Client Advocate Program Administrator

State of Ohio • Circleville, OH

3d

About The Position

DYS is seeking a Client Advocate Program Administrator to join our diverse team! This person will oversee facility functions while providing valuable mentorship, experience, and knowledge to the youth in our care. The ideal candidate will be a strong leader with a solid background and a passion to habilitate youth. Specifically, the Client Advocate Program Administrator will\: Work under administrative direction to plan implement & coordinate Youth Advocate Program for Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility\: recommends/develops &/or revises policies & procedures to ensure that the youth intervention process is accurately & fairly administered on behalf of the youth; provides training & technical advice to facility’s Superintendent, managers, & supervisors on the youth advocacy program; selects & trains a pool of staff to provide youth advocate services during Intervention hearings and Release Authority Panel reviews & appeals; develops & conducts orientation on youth rights & intervention process to incarcerated youth; examines intervention processes at facility, identifies systemic obstructions to process & make recommendations for process resolution. Serve as youth advocate\: attends Intervention Hearings on behalf of youth; investigates accuracy of charges on behalf of the youth; serves as an advocate for the youth at hearings &/or gives advice regarding pleas; ensures that documents & forms related to youth intervention process are thoroughly & accurately completed (e.g., notice of hearing form & Intervention Hearing capacity review form, etc.); consults with Interdisciplinary Team regarding alternative sanctions &/or opportunities for appropriate learning experiences based on negative behaviors; conveys to Intervention Hearing Officer relevant information regarding treatment plans &/or objectives; assists youth in the Intervention Hearing appeal process; Assists youth in Release Authority functions, including Panel reviews & appeals; provides clarification regarding Release Authority decisions. Serve as Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Compliance Manager (PCM) for the facility. Monitors and responds to PREA allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment per policy to assist & ensure protocols are followed for the safety & security of youth & coordinate the facility’s efforts to comply with the PREA standards. Track & monitor facility PREA incidents, risk assessments & investigations to ensure compliance with the agency policies & procedures. Inspect, review, & monitor facility operations & compliance with the PREA standards. Monitor & protect residents & staff from retaliation for reporting PREA allegations & conduct incident review team meetings per agency policy. Prepares related reports as requested. Provide trainings on PREA standards, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Professional Boundaries, PREA related protocols as it relates to youth within LGBTQI community in confinement, Policy Protocols and other related trainings as requested. JOIN 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. 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 !

Requirements

• 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
• 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

Responsibilities

• Work under administrative direction to plan implement & coordinate Youth Advocate Program for Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility\: recommends/develops &/or revises policies & procedures to ensure that the youth intervention process is accurately & fairly administered on behalf of the youth
• provides training & technical advice to facility’s Superintendent, managers, & supervisors on the youth advocacy program
• selects & trains a pool of staff to provide youth advocate services during Intervention hearings and Release Authority Panel reviews & appeals
• develops & conducts orientation on youth rights & intervention process to incarcerated youth
• examines intervention processes at facility, identifies systemic obstructions to process & make recommendations for process resolution
• Serve as youth advocate\: attends Intervention Hearings on behalf of youth
• investigates accuracy of charges on behalf of the youth
• serves as an advocate for the youth at hearings &/or gives advice regarding pleas
• ensures that documents & forms related to youth intervention process are thoroughly & accurately completed (e.g., notice of hearing form & Intervention Hearing capacity review form, etc.)
• consults with Interdisciplinary Team regarding alternative sanctions &/or opportunities for appropriate learning experiences based on negative behaviors
• conveys to Intervention Hearing Officer relevant information regarding treatment plans &/or objectives
• assists youth in the Intervention Hearing appeal process
• Assists youth in Release Authority functions, including Panel reviews & appeals
• provides clarification regarding Release Authority decisions
• Serve as Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) Compliance Manager (PCM) for the facility
• Monitors and responds to PREA allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment per policy to assist & ensure protocols are followed for the safety & security of youth & coordinate the facility’s efforts to comply with the PREA standards
• Track & monitor facility PREA incidents, risk assessments & investigations to ensure compliance with the agency policies & procedures
• Inspect, review, & monitor facility operations & compliance with the PREA standards
• Monitor & protect residents & staff from retaliation for reporting PREA allegations & conduct incident review team meetings per agency policy
• Prepares related reports as requested
• Provide trainings on PREA standards, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Harassment, Professional Boundaries, PREA related protocols as it relates to youth within LGBTQI community in confinement, Policy Protocols and other related trainings as requested

Benefits

• 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 )

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees