(Internal Candidates Only) JDS - Canine Handler

Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center

INTERNAL JOB OPENING

Job Vacancy: JDS - Canine Handler

See job description below. Must be a current FPJDC employee to apply.

Pay Scale: Equivalent to JDS. This role will be a lateral transfer for a JDS.

Typical Work Schedule: 35 onsite hours per week. Monday-Friday, 0800-1500 hours (with flexibility, depending on operational requirements); an additional 5 hours awarded for aftercare of canine.

Job Description:

Under the direction of the Director of Operations, this role is responsible for the daily handling, care, and deployment of a therapeutic canine within a juvenile detention center. This role supports the facility's rehabilitative mission by using animal-assisted interventions to promote emotional regulation, positive behavior, and trauma-informed care among detained youth. The handler maintains full responsibility for the canine's well-being, including taking the animal home each evening and providing complete off-duty care. The position also performs all functions of a Juvenile Detention Staff (JDS) and must comply with the requirements and essential job functions of that role.

Essential Job Functions:

Therapeutic Canine Handling

• Safely handle and supervise a therapeutic canine during all interactions with youth, staff, volunteers and visitors;
• Facilitate structured and unstructured therapeutic interactions between youth and the canine;
• Support emotional regulation, stress reduction, and positive social skills through animal-assisted activities;
• Monitor youth and canine behavior at all times to ensure safety and appropriateness of interactions;
• Maintain control of the canine in secure and non-secure areas of the facility.

Canine Care and Welfare

• Assume full responsibility for the canine's care, including housing the canine in the handler's home outside of work hours;
• Provide daily feeding, grooming, exercise, training reinforcement, and socialization;
• Transport the canine safely to and from the detention center each workday;
• Monitor the canine's physical and emotional health and report concerns promptly;
• Coordinate and attend veterinary appointments, vaccinations, and routine health care as required.

Program Compliance and Documentation

• Maintain accurate records related to canine care, training, health, and applicable program activities;
• Follow all facility policies, safety protocols, and therapeutic program guidelines;
• Perform ongoing staff training related to canine handling;
• Collaborate with facility staff, mental health professionals, and administrators to support program goals.

Qualifications (Required)

• Minimum of 1 year experience as a Juvenile Detention Staff (JDS);
• Demonstrated experience working with dogs, animal handling, or animal-assisted programs;
• Ability and willingness to house the therapeutic canine in the handler's home and provide off-duty care;
• Physical ability to handle and control a canine safely.
• High school diploma or GED;
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation;

Additional Requirements

• The handler must agree to take the assigned canine home at the end of each workday, weekends, and holidays, and to bring the canine to the facility each workday unless otherwise directed by the Director of Operations;
• Maintain all training requirements set forth by DCFS;
• Acknowledgement of Bond and Retirement Responsibility: The handler must recognize that a close working relationship and bond will develop between themselves and the canine. This bond must be taken into consideration at the animal's retirement. Accordingly, the handler agrees to assume ownership and adopt the canine upon retirement and, where deemed appropriate, upon the handler's separation from employment.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of, but not limited to, those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, talk, and hear. The employee is regularly required to run, walk and reach with hand and arms; use fine and complex hand manipulation. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move over 50 pounds and upwards of the body weight of another individual; Employee must have ability to observe details at close range and at a distance (such as across a room); Employee must also be able to maintain control of a canine;
• Again, the employee must be able to intervene and/or assist in the intervention of physical crisis situations, which may include subduing hostile, combative, and/or unruly juvenile detainees;
• The employee must be able to demonstrate proficiency in various defensive tactics techniques, via prescribed training curricula and daily situational use.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of, but not limited to, those that an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Mainly indoors with occasional outdoor activities and job functions;
• Reverberating sounds within the facility;
• Since this role will require the handler to provide complete care of the canine, they must maintain a suitable home environment for the canine, including adequate space and safety.

Organizational Responsibility:

As an employee of FPJDC, it is important to value our commitment to our mission and vision; maintain effective communication; exhibit teamwork; respect diversity; follow and uphold policies and procedures; demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness while meeting expected standards; observe safety and security procedures; be consistently punctual and dependable; and continually demonstrate our core values. FPJDC believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to the success of the organization, and that contributions should not be limited by assigned responsibilities. Therefore, this job description is designed to outline essential functions, duties and qualifications, but not limit the incumbent to just the work identified. Each employee is expected to offer his/her talents, expertise, and services when necessary (or as necessarily directed by management), to ensure the achievement of this organization's goals.

FPJDC provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.