Program Administrator, Sharp Transition, Central Region

The Department of Youth Services (DYS) is seeking a dynamic, positive, and service-minded individual to fill the role of Program Administrator at the Sharp Transition Program located at 363 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA 01604.

The Program Administrator will be responsible for overseeing the front-line care and custody for some of the most at-risk youth in the Commonwealth. The selected candidate is the primary custodian of a Department of Youth Services locked secure detention program. In this role, the incumbent will ensure that juvenile offenders receive the necessary and appropriate level of care while offering creative and engaging programming that encourages and develops positive changes in the youth in their care.

The Program Administrator will be responsible for all aspects of the safe and secure operation of a secure detention facility for pre-adjudicated adolescent males. This will be accomplished through the creation of a culture of mutual respect and support with a heavy focus on integrating the tenets of positive youth development along with programming to enhance family and community engagement. 

Please Note: The Program Administrator will be required to work a flexible schedule, which will include working one weekday evening and some weekend coverage.

The Department of Youth Services (DYS) is the juvenile justice agency for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Department’s mission is to protect the public and prevent crime by promoting positive changes in the lives of youth committed to DYS care and custody, and by partnering with communities, families, public, and provider agencies toward this end. The Department accomplishes its mission through interventions that build knowledge, develop skills, and promote positive changes in the behavior of the youth in DYS care and custody. The primary goal of these interventions is to reintegrate youth back to the community as productive citizens.

DYS works in partnership with provider agencies, law enforcement and school officials, families, communities, and others to ensure that the services provided are effective and that they create pathways to success for the young men and women in DYS care and custody. By working in close collaboration with these entities, DYS can continue to help make communities better and safer places.

For additional information about the Department of Youth Services and its programs please watch: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gyP0kCJ181nBakh9Cc0pNNEyPw7kAoI6/view

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Oversee the operation of the program to ensure a high quality of care and oversight of the population and ensure that all DYS policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Conduct security audits and checks; ensure adequate controls for contraband; respond to programmatic issues and emergencies, conduct investigations when necessary
• Direct, assign and supervise the work of direct care professionals in the unit, ensure adequate staff to client ratios that conform to Early Education and Childcare regulations; confirm and approve time in SSTA for subordinate staff; prepare work schedules; manage the use of overtime; ensure staff members are certified annually in Restraint Techniques, Suicide Prevention First Aid, CPR and PREA; supervise personnel in the reporting structure.
• Prepare written materials including but not limited to monthly reports, internal and external investigative reports, serious incident reports, and emergency/contingency plans.
• Manage the process of the Performance-based Standards project (an online database that compares MA DYS to other states), and update and revise program procedures.
• Provide oversight of Emergency Preparedness training and drills and PREA audit compliance; provide written response post-audit/on-site visit to inquiries from DYS monitors to ensure DPH compliance.
• Work as a member of the program’s team of senior staff in developi