Juvenile Justice School Counselor

State of Illinois • Lincoln, NE

18h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice is seeking a Juvenile Justice School Counselor for the school at the Illinois Youth Center in Lincoln, Illinois. The counselor supports college and career readiness through career guidance and instruction, vocational assessment, career pathway enrollment, and college and career experiential learning. The role includes helping youth navigate college, trade school, job-readiness, and transitional service opportunities, and collaborating with school principals, counselors, and support staff. The position also involves collecting and reporting performance-indicator data.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in school counseling, school psychology, counseling psychology, education, social work, psychology, or a closely related field.
• Completion of an Illinois school counselor preparation program, a comparable approved program in another state, or a comparable certificate or license issued by another state.
• Completion of a supervised counseling practicum of at least 100 clock hours, including interaction with school-age individuals and at least 40 hours of direct service work.
• Professional Educator’s License (PEL) issued by the Illinois State Board of Education, endorsed for teaching, with approved-program coursework addressing the structure, organization, and operation of the educational system, emphasizing P-12 schools.
• Ability to pass an IDOC/IDJJ background check and drug screen.
• Ability to travel as required, including overnight stays when appropriate.

Nice To Haves

• At least three years of experience providing counseling services to juveniles in a congregate care setting.
• At least two years of experience assessing students’ progress in specially assigned programs in congregate care and/or equivalent settings.
• At least two years of experience assessing students’ educational abilities and needs.
• At least two years of experience evaluating student transcripts and recommending educational needs for youth seeking a GED or high school diploma.
• At least two years of experience supporting youth with transitional services, including career goals, scholarship and college applications, trades, post-secondary vocational education programs, and/or employment opportunities.
• At least two years of experience facilitating conferences and/or meetings with teachers, students, and parents.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with staff, students in a juvenile justice setting, and their parents.
• Ability to remain calm and collected while de-escalating situations involving juveniles displaying challenging behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Lead college and career readiness practices, including career guidance and instruction, and develop and administer vocational assessments.
• Collaborate with school principals, school counselors, and other support staff.
• Plan, organize, and/or facilitate college and career experiential learning activities.
• Provide support for transitional services identified for youth at each facility.
• Complete weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual follow-up data collection and reports concerning performance indicators.
• Perform other duties reasonably within the scope of the position.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Pension plan
• Paid parental leave
• Pre-tax benefits programs, including Deferred Compensation, Medical, and Daycare
• Twelve paid sick days annually
• Ten paid vacation days in the first year, with up to twenty-five paid vacation days annually based on years of service
• Three paid personal days annually, prorated based on start date
• Thirteen to fourteen paid holidays annually, based on start date
• Flexible work schedules in many program areas; remote work may be an option for certain positions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level