DETENTION ALTERNATIVES OFFICER APPRENTICE

Code: 08081 Local Non-Competitive

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under the close direction of a Supervising Detention Alternatives Officer, or other supervisory officer, in a three-year training program, learns to provide intensive in-home contact, electronic supervision, and community service guidance to court-involved youth in a community-based detention alternatives program; assists court-involved youth with completing daily and/or weekly tasks and goals appointed by a judge or other official; performs other related duties as required.

Examples of work

• As an apprentice and productive worker while receiving appropriate degree of supervision, learns and assists with the following tasks:
• Provides daily face to face contact and daily home supervision with assigned youth.
• In accordance with regulations, guidelines, standards and procedures, provides
• mentoring support, 24/7 emergency and crisis support, transportation assistance, and community service assistance to court-involved youth.
• Connects youth to local social service agencies according to their individual needs.
• Ensures that youth attend mandated court appearances.
• Assists with and oversees youth while completing basic life skills such as creating an employment resume, filling out employment applications, and completing household chores.
• Actively listens to youth and shares ways to implement positive decision making in their daily lives.
• Provides advice and emotional support during conflicts.
• Creates a list of tasks and goals that each individual youth must complete over a specific period of time and monitors youth's successful completion of each action item on his/her list.
• Ensures that assigned youth arrive on-time to and participate in each community service event and court-mandated appointment.
• Assists in expanding the community service program.
• Assists in vetting organizations that wish to become community service sites for the program's youth.
• Researches potential outside partnering organizations and schedules meetings
• to ensure that organizations' goals are in alignment with the program.
• Ensures that assigned youth participates in community service every weekend.
• Meets with youth and family to schedule assigned youth's upcoming participation in community service events.
• Assists in transporting youth to and from community service events.
• Encourages and motivates assigned youth to help build their sense of self-worth and show appreciation for their efforts by using positive reinforcement.
• Provides daily communication with all agency providers, including schools, service providers, and organizations to ensure the youth's needs are being met.
• Attends initial court hearings for assigned youth.
• Meets with assigned youth and family members to describe and explain program functions and expectations, completes admission paperwork, establishes contact with involved service providers, set up electronic monitoring (if ordered), home inspection, initial drug screening (if ordered), complete state mandated bookkeeping.
• Connects youth to community resources that meet the youth's and his/her families individual needs.
• Participates in the 24/7 jam list rotation.
• Collects schedules on a daily/weekly basis from youth and his/her families and inputs the information into an electronic database, making sure all information is up to date and accurate on a daily basis.
• Monitors GPS electronic equipment to ensure youth are following their individualized case plan and are attending all programs appropriately.
• Performs random daily checks on assigned youth's whereabouts for those who are not monitored electronically.
• Administers random and unannounced drug screening in the field and provides written reports to the court based on the outcome of the drug screen.
• Provides accurate, informative, detailed reports documenting daily activity or incidents involving assigned youth and related agencies.
• Assists the senior/supervising officer with providing custody transports of youth detained in a Juvenile Detention Center and youths ordered into county shelters according to the shared service agreement.
• Maintains essential records and files.
• Will be required to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Requirements

<b>TRAINING:</b>

Appointees will be required to successfully complete the Basic Course for Juvenile Detention Officers as approved by the New Jersey Police Training Commission during the apprenticeship program.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of the rehabilitative model of juvenile justice, after a period of training.
• Ability to mentor youth by being supportive, using active listening, fostering positive decision making, and showing authentic interest in helping at-risk youth.
• Ability to motivate and inspire youth.
• Ability to adapt to many different situations over short periods of time.
• Ability to remain calm in highly stressful situations.
• Ability to work as a part of a team with coworkers and those involved in youths' lives.
• Ability to set appropriate, professional boundaries with youth and their families.
• Ability to write clear, comprehensive, and factual reports.
• Ability to appropriately interact and communicate with officials and professionals such as judges, court personnel, law enforcement, school personnel, and social service personnel.
• Ability to learn how to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
• <b>ADVANCEMENT:</b>
• Appointee's work performance will be reviewed and rated semi-annually during each twelve (12) months of the three (3) year apprenticeship program. Upon successful completion of the thirty-six (36) month apprenticeship program, appointees will be eligible for advancement to the title of Senior Detention Alternatives Officer, in accordance with Civil Service Commission procedures.
• The inability of an employee in the Apprentice title to attain the required level of performance stipulated in each of the twelve (12) month training periods shall be considered cause for separation from employment.
• <b>SPECIAL NOTE:</b> Evidence of prior training and/or experience in the direct care and supervision of youth in a community centered program may be submitted with your application for evaluation by the Appointing Authority for possible credit. Applicants deemed qualified may not be required to complete the entire thirty-six (36) month apprenticeship program, based upon the discretion of the Appointing Authority. The Appointing Authority is responsible for verification of the credentials.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.