JOIN OUR TEAM!

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

The Opportunity...

DYS is seeking a Correctional Program Specialist to plan and deliver social services programs for assigned units in a juvenile correctional facility. The ideal candidate will have experience and knowledge in program facilitation, monitoring and evaluating treatment goals, social services policy and program planning, as well as exceptional communication skills in order to handle sensitive contacts with youth and family members.

• Plan and/or deliver habilitative program services (e.g., treatment planning, individual/group and/or family interventions/sessions, and crisis intervention);
• Serve as a liaison with family, community, and internal staff (e.g., regional office, juvenile parole officers, release authority, school, courts, and other community support services);
• Develop and facilitate unit programming; collaborate with reentry staff to plan for release of youth;
• Provide facility orientation including treatment, behavioral expectations and how to access behavioral health services and medical services;
• Provide orientation material to parents/guardians of newly committed youth; creates, approves, and manages visitation list and collects personal and family information;
• Represent habilitative programming on the Interdisciplinary Treatment Team (i.e. IDT); coordinate IDT meetings (e.g., attendance and participation of all team members, including parents/guardians, parole officers, appropriate facility staff);
• Access, develop, maintain, and synthesize written and/or electronic documentation to satisfy requirements of federal, state, and local agencies and ensures compliance with DYS policy;
• Ensure all unit activities are compliant with unit plan/schedule;
• Monitor student interns and volunteers in the absence of the unit manager.

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.

What's in it for you...

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

• Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered through the available Ohio Med plans.

Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance

• Dental, vision and basic life insurance premiums are free after one year of continuous service.

Time Away From Work and Work/Life Balance

• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth/Adoption leave

Employee Development Funds

• Eligible employees have up to a total of $3,500 per fiscal year to use for tuition reimbursement, professional development, seminars and conferences.

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

• OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees. The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement. The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee's salary. Visit the OPERS website for more information.

Deferred Compensation

• The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website for more information.

Qualifications
Completion of undergraduate core program in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services..

Or completion of associate core program in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services; and 6 mos. exp in one or more of the following: report writing, record keeping, interviewing, counseling or contact with social service agencies.

Or 18 mos. exp in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services; and 6 mos. exp in one or more of the following: report writing, record keeping, interviewing, counseling or contact with social service agencies.

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