State of Maryland

A DJS Youth Recreation Specialist I is the intermediate level of work supervising recreational programs for youth that have been detained or placed in a facility operated by the Department of Juvenile Services.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a DJS Assistant Superintendent Juvenile Facility or other designated administrator until fully certified.  Employees in this classification may be required to work evenings, weekends or holidays and may be subject to call-in.  Work is performed primarily in a youth facility and employees may be exposed to youth who may be abusive or hostile.  Employees may be required to physically subdue violent youth and intervene to prevent situations from escalating. Employees will be expected to work both indoors and outdoors and may be exposed to inclement weather conditions.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The DJS Youth Recreation Specialist I and the DJS Youth Recreation Specialist II are differentiated on the basis of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The DJS Youth Recreation Specialist I performs duties under close supervision until fully certified and then performs a limited range of duties with some independence at times and under close supervision at other times, depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed while the DJS Youth Recreation Specialist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Leads recreational and leisure activities for youth residing at a DJS operated facility;

Oversees the maintenance of recreational areas, equipment and materials;

Explains the principles, techniques and safety procedures of physical fitness and sports, and demonstrates the use of sport equipment;

Tailors instruction to meet the needs and abilities of individual youth;

Instills values such as teamwork, self-esteem and self-confidence, and promotes appropriate social interaction skills in order that youth may transfer these values to the community upon the youth’s release;

Provides one-on-one mentoring, coaching or counseling to develop an effective rapport with a diverse youth population;

Schedules and coordinates recreational events to include tournaments, sports clinics, seasonal sports activities and non-athletic events;

Intervenes to de-escalate potentially hostile or dangerous situations and documents incidents to appropriate facility staff;

Meets with staff from DJS youth facilities, such as teachers and DJS Resident Advisors as well as individuals from various outside organizations to plan recreational programs;

Maintains recreational areas, equipment and materials;

Enforces the rules and regulations of recreational areas in order to maintain discipline and ensure safety;

Attends in-service training on topics, such as crisis prevention, suicide prevention, emergency medical treatments and behavioral modification models to maintain knowledge of childcare needs, counseling methods and trends in the juvenile justice field and to maintain certification;

Assesses emergency and crisis situations, makes appropriate contacts and referrals, and provides interim emergency medical treatment and other assistance until specialized assistance is available;

Maintains logs or other documentation of daily recreational activities;

May prepare reports requested by management;

May participate in established meetings with DJS Resident Advisors, DJS Residential Group Life Managers, or DJS Case Management Specialists or others by providing progress or assessments of youth behavior during recreational activities;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles of physical education and fitness;

Knowledge of the rules and regulations of games and sports;

Ability to schedule a variety of recreational programs and activities to meet the needs of a diverse population of youth residing in a DJS facility;

Ability to lead youth in organized recreational activities;

Ability to demonstrate physical activities and the proper use of equipment and materials;

Ability to provide coaching and mentoring to youth with special physical circumstances or emotional needs;

Ability to train other DJS facility staff or volunteers in how to coach games and sports;

Ability to assess emergency and crisis situations, to make appropriate contacts and referrals, and provide interim emergency medical treatment and other assistance;

Ability to communicate effectively with youth;

Ability to document incidents of aggressive, anti-social behavior or emergency incidents;

Ability to maintain logs and prepare reports;

Ability to establish effective working relationships with DJS facility staff, community groups and volunteers.

Education: Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate acceptable to the Maryland State Board of Education as described in the Maryland Correctional Training Commission regulation.

Experience: One year of experience supervising the recreational activities of children or youth in a recreation center, fitness center or school setting.

Notes:

1. The above educational requirement is set by the Maryland Correctional Training Commission in accordance with the Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209, Annotated Code of Maryland.

2. Candidates may substitute possession of an Associate of Arts degree from an accredited college or university in a recreational program such as Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies; Sports and Fitness Administration or Health and Physical Education or 60 credit hours with 30 credit hours in the required areas for the required experience.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in Recreation Aid and Assistant classifications or Recreation Aid Assistant specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology and Welfare field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

1. Employees in this classification must complete and successfully pass the Entrance Level Correctional Training Course for DJS support staff required for the Maryland Correctional Training Commission certificate during the probationary period.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

3. Employees in this classification that are employed at DJS Youth Centers may be required to complete a Board approved medication technician training program and possess a valid Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) certification as a Medication Technician.

1. In accordance with the Correctional Services Article, Section 8-209 of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Maryland Correctional Training Commission shall establish the minimum qualifications for probationary or permanent appointment of a Department of Juvenile Services employee. These requirements are listed in detail in the Code of Maryland Regulations 12.10.01.04, general regulations of the Maryland Correctional Training Commission, and include:

U.S. Citizenship or Resident Alien status

Must be at least 21 years of age

A thorough background check, including fingerprinting and drug testing

An oral interview, and

Physical and psychological examinations.

2. Employees in this classification may be subject to call-in and, therefore, may be required to provide the employing agency with a telephone number where the employee can be reached.

3. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with Code of Maryland Regulation 17.04.09 – Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit H, Public Safety and Security classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.