State of Maryland

ASTD11

SKILLED SERVICE      BARGAINING UNIT: H     OVERTIME ELIGIBLE      NCP

A DJS Resident Advisor Trainee is the entry level of work providing supervision and guidance to youth residing in a facility operated by the Department of Juvenile Services by observing, interacting and assisting them with everyday life skills and advising them of appropriate alternative behaviors.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a DJS Resident Advisor Supervisor or other designated administrator.  Employees will be required to undergo training leading to certification by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission.  The work of this class may require travel to various locations for youth appointments and activities, such as courts, local health departments and community service project sites.  Employees are assigned to a regular shift but may be required to work other shifts, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.  Employees may be subject to call-in on a twenty-four hour basis based on staffing needs.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The DJS Resident Advisor Trainee, DJS Resident Advisor I and DJS Resident Advisor II are differentiated on the basis of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The DJS Resident Advisor Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision. The DJS Resident Advisor I performs duties under close supervision until fully certified and then performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed, following certification.  The DJS Resident Advisor II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

When assigned to Youth Centers:

Learns to function as a member of the treatment team for individual youth and provide input and information to the DJS Case Management Specialist for inclusion in monthly progress reviews;

Learns to implement, help to evaluate and recommend modifications to youth treatment plans;

Learns to facilitate daily behavioral modification meetings in the absence of the DJS Case Management Specialist;

Performs other related duties.

When assigned to Youth Centers or Facilities:

Learns to escort groups of youth to and from daily activities at the facility and to supervise their conduct during movement and daily activities;

Learns to observe individual and group behaviors and to determine when intervention or guidance is needed by the youth under his/her care;

Learns to intervene in situations involving agitated or overwrought youth to prevent fights and to de-escalate potentially harmful behaviors;

Learns to suggest alternative ways of reacting to problems, and may be required to physically restrain youth;

Learns to promote an environment conducive to learning helpful alternative behaviors by encouraging communication among youth and staff, guiding and critiquing group discussions, offering advice at appropriate junctures and serving as a mentor and role model for resident youth;

Learns to monitor the behavior of youth and assist them in complying with daily and weekly schedules of attending classes, completing school assignments, sleeping, eating and performing personal hygiene tasks;

Learns to record behavior observations, prepare progress and incident reports on assigned youth for review by supervisors, and recommend behavioral sanctions;

Learns to inspect residence areas for safety, security and cleanliness;

Learns to assess inappropriate behaviors and recommend behavioral sanctions to supervisors;

Attends in-service training on topics, such as crisis prevention, suicide prevention, emergency medical treatments, and behavioral modification models to maintain knowledge of childcare needs, counseling methods and trends in the juvenile justice field and to obtain and maintain certification;

Learns to assess emergency and crisis situations, make appropriate contacts and referrals, and provide interim emergency medical and other assistance until specialized assistance is available;

May be assigned to a cottage or dormitory post at night;

May accompany youth to community service activities outside the facility;

Performs other related duties.  

Ability to learn the needs and problems associated with the adolescent development process;

Ability to learn the physical, emotional and social needs of adolescents;

Ability to learn group dynamics;

Ability to interact with agitated or overwrought youth in a calm manner to de-escalate combative behavior;

Ability to learn to assess and address potentially harmful or destructive behavior by youth and offer alternative responses;

Ability to learn and implement emergency procedures;

Ability to learn to organize and maintain a group living environment which promotes positive growth of individuals and interactions between groups of adolescents;

Ability to communicate effectively with youth, their families, community service providers, and other DJS staff.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: None.

Note: The above educational requirement is set by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission in accordance with the Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209, Annotated Code of Maryland.

1. Employees in this classification must complete and successfully pass the Entrance Level Correctional Training Course for DJS staff required for the Maryland Correctional Training Commission certificate during the probationary period.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

1. In accordance with the Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Maryland Correctional Training Commission shall establish the minimum qualifications for probationary or permanent appointment of a Department of Juvenile Services employee in a mandated position. These requirements are listed in detail in the Code of Maryland Regulations 12.10.01.04, general regulations of the Maryland Correctional Training Commission, and include:

U.S. Citizenship or Resident Alien status
Must be at least 21years of age
A thorough background check, including fingerprinting and drug testing
An oral interview, and
Physical and psychological examinations.

2. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with Code of Maryland Regulations 17.04.09.03, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System. All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions. Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland. 

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit H, Public Safety and Security classes. As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation. An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series. In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.

October 5, 2018 

Director, Division of Classification and Salary