Youth Support Specialist

About the role

The Youth Support Specialist (YSS) works directly to supervise court-placed youth, ages 12–20, who reside at OCFS secure, limited-secure, and/or non-secure residential facilities. YSSs are part of a team that ensures a facility is both physically secure (e.g., responsible for youth movement, key and door control, and conflict resolution) and emotionally safe for youth and staff. YSSs help create a professional, healthy, and therapeutic environment.

Responsibilities

• Establish a relationship of professionalism, confidence, safety, and trust with youth and other staff from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, physical ability, sexual orientation and gender identity expression (SOGIE), and/or socio-economic backgrounds.
• Supervise and monitor youth, including 1-to-1 supervision when clinically indicated.
• Actively participate as a member of a youth’s support team (a treatment-focused group addressing emotional and behavioral needs and goals).
• Engage confidently with individuals under physical and/or emotional stress.
• Employ graduated harm reduction strategies, including correcting and intervening when youth display unsafe behaviors toward themselves or others; recognize personal or situational flags that could lead to conflict or harm; provide positive mentorship; and help youth develop interpersonal and self-regulation skills.
• Improve facility community well-being through collaboration and informed participation.
• Supervise and/or assist youth during recreation, education, and other as-needed assignments.
• Establish and maintain positive, professional relationships with youths’ families and loved ones.
• Assist youth in achieving education, work readiness, and community transition goals.

Training Requirements

• Attend a 2-week Juvenile Justice Basic Training orientation.
• Be proficient in OCFS-approved physical skills and youth restraint techniques (offered twice yearly, eight hours total).
• Complete NYS employee mandated annual trainings and other annual refreshers.
• Participate in intrastate travel as needed (e.g., youth medical appointments, intramural games, extracurricular activities).

Physical Demands

The YSS position is physically demanding. Candidates must be prepared to act to ensure the health and safety of youth and staff, which may include use of approved physical restraint techniques.

Minimum Qualifications

• Two years full-time direct care experience* in the care and programming of youth ages 6–21; or
• A Bachelor’s degree; or
• An Associate’s degree and six months of experience; or
• A high school graduation or equivalency diploma and one year of experience; or
• A satisfactory equivalent combination of the above education and experience.

*Direct care experience with youth involved in the juvenile justice system or in an institution, camp, school, community center, youth rehabilitation program, mental health or correctional institution, or residential center. Appropriate verifiable part-time experience will be accepted on a prorated basis.

Additional Requirements

• Satisfactory completion of the probation period must include possession of a valid motor vehicle operator’s license and the ability to operate a motor vehicle legally in New York State.

Background Investigation Requirements

• Criminal Background Check (CBC) including State and federal Criminal History Record Checks; all convictions must be reported.
• Fingerprinting to obtain criminal history information; fees may apply.
• Screening against the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR); fees may apply.
• For Division of Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for Youth (DJJOY) appointees: check against the Staff Exclusion List (SEL) maintained by the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs.

Physical/Medical Requirements

• Evaluation to ensure ability to perform duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Includes a fitness test, medical standards evaluation, and substance abuse screening.