JYF- Youth Counselor

About the Role 

Youth Counselor (NSD) are the guardians of the daily milieu, and their role is absolutely central in our efforts to help the youth residing in the facility. Supervise their assigned children in everyday life from the time they get up in the morning to the time they go to bed, and through the night. They participate in daily living routines. From morning to night, the Youth Counselort guides the children in establishing and maintaining health promoting and socially desirable habits, regarding personal hygiene, grooming, diet and mealtime behavior, leisure time activities and interaction with peers and adults. They support and maintain standards of good care, safety and order. Generally, they provide a strong sense of security and well-being for each youth by assuring protection from being hurt physically or abused emotionally. They are concerned about youth’s health needs. Under medical or nursing supervision, they may care for a youth who is ill, give first aid and dispense medication. They encourage and, as necessary, assist youth in their formal education by helping with homework and conveying a positive attitude toward learning. Through participation in maintaining clean and attractive housing conditions, they help the youth develop constructive attitudes toward work as well as pride in their living environment. They are involved in planning and organizing leisure time activities with the children. They encourage participation in group games and development of skills. Youth Counselor conveys a sense of empathy and encourages a trusting relationship between youth and themselves. They interpret to youth the agency’s/DJJ policies and requirements. They consult, share information and participate with members of other disciplines in planning and evaluation conferences.

What You’ll Do

• Provides direct supervision and is always accountable for the whereabouts of residents.
• Manages person-supported behavior with the goal of teaching the young people to make positive, lasting changes in their behavior.
• Implements daily routines, schedules and procedures.
• Assures the safety of the person-supported and maintains security.
• Ensures high standard of sanitary conditions throughout the house including heavy cleaning and laundry.
• Participates in the planning and execution of educational, recreational, and personal enrichment activities.
• Participates in ongoing meetings, conferences, training programs as required.
• Interacts and communicates with Rising Ground staff in matters related to, but not limited to, the needs of the persons supported and the program, in general.
• Responsible for providing safe transportation for person-supported and attending various appointments (including driving persons supported to and from school, medical appointments, and off-site family visits).
• Attend all mandatory training required by ACS, OCFS and the Agency.
• Responsible for adhering to all ACS, OCFS and agency regulations.
• Uphold rules, repertoire of responses, confrontation techniques, application of the restriction system, negotiating restrictions, Force Fields, utilization of Safe Crisis Management techniques when necessary.
• Manages the peer group, understands peer group dynamics, promotes and maintains a positive peer group culture.
• Attention to and support of medical issues, student educational needs, casework, clinical appointments, etc. Monitors residents in Family Court.
• Completes log reports, complete behavior assessment reports, submit documentation, incident reports.
• Informs the Case Planner and supervisors of any issues related to the youth or their families as they become aware of such information
• Ability to work various hours and days of the week
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Your Qualifications

• High school Diploma or GED required.
• Experience working with youth especially in the residential setting.
• College preferred.
• Valid NYS Driver’s License required.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

Supervisory Responsibility: No

Work Environment: Work locations are at an assigned juvenile justice facility throughout the five boroughs.

Travel (if required): None- Program travel is only during program hours.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a 40-hour nonexempt position. Mandatory overtime is to be expected based on the needs of the program on various shifts. This is not a work from home position. Staff are paid for 8 hours straight time and are expected to eat with residents during mealtimes. Travel (if required): None- Program travel is only during program hours.

Physical Requirements: Must have the ability to complete all standard administrative and support tasks including but not limited to climbing up and down stairs, operation of computers/phones/fax/printer/copy machine, and the ability to lift boxes, furniture, and equipment up to 30lbs. Must be able to travel from the various locations and sites of Rising Ground. Ability to perform physical restraint of youth using approved restraint techniques. Physical clearances are required and reevaluated annually.

Additional Requirements:

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Ability to work in-person in New York City (NY) for at least 3 days or more per week.
• Ability to travel to other Rising Ground sites (if required)

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of Rising Ground that the Agency wholly complies with equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, alienate, citizenship status, gender, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment. By signing below, I acknowledge that I have fully read and understand my expectation to meet the requirements, essential functions, and duties of the position and represent that I am capable of doing so in a satisfactory manner.