Salary: $21.55 Hourly Location : La Crosse, WI Job Type: Full Time and Part Time Department: Human Services Division: Human Services-Adolescent Services Opening Date: 11/13/2024 Closing Date: Continuous OverviewAre you passionate about serving your community and eager to grow in a supportive environment? Join La Crosse County Western Regional Adolescent Services! La Crosse County Western Regional Adolescent Services is accepting applications to fill current and future full- or part-time openings in our Secure Unit to provide support, supervision and engage with residents in the facility. Adolescent Secure Unit Workers work various shifts under strict rules and regulations in a facility that operates 24 hours per day/seven days per week. Once hired, Secure Unit workers are required to attend either a 160-hour Juvenile Detention Officer Training or 200-hour Jailer Training course within one year of employment. Training will be assigned, scheduled, and paid for by the agency. Associate Experience - What's In It For You? Supportive, collaborative, inclusive, and diverse workforce. Career learning, development, and growth opportunities. Culture of respect and dignity, teamwork, honesty, and integrity. Serving your community in a purposeful and meaningful way. Flexibility with generous paid time-off benefits. Starting pay $21.55 hr. on an 8-step progression to $26.50 hr. Shift Differentials: Hours worked between 4pm and 12am will earn an additional $.40 per hour and hours worked between 12am and 8am will earn an additional $.55 per hour In this role you will gain valuable skills in the following areas:
- Trauma Informed Care
- Motivational Interviewing
- Restorative Justice
- Group Dynamics
- Crisis De-escalation
- Critical Thinking
- Self Defense
Essential Job Functions Demonstrates self-leadership, seeks out opportunities for personal growth and development, accepts feedback and demonstrates ability to learn and apply. Shares ideas and demonstrates respect, humility, honesty, and open-minded thinking. Demonstrates flexibility, acceptance of change and emotional intelligence. Takes initiative and demonstrates the ability to think critically and strategically. Participates as a contributing member of the team and brings authentic self to discussions regarding all aspects of the work. Demonstrates ability to build and maintain effective relationships. Tasks assigned to this position involve potential and/or direct exposure to blood or body fluids: Risk Exposure Categories: 1=Tasks may involve exposure to blood/body fluids. 2=Tasks do not involve contact with blood/body fluids but could result in performing Category 1 task. 3=Tasks do not involve any risk of exposure to blood/body fluid. Completes intake admission procedures when juvenile is placed in the center, conducting physical search, logging data, processing legal paperwork, inventorying personal items.(1) Provides emotional support and encouragement to residents when necessary.(1) Observes and records general attitude, behavioral patterns, problems and/or concerns regarding each juvenile, and monitors daily activities of juveniles.(1) Drives juveniles to and from appointments and recreational activities.(1) Assists with meal serving and cleanup.(2) Assists with machine laundering of juveniles' clothing.(1) Supervises the juveniles' cleaning of the facility, such as dusting, vacuuming, picking up.(2) Supervises juveniles' activities within the facility, such as using the computer, recreation and classroom.(2) Attends regular staff meetings and training sessions.(3) Uses computer on a daily basis to enter intake information, documentation/case management notes and send e-mails.(3) Physically restrains and/or uses self-defense techniques as necessary and appropriate.(1) Maintains confidentiality of work-related information.(3) In emergency situations such as suicide attempts or evacuation, rescues residents, which includes supporting weight of resident by lifting and/or dragging and/or administering CPR from a kneeling position.(1) Passes annual state-mandated training.(3) In this public service position, employee is required to be courteous, cooperative and respectful at all times, with the public and clients. Also establishes and maintains a courteous, cooperative and respectful working relationship with other employees, supervisors and public officials.(3) Employee is expected to report to work when scheduled, with minimum use of sick leave, to build up sick leave balance for income protection for unexpected illness.(3) Physical Demands: Moves around the facility, walking and standing; sits at desk part of the time, getting up and down to take phone messages and check on juveniles; uses verbal communication with juveniles to give instructions, etc.; unloads dishes and food from serving cart, picks up dishes after mealtimes, washes and dries dishes either manually or mechanically. Physically able to restrain non-cooperative residents per POSC (Principles of Subject Control) training, and also rescue juvenile in case of fire or disaster, including pulling dead weight (using two-person carrying method, carry 120 lb. dummy) in accordance with requirements of State Training and Standards Bureau. Physical agility to ward off personal attack or injury. Near and far vision to check day room, room and cell checks, watching TV monitors. Uses hearing to monitor facility activities. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Considerable knowledge of, or ability to comprehend, the laws relating to juveniles in a similar secure facility.
- Knowledge and practice rules of confidentiality in relation to work with children and their caretakers.
- Basic understanding and knowledge of children with mental health and developmental disabilities.
- Ability to verbally provide support and encouragement to children in a non-judgmental manner.
- Ability to relate to children and their caretakers in an understanding manner with concerns for their circumstances and feelings.
- Ability to work in a team atmosphere utilizing a strength-based approach.
- Ability to work collaboratively and tactfully with a variety of community professionals, County personnel, law-enforcement and the caretakers of children with special needs.
- Ability to learn, understand and conscientiously observe center rules, regulations and policies pertinent to children in the center and their conduct.
- Requires alertness and good observation qualities.
- Ability to follow oral and written instructions.Ability to work effectively with behavioral patterns of difficult adolescents.
- Ability to make sound decisions in crisis situations.
- Ability to maintain complete and legible records as directed and to communicate in writing the behavior of children who are being stabilized.
- Ability to perform basic keyboarding on a computer and to move around efficiently in computer programs such as Word and Outlook e-mail.
- Ability to administer CPR from a kneeling position.
- Availability to work shifts.
Training, Experience and Other Requirements
- Graduation from high school or GED.
- Preference for advanced education in criminal justice or human services or related field.
- Previous work experience with juvenile delinquents, youth, corrections, human services or similar facility.
- Verification of previous employment per Wisconsin Statutes.
- Must be available to work all shifts and remain on the unit for 8 to 16 hours without leaving.
- Must obtain certification per Department of Justice Training and Standards requirements as Secure Detention Officer, which requires 160-hr. training program to be completed within the first year of employment. Must maintain Secure Detention Officer certification during employment which requires 24 hours of training annually. Persons not meeting certification cannot work in the facility.
- Successful completion of reference check, physical evaluation, and criminal background check acceptable to the State Training and Standards Bureau, which includes no felony convictions.
- Must have a valid driver's license and good driving record.
- Must successfully pass pre-employment drug screen suitable for certification by the Law Enforcement Standards Board.
- Per WI Department of Corrections Administrative Code (DOC 346.22 (2) (d)): An officer of the same gender as the juveniles being admitted or held in custody shall be on duty in the living area. Because of this bona fide occupational qualification, finalists may be limited to the gender needed in the facility at the time of the recruitment.
Benefits for this position depend on the number of hours worked.
- If the position is full-time, then benefits would be available.
- If the position is part-time, then limited benefits would be available (this would not include insurances unless 30 hours per week or more).
- If the hours are less-than-half-time, then there are no benefits available.
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