01/12/1995 41850

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES SPECIALIST

DEFINITION: This is professional work developing and providing programs for leisure time activities for youth committed at a Commonwealth facility for
adjudicated delinquent youth.

An employee in this class develops, schedules, coordinates, and conducts leisure time activity programs involving athletics, sports, games, avocational interests, creative arts and crafts, and social recreation for individual and/or groups of youth participants. Employees participate in program planning, organization, and assessment, and in the supervision of youth participating in the activity. Programs are designed to motivate and provide opportunities for expression of youth's talents through individual and/or group participation, which may be of entertaining or therapeutic value, or for avocational development. Supervision is exercised over youth participating in the activity, and supervision may be exercised over non-professional activities staff, and/or volunteer workers. Work is typically performed in the afternoon, evening, and on weekends, under the general direction of a youth development professional supervisor and is evaluated for program effectiveness and for compliance with security regulations through conferences, reports, and observation.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Develops, schedules, coordinates, conducts, and evaluates leisure time activity programs including supervising and instructing youth
participants in athletics, sports, games, recreation, a vocational, and arts and crafts programs.

Assists professional staff by participating in special needs program planning, organization, and assessment.

Prepares assessments of individual youth's leisure time needs, interests, preferences, degree of participation, and other relevant information useful in the evaluation of the individual youths treatment plan.

Participates in regularly scheduled Master Case Planning System progress reviews to discuss with other professional staff information relevant to the youths' program needs, performance in the programs, and program adjustments as appropriate.

Coordinates the scheduling of interscholastic or intramural athletic contests, sports events, games participation, arts and crafts, and/or avocational programs which are an adjunct to clinical treatment programming and which are designed to promote interest, trust, cooperation, sportsmanship and fair play.

Arranges for and/or provides facilities, equipment, transportation, and resources for conducting appropriate activity programs for participating youth.

Officiates and referees athletic contests and supervises youth, volunteer workers, and facility staff assigned to maintain order, discipline, and security of delinquent youth participating in activity programs.

Supervises youth in the routine care and maintenance of equipment and indoor and outdoor activities program facilities.

Promotes community understanding, acceptance, and involvement in interscholastic athletic events and a variety of recreation, avocational, and leisure time
activities for delinquent youth.

Recruits interested and qualified volunteers to instruct individual and/or groups of youth participating in a variety of activities, avocational, and/or arts and crafts programs.

Participates in seminars, meetings, training, and staff development programs to improve and maintain current on job skills and quality services for delinquent youth.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of individual and group behavior and effective methods for working with delinquent youth.

Knowledge of the rules, regulations, organization, and administration of leisure time activities encompassing sports, games, creative arts and crafts, avocational
programs, athletics, and social recreation programs for all levels of skill, ability, and interests of adjudicated delinquent youth.

Knowledge of facilities, equipment, and resources required to accomplish a variety of leisure time activity programs for delinquent youth.

Knowledge of local school districts, community agencies, and organizations as resources for volunteer workers, competitive opponents, and participation in
activity programs for youth.

Ability to stimulate and motivate youth in expressing interests, abilities, and talents for participating in a variety of recreation, athletic, avocational, and/or
creative arts and crafts programs.

Ability to develop, arrange, coordinate, and conduct a variety of recreation, athletic, avocational, and leisure time activity programs as an adjunct to clinical treatment programs for delinquent youth.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clinical treatment team staff, Departmental officials, community leaders, school district administrators, sports officials, volunteer workers, and associates.

Ability to secure specialized volunteer workers by promoting community understanding, acceptance, involvement, and participation in activity programs for
delinquent youth.

Ability to prepare and maintain records and reports regarding individual youth's attitude, interests, cooperation, incidents, performance, and social interaction during activity program participation.

Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: A bachelor's degree with major course work in recreation or physical education;

                                                                                                                                                                                          or

Four years of experience working in an organized recreation, athletic, avocational or arts and crafts program;

                                                                                                                                                                                          or

Any equivalent combination of experience and training.