Juvenile Justice Coordinator

SCHEDULE

Some evenings and community events

Lakes Center is a mission-driven nonprofit serving youth and families across Washington, Chisago, and Anoka counties through counseling, education engagement, prevention, outreach, and juvenile justice programming. We walk with youth and families during pivotal moments—when connection, accountability, and care can change the course of a life.

Lakes Center is seeking a Juvenile Justice Coordinator to lead individualized intervention and diversion services for youth referred by schools, law enforcement, counties, families, and community partners. This person will engage youth and caregivers, assess strengths and needs, develop individualized accountability and support plans, provide direct intervention, coordinate services, document progress, and support successful case completion.

Receive completed intake handoffs and follow up promptly with youth and caregivers to begin services.

Assess youth strengths, needs, risks, barriers, and readiness for change using restorative, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate practices.

Develop and manage individualized intervention or diversion plans with clear goals, accountability activities, supports, timelines, and completion expectations.

Provide structured individual and family sessions focused on areas such as decision-making, emotional regulation, substance-use education, conflict resolution, problem solving, and restorative reflection.

Maintain consistent, relationship-based engagement with youth and caregivers; connect families with counseling, mentoring, education supports, basic-needs resources, and other community services when appropriate.

Coordinate with schools, law enforcement, county partners, courts or corrections, service providers, and other authorized referral partners.

Maintain timely and confidential case documentation, track outcomes, communicate authorized updates, and complete case-closure activities.

Respond appropriately to safety concerns, behavioral crises, and mandated-reporting situations in accordance with Lakes Center policies and supervisory direction.

Learn the current juvenile intervention and diversion model before helping redesign it.

Review and strengthen existing classes, curricula, participant materials, and outcome measures based on evidence, community needs, referral patterns, and participant feedback.

Help develop restorative case pathways that may include circles, restorative conferencing, community-supported accountability, and repair agreements.

Assist with building procedures for eligibility and safety screening, informed consent, participant preparation, confidentiality, documentation, agreement monitoring, and case closure.

Help recruit, train, coordinate, and support volunteer facilitators and community representatives in partnership with Lakes Center leadership and staff.

Pilot new approaches carefully, gather feedback from participants and partners, and use results to improve the model before wider implementation.

A bachelor’s degree in social work, criminal justice, psychology, education, human services, or a related field. Equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.

At least two years of experience working directly with adolescents and families in juvenile justice, diversion, schools, behavioral health, child welfare, community-based services, or a closely related setting.

The ability to build trust with youth who may be reluctant, escalated, disconnected, or participating because of outside pressure.

Knowledge of adolescent development, trauma-informed and strengths-based practice, cultural humility, confidentiality, mandated reporting, and professional boundaries.

Strong case-management, organization, documentation, communication, public-speaking, and relationship-building skills.

The ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and a mobile caseload, exercise sound judgment, and collaborate across systems.

A valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and the ability to travel throughout the service area.

The ability to…