Commonwealth of Massachusetts · 1 month ago
Juvenile Justice Youth Development Specialist II, Shift Supervisor, Southeast Secure Detention
United States-Massachusetts-Taunton-60 Hodges Avenue
Full-time
Onsite
Entry, Mid Level
1+ years expThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is seeking a dynamic individual for the role of Juvenile Justice Youth Development Specialist II within the Department of Youth Services. This position involves supervising and providing care for juvenile justice-involved youth, ensuring their safety and security while promoting positive development.
Government Administration
Responsibilities
Ensure proper security, control, and supervision of each shift, as well as that all unit policies, rules, and regulations are followed
Supervise up to six (6) direct-report staff as well as direct the activities of staff and residents, plan activities, and coordinate resources
Act as a liaison for communication of any concerns or problems from direct-reports up through the chain of command
Maintain custodial care and control of youth to uphold order and security within the facility; ensure the security of staff and youth by making periodic rounds, head counts, and security checks and searches of youth and visitors to make certain all youth are accounted for and to ensure that weapons and contraband are not on the premises
Observe the conduct and behavior of youth confined to the facility and take appropriate action to prevent disturbances and/or escapes, to ensure compliance with established policies, regulations, and procedures, and to ensure the safety of staff and youth; provide one-to-one youth watch, including suicide, elevated and medical watch to ensure the safety of the youth
Conduct intake of youth and complete appropriate documentation; document behavioral issues to establish patterns and monitor changes; complete incident reports and transportation, medical, visitor, and daily operations logs to inform appropriate personnel during meetings and shift changes
Provide crisis and behavior management to youth as a means to prevent and or intercede with crisis situations; facilitate and/or co-facilitate group meetings to assist the youth in developing coping skills to deal with their problems and issues and to develop pro-social and life skills; establish a rapport with the youth and advocate for the youth to ensure that their needs are being met; provide guidance and support through daily interaction and role modeling in order to facilitate reentry into the community
Perform and oversee various care activities of youth in custody of the agency, such as escorting and/or transporting them to activities, the recreational areas, meetings, and medical appointments; participate in activities to maintain order and security of the assigned facility and to monitor participation
Maintain electronic records/documents regarding daily behavior and activities of youth, including incident reports
Coordinate and oversee the activities and programs of an assigned program, service, or division to ensure effective operations, proper care, and treatment of youth and to ensure compliance with governing laws, rules, regulations, and established standards
Supervise and monitor the deployment of staff by checking duty stations and ensuring the completion of assigned tasks to ensure the safety and security of staff, youth, and visitors
Qualification
Required
Ability to supervise, including planning and assigning work according to the nature of the job to be accomplished, the capabilities of subordinates, and available resources, controlling work through periodic reviews and/or evaluations
Ability to understand, explain, and apply the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, guidelines, etc. governing assigned unit activities
Knowledge of the factors, trends, and challenges in providing secure residential and rehabilitative care to youth, including Positive Youth Development (PYD) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Proficient at gathering information by examining records and documents and through questioning and observation
Capacity to interact with people who are under physical and/or emotional stress, as well as the ability to maintain a calm manner in stressful and emergency situations
Effective communication, including the ability to give oral and written instructions in a precise, understandable manner
Experience in establishing rapport with persons from different ethnic, cultural, and/or socio-economic backgrounds, including the ability to deal tactfully with others
Minimum Age Requirement: 21 years
Must be able to perform the physical requirement of the job (i.e., Ability to properly restrain or subdue youth through appropriate use of handcuffs or other restraint techniques) if necessary
Able to talk and/or hear, stand, walk, run, kneel, and climb stairs, as well as lift, carry, push, or pull up to 55 pounds with or without assistance and with or without the use of devices and/or equipment to assist in the lifting effort
Based on the assignment, incumbents may be required to possess a current and valid motor vehicle driver's license at a class level specific to the assignment
Upon hire, incumbents must complete and maintain a valid certification in crisis intervention, suicide prevention, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillator (AED), and first aid
Applicants must have at least (A) a high school diploma or equivalent and (B) at least one (1) year of full-time, or equivalent part-time experience in the military, or working with at-risk or justice involved youth and/or adults with responsibilities for one or more of the following: community supervision, safety and security in a 24/7 treatment or detention residential program, counseling, coaching (athletic or personal), mentoring, advocacy, mediation, de-escalation, substance use/abuse prevention, rehabilitation and/or in a law enforcement capacity
An Associate's degree or higher may be substituted for the required (B) experience
Preferred
Experience working with youth, including residential care, treatment, counseling, and/or rehabilitation of juveniles and/or adult offenders
Proven ability to interact with youth in a supportive, safe, and encouraging way
Demonstrated program measurement, reporting, and evaluation skills
Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, guidelines, etc., governing assigned unit activities
Knowledge of the types and availability of public and private organizations providing services to juveniles, such as settlement houses, child guidance clinics, health, welfare, and recreation agencies
Proficient usage of Microsoft Office products, including Word, Outlook, and Excel
Benefits
Comprehensive Benefits
Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!
Company
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a government administration.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Commonwealth of Massachusetts has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (7)
2024 (4)
2023 (2)
2022 (6)
2021 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$20.84MKey Investors
U.S. Department of Agriculture
2024-10-29Grant· $20.84M
Leadership Team
David J. Kelly
CEO/President
Mary-Louise White
CEO
Recent News
2026-01-11
2025-12-24
Company data provided by crunchbase