Master Correctional Counselor

State of Delaware•Dover, DE

About The Position

The Master Correctional Counselor performs advanced professional counseling work providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders incarcerated in correctional institutions or assigned to Community Corrections. The role directly supervises and counsels residents, enforces policies and procedures, rules and regulations, and the Resident Orientation Manual, and encourages and facilitates successful re-entry into the community. Counselors provide services directly and through referrals to community-based agencies and organizations, and work frequently with security, educational, and other treatment staff to monitor residents’ progress. At this level, the counselor develops, implements, and oversees a specialized treatment program for residents requiring intensive counseling, such as residents with sex-offense or substance-abuse treatment needs. The position also trains counseling staff in program operations and treatment methods and provides technical guidance in the area of specialization. In addition to administering the specialized program, the counselor conducts general counseling, assesses residents, develops and implements treatment plans, and evaluates progress. Professionalism, due diligence, collaboration, teamwork, and a positive team culture are expected.

Requirements

Meet one of the following education and experience combinations: at least three years providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders; a master's degree or higher in Behavioral/Social Science and at least one year providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders; or a bachelor's degree or higher and at least two years providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders.
Three years of experience in behavior management, including understanding, explaining, describing, and predicting behavior; studying connections between behavior and its causes; and identifying appropriate behavior-modification strategies.
Three years of case-management experience, including assessing, planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating options and services to meet an individual's human-service needs.
Six months of experience providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders, including evaluating progress toward goals and adjusting treatment plans, analyzing social and criminal history, and participating in interdisciplinary conferencing.
Six months of experience interpreting laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures.
Six months of narrative report-writing experience.
Six months of experience using an automated information system to enter, update, modify, delete, retrieve or inquire about, and report on data.
Knowledge of staff training.
Successfully complete all phases of the five-week Non-Security Basic Training Course at the Department of Correction's Steven R. Floyd Sr. Training Academy to receive Hazardous Duty A1.
Be legally authorized to work in the United States.
If conditionally offered employment for admission to the Department of Correction Academy, successfully complete a criminal background check, pre-employment drug test, medical examination, and baseline two-step tuberculin skin test.

Responsibilities

Identify treatment needs and develop program guidelines, operational procedures, and evaluation methods.
Provide comprehensive, intensive counseling to inmates or clients in the area of specialization.
Train and provide technical guidance to security and treatment staff on specialized-program goals, objectives, and treatment methodologies.
Evaluate the specialized program by reviewing progress reports, case records, and related documentation, and recommend revisions to a supervisor as needed.
Conduct individual and group counseling sessions.
Develop treatment plans using counseling sessions and information from inmate files, records, reports, family members, associates, former employers, counselors, and rehabilitation team members.
Assess residents’ progress toward re-socialization and compliance with recommended treatment plans.
Prepare records, reports, and summary evaluations concerning inmate progress.
Maintain client or inmate files, including supporting documentation, classification reports, social histories, progress notes, and counseling records.
Serve on boards and committees, including classification and inmate grievance committees.
Recommend appropriate inmate or client classification levels based on behavioral or attitudinal changes, self-improvement efforts, and compliance with program or institutional requirements.
Participate in case conferences regarding treatment alternatives.
Refer residents to resources such as drug or alcohol treatment and educational programs.
Enforce applicable policies, procedures, rules, regulations, and the Resident Orientation Manual while encouraging and facilitating re-entry.
Collaborate with security, educational, and other treatment staff to monitor resident progress and support consistent operations.