Youth Specialist - 7:30am - 11:30pm QNS - Rising Ground, Inc

Rising Ground provides caring support and proven paths to positive change, helping children, adults, and families rise above adversity, and each year, Rising Ground is a positive force in the lives of more than 25,000 individuals. We do this through 50 programs in 70 locations throughout New York City and Westchester. Our strong belief and commitment to diversity shows not just through our work with supported persons, but is integral to the building of a strong staff that reflects the communities we serve.

Limited Secure Placement is a 18 bed program that houses juvenile delinquent youth between the ages of 11-17 who are serving their sentence in our facility under high surveillance. In the LSP program, all youth services take place within the facility. This is including but not limited to: education, medical appointments, and visitation.

The Youth Counselor will be primarily responsible for building healthy relationships with each persons supported and providing adequate care, safety, custody, control and counseling with the aim of allowing the youth to become a productive member of society.

• Provides direct supervision and be accountable for whereabouts of persons supported at all times.
• Utilizing mechanical restraints to transport youth between sectors of the home.
• Works closely with representatives from the Department of Education to ensure safety during educational enrichment.
• Intervenes during emergencies or altercations in order to ensure the safety of all youth.
• Manages persons supported behavior utilizing the principles of the Integrated Treatment Model with the goal of teaching the young people to make positive, lasting changes in their behavior.
• Implements daily living routines, schedules and procedures.
• Assures the safety of the persons 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 residents and the program, in general.
• 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 persons supported in Family Court.
• Completes log reports, complete behavior assessment reports, and submits 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

• High School Diploma + 3 Years of Direct Services in Mental Health or Juvenile Justice Programming
• Associates Degree + 2 Years of Direct Services in Mental Health or Juvenile Justice Programming
• Bachelor’s Degree + 1 Year of Direct Services in Mental Health or Juvenile Justice Programming
• Valid NYS Driver’s License preferred.
• Must have exceptional verbal and written communication skills in order to maintain required documentation
• Must have a commitment to work from a strength based and/or youth development and trauma-informed perspective
• Commitment to the mission and values of Rising Ground
• Must be able to pass required Safe Crisis Management (SCM) and recertify annually

Day Tour 7:30am - 3:30pm

Starting Salary $21/hr

EOE