Job Description

Family Support Specialist: Regions-Site Secure Residential Treatment Program for Male Youth, Hamden, CT

Schedule: Tuesday-Wednesday 12:00 PM-8:00 PM, Thursday-Friday-Saturday 10:00 AM-6 PM, Sunday-Monday Off

Salary: $28.24 Per Hour

Agency Description

One of the oldest organizations of its kind in the country, Community Partners in Action (CPA) was founded nearly 150 years ago to champion criminal justice reform and advocate for preserving the dignity of those in and out of prison. Through our programs that include reentry and housing, youth initiatives, a nationally recognized Prison Arts Program, and holistic alternatives to incarceration, we provide a long-term impact that positively transforms individuals and society at large. Annually serving over 4,000 individuals throughout Connecticut, our work is possible due to partnerships with and support from individuals, government, private funders, organizations, and businesses.

CPA is guided by our BEDI (Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) culture. WE ARE COMMITTED to building and maintaining an inclusive, equitable workplace and COMPELLED to have a constructive impact on criminal justice reform in CT that ends racial inequities and ensures the humanity and dignity of those interacting with the system.

Program Description

The REGIONS Site Secure Program is a secure residential treatment program for up to 16 male youth. The mission of the program is to provide a home-like environment with a trauma informed, culturally responsive, gender-specific, linguistically appropriate, strengths-based, and relationship-driven milieu for the youth to help them improve their social, physical and emotional well-being. Our vision is to therapeutically intervene in the cycle of offending to reduce the youth's risk factors and prevent them from transitioning into the adult justice system.

Our treatment philosophy is one that is individualized, designed to help the youth develop a positive self-image, learn effective coping skills, experience success, gain confidence, build positive relationships, achieve behavioral changes and re-enter their communities better equipped to succeed. The high-risk youth in this program will likely have a history of violence and be of significant risk for future violence. They may be a significant risk to public safety and demonstrate chronic and persistent patterns of violent or public safety offenses. The youth may present with multiple complex needs that are challenging to treat and a history of poor treatment attitude and response. The youth may exhibit escalating antisocial sophistication. Their AWOL risk is high in context of low treatment amenability and if they elope, they will likely engage in violent or public safety offenses.

Position Requirements

The ideal candidate will have a high school diploma/GED or higher with lived experience and at least two years' experience directly working with system-involved families. Certified peer specialist preferred. Understanding and knowledge of gender specific, trauma-informed, culturally responsive and linguistically appropriate issues and needs; knowledge of behavior motivation and psychosocial interventions; knowledge of child psychology and development. Strong emotional intelligence; ability to interact with multi-cultural populations; leadership, decision making, communication, interpersonal and organizational/ prioritization skills, adaptability, flexibility and resourcefulness. Must share the belief that people can change and individuals in need deserve quality services and an opportunity to succeed. Familiarity with relevant state and federal laws. Must have and maintain a valid CT driver's license and reliable transportation, and be able to transport to appointments as appropriate, and to facilitate family visitation/sessions and home passes. Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred. Requires flexible schedule including evening and weekend coverage. Candidates with lived experience are encouraged to apply.

Training Requirements and Work Environment Conditions

Selected candidates will be required to complete and pass a mandatory 120-hour training curriculum within their first year of employment. Training sessions will be conducted during standard hours (8:00 AM to 4:00 PM). Thereafter, employees must complete a minimum of 40 hours of training annually. Required trainings will include, but are not limited to:

• Ethics and Boundaries
• Suicide Prevention
• First Aid / CPR / AED
• Safe Crisis Management
• PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act)
• DCF Mandated Reporting
• Additional trainings relevant to assigned job functions

The training program includes Safe Crisis Management, which involves both verbal deescalation techniques and physical restraint methods used to maintain the safety of both youth and staff during crisis situations.

Work Environment Note

Candidates should be aware that the position may involve exposure to assaultive or abusive behavior from youth, and there is a potential risk of injury. Exposure to communicable diseases is also possible due to the nature of the work.

Responsibilities

• At time of referral, collaborate with Reintegration Mentor and Clinician to engage the youth, family and community resources in preparation for program admission.

• Support the family's ability to participate in the treatment of their child by helping them to create a support network.

• Serve as a role model, treating each family with dignity and respect while promoting hope and teaching self-advocacy.

• Develop and implement family engagement and empowerment strategies that are responsive to the unique needs of each youth/family and will:

• Ensure families are visiting with their children
• Ensure families are engaging in treatment sessions and team meetings
• Ensure families are developing self-advocacy skills
• Increase family satisfaction with their child's treatment and education
• Reduce recidivism

• Participate as a member of the treatment team and help to facilitate family participation.

Participate in monthly ITP and, as appropriate, weekly MDT meetings.

• Share the "family perspective" with program staff and administrators, including barriers affecting the youth and family.

• In partnership with the Reintegration Mentor and Clinician, solicit feedback from the families about program improvements, suggestions for further engagement and the overall experience.

• In partnership with the Reintegration Mentor, assist the family and Juvenile Probation Officer with the transition to community after-care services.

• Analyze and evaluate the accomplishment of program objectives.

• Perform quality assurance audits to ensure compliance with applicable standards.

• Comply with all funding and reporting requirements.

• Establish and maintain professional boundaries with all staff, youth and providers.

• Serve as a role model to youth and staff modeling pro-social behaviors.

• As necessary, utilize approved verbal and/or physical de-escalation techniques to eliminate youth's harm to self, harm to others, significant property/program destruction and escape, maintaining communication with necessary parties.

• Work collaboratively with internal and external providers.

• Participate in all required trainings.

• Perform all other duties assigned.

An Equal Opportunity Employer Committed to Affirmative Action

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