Correctional Program Specialist
Ohio Department of Health
Organization
: Youth Services - Indian River Juvenile Correctional FacilityUnposting Date
: Dec 15, 2025, 11:59:00 PMWork Location
:Primary Location
: United States of America-OHIO-Stark County-MassillonSchedule
: Full-timePrimary Job Skill
: Counseling and RehabilitationJOIN OUR TEAM! CHANGE LIVES WHILE BUILDING YOUR CAREER!
We are transforming and saving lives at DYS!
A safer Ohio: one youth, one family and one community at a time.
About Us…
Our mission at the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) is to improve Ohio's future by habilitating youth and empowering families and communities. We believe that all youth will be given an opportunity to live up to their greatest potential and staff are our greatest resource.
DYS is the juvenile corrections system for the state of Ohio. DYS is statutorily mandated to confine felony offenders, ages 10-21, who have been adjudicated and committed by one of Ohio's 88 county juvenile courts. During their stay with DYS, youth are engaged in programming that is designed to address their criminological and behavioral needs. DYS reaches thousands of youth in facilities and those on parole.
Our Guiding Principles…
- Demonstrate staff are our greatest resource
- Treat everyone with respect
- Cultivate a trauma responsive environment for staff and youth to thrive
- Provide the best support and services for youth and families
- Advance our culture of inclusion through understanding and appreciating staff and youth differences
- Commit to and encourage collaboration and continuous improvement to produce better outcomes for those we serve
- Celebrate collective successes and support one another through opportunities to improve
To learn more about DYS, please visit our website by clicking here.
Job Description
DYS is seeking a Case Manager (Correctional Program Specialist) to serve as part of our unit management team at Indian River JCF. The ideal candidate will be a team player with a passion to habilitate youth.
The Case Manager will be responsible for planning and delivering habilitative programming such as case planning, individual and/or group engagement programs, and crisis intervention. Duties include, but are not limited to:
- Develop and implement programming, discharge, and reentry planning to assigned caseload of youth; perform tasks in Juvenile Justice Case Management System (JJCMS) and other related DYS applications; prepare and complete assessments (e.g., reclassifications, OYAS)Provide professional nursing care to youth; observe, assess, and record symptoms, reactions, and progress of clinic out-patients
- Serve as liaison with family, community, and internal staff (e.g., regional office, juvenile parole officers, courts); provide facility orientation material to parents/guardians of newly committed youth; create, approve, and manage visitation list and collect personal and family information
- Represent habilitative programming on the Interdisciplinary Treatment Team (IDT); coordinate and facilitate IDT meetings (e.g., attendance and participation of all team members); gather necessary documentation and reports; participate in case staffing; document IDT meeting case notes
- Establish and maintain working relationships with other facilities and support services; contact parent/guardian regarding treatment progress, status, emergencies, crisis, etc.
- Access, develop, maintain, and synthesize written and/or electronic documentation to satisfy requirements of federal, state, and local agencies and ensure compliance with DYS policy, American Correctional Association (ACA), and Ohio Standards; ensure all unit activities are compliant with unit plan; serve on various facility committees concerning assigned caseload
Preferred Qualifications…
- Leadership, commitment to excellence, professionalism, strong interpersonal communication skills, good judgment of people and situations, change agent, excellent customer service, trauma-responsive, and solution driven.
At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:
- Medical Coverage
- Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
- Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
- Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
- Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
- Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)
*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.
Qualifications
18 mos. exp in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services; 6 mos. exp in one or more of the following: report writing, record keeping, interviewing, counseling or contact with social service agencies.
-Or completion of associate core program in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services; 6 mos. exp in one or more of the following: report writing, record keeping, interviewing, counseling or contact with social service agencies.
-Or completion of undergraduate core program in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services.
-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications for Employment noted above.
Technical Skills: Counseling and Rehabilitation,
Professional Skills: Problem Solving, Interpreting Data, Confidentiality, Ethics and Values, Collaboration
Supplemental InformationBACKGROUND CHECK NOTICE:
The final candidate selected for this position will be required to undergo a criminal background check and pre-employment drug screening. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.
PRE-SERVICE TRAINING:
All final candidates are required to attend 3 weeks of mandatory, paid training at the Correctional Training Academy in Orient, Ohio. This training is fully paid for and will cover lodging, transportation (if needed) and meals. Training takes place for 3 weeks, Monday through Thursday, 7AM to 5PM with Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays off.
ADA StatementOhio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.
Drug-Free WorkplaceThe State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.