Midlands Special Needs Coordinator

If your goal is to build a career that makes a difference and you have a passion for making a difference in the lives of South Carolina's youth, consider joining the dedicated people of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ).

It is the mission of the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) to impact and transform young lives, strengthen families, and support safer communities through targeted prevention and rehabilitation.

Under limited supervision, coordinates, facilitates, and monitors appropriate service and placement plans for DJJ special needs youth in the community in a selected region of the state; provides information across DJJ of such plans, tracks progress in treatment, coordinate staffings to address barriers to effective treatment and to develop comprehensive plans for special needs youth in the community.

• Responds to calls from DJJ staff with questions or concerns about Special Needs youth; as needed, provides consultation, scheduling and running of staffings, contacts staff from other agencies, and other processes designed to assist DJJ staff in diverting special needs offenders to treatment options other than commitment to DJJ.
• Provides follow-up contact to DJJ staff for Special Needs youth, including attendance at Treatment Teams, scheduling staffings to avoid placement or community disruptions, and developing discharge plans.
• Completes staffing summaries within 15 business days and upload into JJMS.
• Provides regional training for DJJ staff in Special Needs case management, including how and when to access the services of the Special Needs area/unit to include what classifies a youth as Special Needs. This training will include identifying systems issues that impact appropriate continuity of care for Special Needs youth in the community and makes recommendations to LSNC regarding these issues.
• Completes monthly report and submit to LSNC by the 5th of each month.
• Attends trainings/conferences related to job duties.
• Acts as a liaison with other child serving agencies in matters relating to Special Needs youth in the community.
• Identifies system issues that impact appropriate continuity of care for Special Needs youth in the community and make recommendations to LSNC regarding these issues.
• Performs other related job duties as assigned.

A bachelor's degree and professional experience in human services or social services programs.

• Working knowledge of theory and practice in the clinical field (in particular psychopathology and diagnosis, best practice standards of treatment).
• Knowledge of current theory and practice in the field of delinquency and rehabilitation.
• Knowledge of (or capacity to acquire knowledge of) DJJ mission and objectives; working knowledge of (or capacity to acquire knowledge of) current DJJ P&P.
• Awareness of ethical issues involved in incarceration and rehabilitation of adolescents.
• Knowledge of case management, placement, and treatment resources and current state standards for adolescent placements.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• This position will require in-state travel to child serving facilities.
• This position performs duties relating to the custody, control, transportation, or recapture of youth within the jurisdiction of the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the employee may have direct and indirect contact with youth within the jurisdiction of the Department of Juvenile Justice. Training applicable to these duties will be provided.

A master's degree in a human services field (psychology, social work, rehabilitation services, or similar) and three years' experience.

The South Carolina Department of Juvenile…