Correctional Program Specialist

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Build a career while changing lives!  Paid time off and excellent benefits!  Interview now for our next Pre-Service class starting on 9/8/25.

About Us…

Our mission at the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS) is to improve Ohio's future by habilitating youth and empowering families and communities. We believe that all youth will be given an opportunity to live up to their greatest potential and staff are our greatest resource.

DYS is the juvenile corrections system for the state of Ohio. DYS is statutorily mandated to confine felony offenders, ages 10-21, who have been adjudicated and committed by one of Ohio's 88 county juvenile courts. During their stay with DYS, youth are engaged in programming that is designed to address their criminological and behavioral needs. DYS reaches thousands of youth in facilities and those on parole.

Our Guiding Principles…

• Demonstrate staff are our greatest resource
• Treat everyone with respect
• Cultivate a trauma responsive environment for staff and youth to thrive
• Provide the best support and services for youth and families
• Advance our culture of inclusion through understanding and appreciating staff and youth differences
• Commit to and encourage collaboration and continuous improvement to produce better outcomes for those we serve
• Celebrate collective successes and support one another through opportunities to improve

To learn more about DYS, please visit our website by clicking here

What You'll Do:

DYS is seeking an experienced Case Manager [Correctional Program Specialist] to plan and deliver social services programs for assigned unit in a juvenile correctional facility. The ideal candidate will have experience and knowledge in program facilitation, monitoring and evaluating treatment goals, social services policy and program planning, as well as exceptional communication skills in order to handle sensitive contacts with youth and family members.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

·     Plan and/or deliver habilitative program services (e.g., treatment planning, individual/group and/or family interventions/sessions, and crisis intervention);

·     Serve as a liaison with family, community, and internal staff (e.g., regional office, juvenile parole officers, release authority, school, courts, and other community support services);

·     Develop and facilitate unit programming; collaborate with reentry staff to plan for release of youth;

·     Provide facility orientation including treatment, behavioral expectations and how to access behavioral health services and medical services;

·     Provide orientation material to parents/guardians of newly committed youth; creates, approves, and manages visitation list and collects personal and family information;

·     Represent habilitative programming on the Interdisciplinary Treatment Team (i.e. IDT); coordinate IDT meetings (e.g., attendance and participation of all team members, including parents/guardians, parole officers, appropriate facility staff);

·     Access, develop, maintain, and synthesize written and/or electronic documentation to satisfy requirements of federal, state, and local agencies and ensures compliance with DYS policy;

·     Ensure all unit activities are compliant with unit plan/schedule;

·     Monitor student interns and volunteers in the absence of the unit manager.

What’s in it for you:

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

Medical Coverage

• Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered through the available Ohio Med plans. 

Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance

• Dental, vision, and basic life insurance premiums are free after completed eligibility period. Length of eligibility period 365 days, a one year probationary period.

Time Away From Work and Work/Life Balance

• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave 
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth/Adoption leave

Employee Development Funds

• The  State of Ohio offers a variety of educational and professional development funding that varies based on whether you are a union-exempt employee or a union-represented employee.

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

• OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees.  The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement.  The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee’s salary.  Visit the OPERS website for more information.

Deferred Compensation

• The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website for more information.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a Model Employer of Individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

18 mos. experience in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services; and 6 mos. experience in one or more of the following: report writing, record keeping, interviewing, counseling or contact with social service agencies. 

-Or completion of associate core program in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services; and 6 mos. experience in one or more of the following: report writing, record keeping, interviewing, counseling or contact with social service agencies.

-Or completion of undergraduate core program in social or behavioral science or criminal justice or human services.

-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications for Employment noted above.

Job Skills: Counseling and Rehabilitation

DA Statement
Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

Drug-Free Workplace
The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.