Program Counselor

THE SELECTED CANDIDATE WILL BE OFFERED A SALARY OF $62, $72,298.00

The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services, and provides subsidized child care vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement and programs for youth in the community.

The Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ) provides a wide range of services and programs for youth at every stage of the juvenile justice process. Our goals are to (a) build stronger and safer communities and advance public safety by preventing juveniles from entering the New York City's juvenile justice system, (b) provide therapeutic treatment and services to youth in our custodial care, and (c) help juveniles access the tools they need to leave the justice system for good. We strive to help families and young people by providing supportive services that are responsive to the needs of individual youth and families.

JJPS ensures that youth served by DYFJ (from detention to placement) are receiving comprehensive and consistent medical, mental health, case management, social and educational services throughout their involvement with our system by: overseeing ACS' entire array of programming and services for court involved youth, developing innovative programming and services for youth and families, strengthening mental health services, working together with stakeholders to identify trends, track data, and implement effective interventions, and coordinating training and staff development around specific clinical, mental health, and programmatic issues such as LGBTQ youth issues, family engagement, substance abuse, and the impact of trauma. In addition, JJPS organizes our family engagement and parent support work, and provides staff training on mental health, trauma, LGBTQ issues and Commercially Sexually Exploited Children.

The Program Counselor will be responsible for the planning, coordination, implementation, facilitation, assessment of programmatic services and youth development activities for youth in youth living spaces and designated recreational, programmatic and youth living spaces.

Specific duties will include, but are not limited to:

- Implement behavioral, recreational, and pro-social programing within a juvenile detention facility for youth pending court proceedings or as a sentence after a conviction for either felony or misdemeanor offenses to promote idleness reduction and positive behavior.

- Facilitate activities/groups/workshops and youth and family-focused events addressing criminogenic needs, the acquisition of life skills, including vocational and non-vocational programming provided on the halls/units, development of internships, support for Regents exams and remediation, after-school activities, and discharge planning.

- Work within the secure facilities with contracted vendors and the DOE to develop and support implementation of programmatic activities for all youth in secure detention, including daily living activities and schedules and logistical coordination.

- Collaborate with other DYFJ facility staff to ensure the appropriate development, implementation, and maintenance of a youth behavior management system.

- Accompany youth facility programs and activities.

- Engage families in relevant areas of programming to better support youth interests and gains.

- Participate in detention, milieu-based meetings, conferences, team meetings and weekly program meetings to support the planning, development of special programs across youth living spaces and other designated programming spaces, as well as the coordination of care and behavior plans, and discharge recommendations for youth that will enable them to return to the community with reduced risk to reoffend.

- Track and verify youth attendance and participation at all programs including summer youth employment, after school programs, and skills-based programs and internships.

- Work with intra-divisional staff to develop and adopt innovative activities and programs that promote teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and critical thinking, build self-confidence, reduce violence, and encourage healthy lifestyles through sports and physical exercise.

- Meet with detention resident councils to elicit Youth input and participation in program design and development.

- Ensure the required completion and maintenance of reports and other documentation requested by DYFJ administration, including individual support plans, statistical reports, data entry, and programming logs are contemporaneous, accessible and used as the basis for planning, management and evaluation.

- Aid in the collection of programmatic data, including youth and staff pre- and post-surveys to gauge interest and quality of programs.

- Attend meetings with and on behalf of the Program Supervisor, and conduct appropriate follow-up from meetings with relevant staff, and contracted vendors.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This position has been reposted. Previous applicants do not need to reapply.

Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child-caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report.

TO APPLY

Please go to or for current NYC employees and search for Job ID #747833.

No phone calls, faxes or personal inquiries permitted.

Note: Only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

COMMUNITY COORDINATOR

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.