to being on-call, and may be required to work in excess of 40 hours per work week
• Occasional travel may be required
• Must attend the pre-service training academy and complete on-the-job training on a full-time basis, unless previously employed by TJJD within 18 months

Essential Job Duties

• Engages in competency-based training in the techniques and capabilities needed to coach youth under the Texas Model of trauma-informed corrections
• Holds youth accountable in ways that fit the level of behavior, seeking to help youth to learn socially acceptable responses and approaches
• Uses good judgment in determining when safety is at risk and higher levels of intervention are required
• Helps youth to identify their responses to stress, fear, and other triggers and works with the youth to learn ways to increase emotional self-regulation skills
• Practices and models appropriate self-regulation skills and is able to remain calm during times of stress and crisis

Career Ladder Promotion Opportunity

This position is in the approved TJJD career ladder for Juvenile Correctional Officers. Personnel in this career ladder have the working title of Juvenile Correctional Officer (JCO). JCOs receive career ladder salary adjustments upon meeting established eligibility criteria per agency policy (PRS.15.08) until they reach the top level of the ladder.

Levels of work performed by career ladder level:

• Juvenile Correctional Officer II: Performs moderately complex (journey-level) work under general supervision with limited latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment
• Juvenile Correctional Officer III: Performs complex (journey-level) work under general supervision with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment
• Juvenile Correctional Officer IV: Performs highly complex (senior-level) work under limited supervision with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment