Security/Crisis Response

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Division of State-Operated Specialty Care, Bureau of State Training School (STS) is seeking a Youth Services Technician for Security and Crisis Response to join our team! This is a full-time position scheduled as 4 ten-hour days with opportunity for advancement, growth, and development. In addition to the base pay, there is also a $0.90/hour shift differential for 2^nd shift.

The primary responsibility of this position is to ensure the safety of our students and staff and to monitor all areas of the campus. Some duties include:

• Operate as security personnel campus wide.
• Assist in the physical control/restraint of assaultive students using Safe Clinch techniques.
• Maintain a controlled therapeutic atmosphere while supervising and observing student activities and communications.
• Ensure proper staff coverage throughout the facility and that safety and security are priorities for both students and staff.
• Prepare concise written reports on serious incidents, behavioral concerns, and restraint reports as needed.
• Provide and organize transportation of students as needed.
• Complete daily rounds as security personnel in cottages, school, and all other student locations.
• Operate as the first responder to all crisis situations, codes, and calls for help campus wide.
• De-escalate situations when needed and assist staff and students in working through conflict safely and appropriately. 
• Communicate effectively with all staff members, supervisors, students, and visitors.
• Maintain appropriate control of campus while operating therapeutically and maintain appropriate communication with control center (Switchboard) regarding campus movements and operations.

Applicants will be required to complete a background check to be considered for this position.

STS offers a holistic social, behavioral, psychiatric, academic, and vocational program that utilizes evidence-based practices to provide a secure setting, rooted in treatment, for males ages 12 to 18 years old who have been adjudicated delinquent. STS provides individualized treatment plans and offers comprehensive education with the goal of successfully transitioning young men back into the community. If you enjoy rewarding yet challenging work and helping young men find stability in their lives and security in their future, this is this the right job for you. Your work at STS has the potential to help pull these young men together and change their futures.

We have a great total compensation package, including:

• Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS) (Employee contributes 6.29%/State of Iowa contributes 9.44%)
• Retirement Investors Club (RIC) (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan) (State of Iowa matches up to $75/month)
• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance (See below for additional information)
• Vacation Leave (96 hours/year to begin, and increases with years of service)
• Sick Leave (144 hours/year)
• Paid Holidays (9 days/year)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life Insurance ($20,000 paid for by the State of Iowa)
• Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Free On-Campus Workout Facilities

For additional information on benefits click here.

Click here to see how we compare with other employers or offers by using our Total Compensation Calculator.

Working at STS comes with a special perk! This location offers access for staff to the impressive on-campus gym during off student hours. This includes 3 full size basketball courts, two fully stocked weight rooms with machine and free weights, showers, and lockers. We also provide a cardio room for staff only featuring exercise mats and advanced treadmills and stationary bikes. Usage of these resources is completely free for all STS staff.

Eldora Highlights

STS is located in Eldora, a quaint community with a population of approximately 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. With easy access to the Iowa River and Pine Lake, outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy hiking, kayaking, canoeing, hunting, and fishing, as well as the many educational opportunities, cultural activities, and entertainment events nearby, including a picturesque 9-hole golf course surrounded by Pine Lake State Park. 

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.

• Ames, Iowa is the home of Iowa State University, featuring one of the nation’s premier Engineering schools and leading Veterinary and Agricultural programs. https://www.iastate.edu/
• Cedar Falls is the home of the University of Northern Iowa, https://uni.edu/
• Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. https://ecc.iavalley.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.   

The State of Iowa is an EEO/AA Employer

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