5B22
YOUTH DETENTION COUNSELOR 1

This is youth custody and counseling work, at the intermediate level, monitoring and supervising the activities of a group of involuntarily detained youths in the City's juvenile detention facility. An employee in this class participates in a continuing training program in order to attain proficiency in youth custody and counseling work. Work includes observes the interaction and behavior of youths while engaged in various daily activities; conducts individual/group counseling sessions; establishes rapport with detained youths; and maintains security in areas where youths are housed or involved in programmatic activities. Work is distinguished from the next lower-level class in the series in that employees perform are expected to perform a full compliment of youth custody and counseling assignments as work experience accrues. Employees in this class must provide physical intervention and restraint to ensure a safe, secure and healthy living environment. Employees work under the close supervision of higher-level counselors, while work expands in complexity and scope as experience is gained.

• The position must be responsible for performing specialized youth custody and counseling work, observing the conduct of a group of involuntarily detained youth engaged in a variety of activities in the City's juvenile detention facility.
• The position must participate as part of a continuing training program, while performing progressively more complex and difficult assignments to achieve competency in the work.

• Receives increasingly complex and difficult youth custody and counseling assignments in order to achieve competency in supervising youths to ensure that proper conduct and security are maintained in the City's juvenile detention facility; prevents youths from engaging in physical confrontations and destruction of facility property; observes behavior patterns in order to detect signs of depression or other emotional stress and reports observations; monitors closely, those youths suspected as being suicidal or extremely depressed.
• Conducts individual/group counseling sessions; interviews youths to elicit background information; collaborates with child guidance and educational staff about youths; maintains log of unit activity as prescribed; prepares incident reports, adjustment summaries and submits unit repair requests; orients youths on the policies, procedures, operations and rules of the facility; rewards appropriate behavior as part of an established behavior modification system; encourages youths to discuss their behavior and personal habits/attitudes; guides discussion towards the establishment and reinforcement of appropriate behavior patterns.
• Assists youths in adjusting to detention rules and regulations and the behavior modification system; utilization safe physical management restraint procedures for highly troublesome youths, as necessary; participates in the organization of, and provision for, individual/small group leisure activities; requisitions and maintains special interest activity supplies; encourages and supports youths involvement in recreational, educational, and religious program offerings; inspects living area of youths daily to check for cleanliness, vandalism and contraband.
• Escorts youths to various locations throughout the facility for different activities; inspects other facility living units periodically to check for cleanliness and for contraband or escape attempts.
• Attends training sessions to learn the practices and procedures utilized in performing youth detention custody and counseling work.
• Performs related work a required.

• Performs the duties described above with members of the English language speaking and designated non-English language speaking populations.

KNOWLEDGE OF:
• behavior patterns which are symptoms of illness or emotional stress in youths.
• group work principles and methods as they apply to delinquent youths.
• the social factors which result in institutionalization of youths and the attitudes and habits of youths in custody or protective care.
• youth detention counseling and departmental rules and regulations.
ABILITY TO:
• oversee the activities of individuals and groups of youths to observe their behavior patterns in custody or protective care.
• work and communicate with delinquent youths.
• learn the practices and procedures of youth detention custody and counseling work.
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with residents and associates.
• speak, read, and write fluently in a specified non-English language, and the English language, for the Bilingual specialty.
• act quickly and calmly in an emergency.

EDUCATION
• Completion of at least 60 credit hours of study at an accredited college or university which has included at least twelve semester hours in sociology, criminal justice, secondary education, or in a related field.
AND
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE
• Six months of experience, as a Youth Detention Counselor Trainee, developing experience and knowledge in the principles, practices, procedures, and applications of juvenile detention and counseling methods and techniques.

Or any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department that has included the specific experience described above.

• Sufficient training and/or experience to be able to converse effectively in the designated non-English language.

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.