State of Maryland

A DJS Resident Advisor II is the full performance 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, but may provide guidance and advice to lower-level DJS Resident Advisors.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a DJS Resident Advisor Supervisor or from a designated administrator.  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 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.  The DJS Resident Advisor II is differentiated from the DJS Resident Advisor Lead in that the DJS Resident Advisor Lead assigns, reviews and approves the work of and trains lower-level DJS Resident Advisors.

When assigned to the Youth Centers:

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

Implements, evaluates and recommends modifications to youth treatment plans;

Performs as a Certified Medical Technician (CMT) dispensing, recording doses and time of medication dispensed; Notifies the Nurse on call of any situation that occurs;

Keeps the medications secured at all times;

Attends monthly treatment team meetings to offer insight on youth peer group development and make suggestions to optimize treatment team effectiveness;

Facilitates daily behavioral modification meetings in the absence of the DJS Case Management Specialist;

Performs other related duties.

When assigned to Youth Centers or Facilities:

Escorts groups of youth to and from daily activities at the facility and supervises their conduct during movement and daily activities;

Observes individual and group behaviors and determines when intervention or guidance is needed by the youth under his/her care;

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

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

Promotes a unit 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;

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

Records behavior observations, prepares progress and incident reports on assigned youth for review by supervisors;

Inspects residence areas for safety, security and cleanliness;

Assesses inappropriate behaviors and recommends 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 maintain certification;

Assesses emergency and crisis situations, makes appropriate contacts and referrals, and provides interim emergency medical and other assistance until specialized assistance is available;

May administer medications and transport youths to medical appointments;

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.

Knowledge of the needs and problems associated with adolescent development process;

Knowledge of the physical, emotional and social needs of adolescents;

Knowledge of group dynamics;

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

Skill in assessing and addressing potentially harmful or destructive behavior by youths and offering alternative responses;

Ability to learn and implement emergency procedures;

Ability to organize and maintain a group living unit 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: Nine months of experience providing supervision and guidance to youth in a juvenile facility or juvenile services community program for at-risk youth.

Notes:

1. 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.

2. Candidates may substitute six months of experience providing supervision and guidance to youth in a juvenile facility or juvenile services community program for at-risk youth for six months of the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute education in criminal justice or the social or behavioral sciences at an accredited college or university may be substituted at a rate of 15 credit hours for six months of the required experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service  experience as a non-commissioned officer in Social Services Aid and Assistant classifications or Social Services Aid and Assistant specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology and Welfare field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Candidates must be fully certified by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission prior to appointment as a DJS Resident Advisor II and are required to maintain certification while employed.

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.

3. Employees in this classification that are employed at DJS Youth Centers may be required to complete a Board approved medication technician training program and possess a valid Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) certification as a Medication Technician.

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 21 years 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, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

3. Employees in this classification that are employed at DJS Youth Centers must possess a Maryland Board of Nursing Medication Technician certificate in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act, Annotated Code of Maryland, Health Occupation Article, Title 8, COMAR Title 10, Subtitle 39, Chapter 04 – Medication Technicians.

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