Youth Services Technician Jobs

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Department of Human Services (DHS) merged on July 1, 2022 to form one agency, The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). We are seeking a Youth Services Technician (YST) to join the team at the State Training School (STS) in Eldora, which provides supportive counseling and behavioral health treatment for young men, ages 12-18, who were adjudicated delinquent. This is a full-time opportunity with a 4-day, 10 hours a day, work week. The days worked will vary, including weekends.

In Addition, The YST Duties Include

The primary responsibility of the YST is to ensure the safety of our students and staff and to monitor all areas of the campus.

• Maintaining a controlled therapeutic atmosphere while supervising and observing student activities and communications
• De-escalate students and assist staff and students in working through conflict safely and appropriately
• Ensure proper staff coverage is maintained throughout the facility and safety and security is priority for both students and staff
• Maintain appropriate control of campus while operating therapeutically, maintain appropriate communication with control center (Switchboard) regarding campus movements and operations
• Operating as the first response team to all crisis situations, codes and calls for help campus wide
• Providing and organizing transportation of students as needed
• Operating as security personnel campus wide, including responding to all calls for assistance in a timely fashion when necessary
• Communicate effectively with all staff members, supervisors, students, and visitors
• Assisting in the physical control/restraint of assaultive students using Safe Clinch techniques
• Completing daily rounds as security personnel in cottages, school, and any other student locations
• Preparing concise written reports on serious incidents, behavioral concerns, and restraint reports as needed

We have a great total compensation package for all full-time employees, including:

• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Holidays (9 days/year)
• Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS)
• Life Insurance
• Vacation Leave
• This location offers free on campus gym for the staff, during off student hours. This includes 3 full size basketball courts, a weight room with machine and free weights, cardio equipment, showers, and lockers.
• Sick Leave
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan)
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance

STS is located in Eldora, Iowa, a quaint community with a population of 2,800 residents, located in north central Iowa. Eldora is an Iowa River Greenbelt Community and the Iowa River Greenbelt Scenic Drive winds through a picturesque landscape of valleys, woods, and streams.

Eldora is 45 minutes away from Ames and Cedar Falls, 30 minutes from Marshalltown, and only 20 minutes from Iowa Falls. Des Moines, Iowa’s capital, is just 1 hour and 15 minutes away.

• Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. https://ecc.iavalley.edu
• Cedar Falls is the home of the University of Northern Iowa, https://uni.edu/
• Des Moines has one of the nation’s finest State Fairs and is home to the Iowa Cubs, Wells Fargo Arena host site of NCAA Basketball, premier concerts, and Lauridsen Skatepark, the nation’s largest skatepark.
• Ames, Iowa is the home of the Iowa State University, one of the nation’s largest Universities featuring a premier Engineering school and one of the leading Veterinary and Agricultural schools. https://www.iastate.edu/

The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA Employer

HHS values those with “lived experience” and encourages foster youth, foster parents, and/or parents who were in the DHS system to apply. Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are also encouraged to apply (Hearing and Speech Impaired – Relay Iowa 1-800-735-2942 TDD).

Our agency uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify .

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

• Graduation from high school, GED, or equivalency, and experience equal to one year of full-time work in a youth services program working directly in the treatment of adjudicated, at risk, or other youths needing service or assistance.
• A total of one year of education and/or full-time experience (as described in number one or two), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in any field equals one year of full-time experience.
• Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes six months of full-time work as a Youth Services Worker.
• Graduation from high school, GED, or equivalency, and experience equal to one year of full-time work in corrections, law enforcement, or security.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.

Additional Qualification Requirements

Within a period of time after hire, as determined by the appointing authority, employees in this class may be required to obtain a valid driver’s license..