State of Maryland

A DJS Assistant Director Youth Center is the managerial level of work assisting the DJS Director Youth Center in overseeing the operation of a Department of Juvenile Services Youth Center, a long-term residential facility.  Employees in this classification function as deputy to the DJS Director Youth Center and assume full responsibility for the Youth Center in the absence of the Director.   Employees in this classification manage employees providing services to resident youth through subordinate DJS supervisors.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a DJS Director Youth Center. The work of this classification is primarily performed at Youth Center sites.  Employees are assigned to a regular shift but may be required to work other shifts, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays, depending on staffing needs.  Employees may be subject to call-in during emergency situations and based on staffing needs.  Employees may be subject to verbal abuse by youth and will be required to remain calm in stressful situations involving agitated, irate or overwrought youth.

Positions in this classification are evaluated 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 Assistant Director Youth Center is differentiated from the DJS Director Youth Center in that the DJS Assistant Director has supervisory responsibility for subordinate DJS Supervisors and provides assistance to the DJS Director Youth Center, while the DJS Director Youth Center has overall responsibility for operation of Youth Centers.  

Assists the DJS Director Youth Center in overseeing the buildings, grounds, equipment and programs of a DJS Youth Center in order to ensure that the needs of staff and resident youth are met and that safety and security guidelines are followed;

Recommends new and revised policy and procedures for operation of the center to the Director and ensures that facility and departmental policies and guidelines are carried out;

Prepares and maintains work schedules for subordinate staff in the absence of the Director to ensure that recommended staffing ratios are met and that coverage is maintained for all shifts;

Oversees the work of Youth Center staff including direct care, maintenance, dietary, case management, counseling, clerical, transportation and administrative staff and ensures that training and certification requirements are met;

Prepares monthly reports;

Oversees concessions and maintains residents’ accounts and disbursements;

Coordinates and oversees visits by youth’ families;

Promotes and maintains an environment conducive to healthy interactions between staff and resident youth so as to facilitate positive changes in the lives of resident youth;

Recommends modifications to program schedules as appropriate;

Refers staff disciplinary problems and persistent behavioral, psychological or social difficulties of individual residents to supervisors with recommended solutions;

Shares 24-hour on-call responsibility with Director and subordinate supervisors to ensure quick response to emergency situations;

Reviews staff incident reports and recommendations for behavioral sanctions of residents and approves or modifies as needed;

Counsels and assists staff and residents on a day-to-day basis and intervenes in crisis situations involving agitated or overwrought youth;

Coordinates and oversees community service projects and other field trips, vocational projects and recreational activities;

Coordinates youth treatment programs and discusses needs of individual residents with residents, their families, community service providers, and probation, court and law enforcement officials;

Oversees treatment team meetings and behavioral modification activities and reviews progress reports for accuracy, appropriate treatment methods and potential problems;

May be assigned to a Youth Center specializing in substance abuse treatment programs for resident youth;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the human development process as it applies to adolescent needs, problems and development;

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

Knowledge of group dynamics;

Knowledge of the principles of supervision;

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

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

Skill in supervising and planning the work of subordinate employees;

Ability to learn and implement emergency procedures;

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

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

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or high school equivalency certificate acceptable to the Maryland State Board of Education as described in the Maryland Correctional Training Commission regulation.

Experience: Five years of experience providing supervision and guidance to youths in a juvenile facility or juvenile services community program for at-risk youth, including one year of the supervisory experience at level.

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 possession of an Associate of Arts degree in Criminal Justice or the social or behavioral sciences from an accredited college or university or sixty credit hours from an accredited college or university, including 15 hours in criminal justice or the social or behavioral sciences  for up to one year of the required non-supervisory experience.

3. Candidates may substitute possession of a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice or the social or behavioral sciences from an accredited college or university for up to two years of the required non-supervisory experience.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience at a rank of Corporal/Petty Officer or higher as a commissioned officer in Correctional Institution Administration classifications or Correctional Institution Administration specialty codes in the Miscellaneous Occupations field of work on a year- for-year basis for the required experience, one (1) year of which must have been in an administrative supervisory or consultative capacity. 

1. Candidates must be fully certified by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission prior to appointment and are required to maintain certification while employed.

2. Candidates appointed to positions 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.

Employees in this classification are subject to drug testing, fingerprinting, psychological testing and a thorough background check as required by the Code of Maryland regulations Title 12, subtitle 10, general regulations of the Maryland Correctional Training Commission.

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 not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.