Youth Opportunity Specialist

Youth Opportunity Specialist

The selected candidate will be offered a salary between $62,868.00 - $72,298.00. The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services, and provides subsidized child care vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement and programs for youth in the community. The Division of Youth and Family Justice (DYFJ) provides a wide range of services and programs for youth at every stage of the juvenile justice process. Our goals are to (a) build stronger and safer communities and advance public safety by preventing juveniles from entering the New York City's juvenile justice system, (b) provide therapeutic treatment and services to youth in our custodial care, and (c) help juveniles access the tools they need to leave the justice system for good. We strive to help families and young people by providing supportive services that are responsive to the needs of individual youth and families. Life skills, Education and Programs (LEAP) offers education support, workforce development and enrichment programs to youth in secure and non-secure facilities in DYFJ. LEAP is focused on building relationships among staff and using our collective resources to provide comprehensive programs and activities. LEAP ensures that youth served by DYFJ (from detention to placement) receive social and educational services throughout their involvement with our system by overseeing an array of programming and services for court involved youth, developing innovative programming and services for youth and families, working together with stakeholders to identify trends, track data, and implement effective training and staff development around specific programmatic issues. The duties of the Youth Opportunity Specialist will include but not limited to:

• Establish, develop, and manage partnerships with strategic workforce development programs and community-based organizations, city agencies, colleges, unions, and companies that engage youth in work readiness, career exploration, hands-on vocational experiences, and provide training and job placement that builds on youth learning while in DYFJ care.
• Provide technical assistance and related contract management support for the implementation/operationalization of workforce programming across the DYFJ continuum.
• Support the process of enrolling youth across DYFJ in the DYCD Summer Youth Employment Program, including developing interest-based work sites specifically for youth in any DYFJ program.
• Organize events, including workshops for youth and professional development trainings for staff.
• Travel to sites across the city to work directly with youth, facilities, contracted providers, and the DOE to support implementation of workforce development programming for all youth in Secure Detention, NSD, NSP, and LSP.
• Assess internal and external programs by observation, surveys of youth and staff, and other appropriate evaluation methods, and provide feedback and recommendations for program improvement.
• Prepare and maintain reports by utilizing information obtained from forms, case files, site visits, participant and family interviews, staff interviews, youth surveys, databases, and other sources.
• Participate in regular meetings with DYFJ and provider agencies to discuss reports and other key findings.
• Special Note: The selected candidate must be willing to attend events and meetings in the community and travel to ACS-operated detention facilities, contracted provider agencies, and DOE-operated schools within the five boroughs and adjacent areas.

Additional Information Section 424-A of the New York Social Services Law requires an authorized agency to inquire whether a candidate for employment with child-caring responsibilities has been the subject of a child abuse and maltreatment report.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or 2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or 3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.