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SUMMARY: Responsible for overseeing shift activities at the county's juvenile detention facility and for making decisions about whether to release or detain referred juveniles.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.
Under the direction of the Assistant Chief for Detention Services and Assistant Superintendent, supervises all shift activities within the juvenile detention facility.
Assists Assistant Chief for Detention Services and Assistant Superintendent with new employee orientation and continuing education.
Prepares input into annual evaluations of supervised staff.
This is accomplished through ongoing and detailed documentation of employee performance and counseling sessions.
Provides assistance to staff to maximize their abilities and job performance.
This includes but is not limited to: leadership by example, ongoing evaluation and counseling of employees, modeling appropriate attitudes and compliance with department philosophy, policy and procedures.
Counsels staff members as needed, keeping appropriate documentation that may assist administration in taking necessary action in particular staff member's cases.
Makes suggestions to the Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent towards the improvement of the Center's operation, including but not limited to: programming, training needs and scheduling needs.
Assists Assistant Superintendent in locating relief staff to provide coverage as needed.
Reviews staff's request for leave to insure that appropriate staff coverage will exist during regular staff's absence.
Maintains effective communication with other Lead Counselors, exchanging a pertinent routine and special information in an objective and professional manner.
Assigns task to shift workers to assure that all essential daily tasks are completed.
Inspects and maintains safety, sanitation and security of the facilities and insures that all policies and procedures regarding safety, sanitation and security of residents and staff are being carried out.
Provides orientation for children entering detention during the shift and coordinates daily living activities of the residents, including health and personal hygiene, counseling, recreation, education and social experiences.
Insures that a group meeting with residents takes place early in the shift (7-3 and 3-11 shifts only), where Lead Counselor or designee informs residents of the upcoming activities, welcomes new residents, introduces new staff and new procedures, answers general questions from residents, comments on positive accomplishments in the recent past, clarifies rules as needed and makes any other pertinent comments.
Keeps daily logs concerning children in detention, including notations of medical and emotional conditions and insures that chronological and behavioral levels of children in the facility are updated daily at the end of the shift.
Counsels residents as needed.
Initiates and coordinates immediate corrective actions on issues or situations that may adversely affect the health, safety and security of staff or children.
This includes but is not limited to riots, escapes, assaults on staff or children, suicides and attempted suicides, fires, bomb threats and others.
Uses computer to process, retrieve and disseminate information and insures that all necessary computer entries are completed at shift end.
Insures that appropriate persons are contacted in the event of a detention center incident or medical emergency.
Insures that all incident and medical reports are written and distributed to appropriate persons at shift end.
Communicates with law enforcement agencies, correctional agencies, attorneys and families as needed.
Screens cases referred to the department, establishes probable cause and makes decisions to accept youths.
Makes independent judgements as to the appropriate detain/release actions based on statute and department procedure.
OTHER DUTIES: Performs all duties of a Detention Counselor/Intake Screener. Remains on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Performs such other related duties as may be assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Directly supervises Detention Counselors and volunteers (including CCISD teachers as applicable). Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with Nueces County policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include participation in the interview process, training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; addressing complaints and resolving problems.
QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Any employee who drives a vehicle on official business must have a driving record which meets standards set by the County and the County’s insurance carrier.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: By law, incumbent must be age 21 or older. Must have 1) high school diploma or GED certificate plus two years of experience in a residential setting or in a community, corrections, military, or juvenile agency; or 2) a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in one of the behavioral or social sciences or a related field or 3) a combination of the above experience and/or education (with 30 semester hours of undergraduate education equivalent to one year of experience).
LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions and percentages.
REASONING ABILITY: Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: Certification as a Juvenile Detention Officer by the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission within three months. Must complete approved restraint training within 30 days of employment. Valid Texas Motor Vehicle Operator's License; must obtain a Defensive Driving Certificate within 6 months of employment. CPR and First Aid certification from the American Red Cross. Some of the above listed requirements may be modified at the discretion of the Chief Probation Officer.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Leadership skills and ability to motivate and supervise subordinate employees. Knowledge of line supervision principles. Knowledge of modern principles of sociology, criminology, child and adolescent psychology, social casework techniques, methods and techniques of counseling and of laws and regulations relating to the function of the juvenile justice system and family law matters. Ability to make investigations and report the results clearly, accurately and impartially. Ability to gather, analyze and evaluate facts from which to develop individual program plans and appropriate case dispositions. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other county employees and officials, clients, representatives of other agencies and the general public. Ability to deal effectively with mentally disturbed, hostile and aggressive individuals. Good physical condition that allows successful handling of physical and emotional stress without undue pressure on the functioning of the department.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and risk of communicable diseases and personal injury from residents. The noise level in the work environment ranges from moderate to loud.
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Job Post End Date -
11-15-2025