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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.

DYS is seeking a Client Advocate Program Administrator to serve as part of our administrative team at Indian River JCF. The ideal candidate will be a team player with a passion to habilitate youth.

The Youth Advocate will be responsible for the coordination of the Youth Advocate Program at Indian River Juvenile Correctional Facility. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as youth advocate: attend Intervention Hearings on behalf of youth; investigate accuracy of charges on behalf of the youth; serve as an advocate for the youth at hearings &/or give advice regarding pleas
• Serve as Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Compliance Manager for the facility; monitor and respond to allegations of sexual abuse and/or harassment per policy and PREA standards
• Recommend/develop &/or revise policies & procedures to ensure that the youth intervention process is accurately & fairly administered on behalf of the youth
• Develop & conduct orientation on youth rights & intervention process to incarcerated youth
• Provide training & technical advice to facility’s Superintendent, managers, & supervisors on the youth advocacy program
• Consult with Interdisciplinary Team regarding alternative sanctions &/or opportunities for appropriate learning experiences based on negative behaviors
• Submit monthly report as required regarding Intervention Hearings, recommendations for resolution, & outcomes; attend training sessions as needed; process inquiries from the public regarding youth advocacy program; perform other duties as assigned (e.g., attends meetings as required, serve on commit-tees as needed; maintains records, tracking log &data analysis information, etc.)

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.

Completion of undergraduate core program in social work or mental health technology; 12 mos. exp. in advocating & delivery of client rights services for persons who have been abused, neglected or who have been diagnosed with mental illness &/or developmental disabilities &/or behavior disorders.

-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications for Employment noted above.

Job Skills: Human Services

BACKGROUND 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.

Ohio 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.

The 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.