Youth Development Counselor - North East Secure Treatment Unit, Luzerne County

Are you a compassionate and empathetic person with a strong personality who is willing to help some of the most vulnerable and difficult court-adjudicated youth in Pennsylvania? The Department of Human Services, Bureau of Juvenile Justice Services, North East Secure Treatment Unit is seeking dedicated Youth Development Counselors who can develop and implement effective individual treatment plans for court-adjudicated youth that produce positive results in changed behaviors. You must be willing to intervene in crisis and controversial situations to prevent harmful behaviors while holding others plus yourself accountable for actions. The work is demanding, but the satisfaction of knowing you are committed to helping these youth change behaviors that will lead to becoming productive citizens makes this a very rewarding career. Apply today and experience what a public service career has to offer you!
As a Youth Development Counselor, you actively engage with court-adjudicated youth requiring guidance, instruction, treatment and specialized services in a secure or restricted setting.
Duties include developing, implementing, and monitoring individual treatment program plans to include individual, group, and family counseling sessions. You assess and counsel youth about their thought processes, actions, and personal problems to provide insight into responsible behaviors and attitudes. When appropriate, you address crisis situations to maintain order by verbally and physically intervening with disruptive, emotionally improper, and suicidal youth. Use of appropriate physical restraint techniques to prevent escapes, control aggressiveness, and maintain a safe, secure, or restricted environment is required. You will be provided training on the proper techniques. You also provide guidance in social and emotional growth by role modeling values and ideals that elicit a genuine desire in court-adjudicated youth to change behaviors.
Additional details regarding the duties of this position may be found in the position description.
Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment, 40-hour work week.
• Work hours: This is a 24/7/365 operation, you are required to work holidays and weekends, 8-hour shifts with no duty-free lunch. Work weeks are 5 days on and 2 days off, normally consisting of working at least one weekend day/night shift, hours normally consist of two 3:00 PM to -11:00 PM shifts and three 7:00 AM-3:00 PM shifts.
  • May change based on operational needs.
• Must be willing to accept employment at North East Secure Treatment Unit and commute to this location in Pittston, Luzerne County.
• Overtime as needed, both voluntary and mandatory if necessary.
• Travel is required as needed.
• FREE PARKING!
• The Department of Human Services provides excellent benefits, pay increases, paid leave and holidays, as well as opportunities for career advancement.
• Salary:In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS
Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Five years of experience as a Youth Development Aide; or
• Four years of experience as a Youth Development Aide Supervisor; or
• One year of experience in the care, custody, supervision, activities, leadership or personal guidance of delinquent, pre-delinquent or socially maladjusted youth in an organized program, and a bachelor's degree in the behavioral sciences, special education, juvenile delinquency, or criminal justice; or
• An equivalent combination of experience and training which included one year of experience in the care, custody, supervision, activities, leadership or personal guidance of delinquent, pre-delinquent or socially maladjusted youth in an organized program.

Other Requirements:

• PA residency requirement is currently waivedfor this title.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements:

• A conditional offer of employment will require a medical examination and a drug screening.
• This position falls under the provisions of the Child Protective Services Law.
  • Under the Law, a conditional offer of employment will require submission and approval of satisfactory criminal history reports including, but not limited to, PA State Police clearance, PA Child Abuse history clearance, and FBI Fingerprint clearance.
    

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.employment.pa.gov/Additional%20Info/Pages/default.aspx and click the Veterans' Preference tab or contact us at ra-cs-vetpreference@pa.gov.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.
The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.

Employment Type: Civil Service Permanent Full-Time