Transition Specialist

State of Maryland•Washington County, MD

18h•Onsite

About The Position

The Transition Specialist/Instructor, classified as Administrator I, works within the Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning at the Maryland Correctional Training Center. The role supports incarcerated students under age 22 as they prepare for reentry, developing individualized transition plans and helping students build the educational, vocational, and employment-readiness skills needed to succeed after incarceration. The specialist connects students with workforce, education, family, and community resources to support successful integration into Maryland communities and the workforce and help reduce recidivism. The position also delivers classroom curriculum that develops problem-solving, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills for career success. The specialist encourages students to set personal goals and supports their progress through individualized planning, instruction, and access to reentry resources.

Requirements

High school graduation or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
Four years of administrative staff or professional work. Substitutions are permitted as described in the posting: 30 college credit hours for each year of required experience, up to four years; a bachelor’s or master’s degree; or qualifying U.S. Armed Forces commissioned-officer experience on a year-for-year basis.
A valid Maryland motor vehicle operator’s license if assigned duties requiring operation of a motor vehicle.
Candidates are subject to a Division of Unemployment Insurance records check and to fingerprinting and a CJIS-Central Repository background investigation.

Nice To Haves

One year of experience providing instruction, career counseling, case management, or reentry/transition services to justice-involved individuals, youth, or young adults in a correctional, juvenile justice, or community-based setting.
One year of experience developing, updating, and tracking individualized transition plans across a student caseload, including planning for students with disabilities and participation in IEP meetings.
One year of experience administering career assessments and assisting individuals with resumes, cover letters, job applications, and employment portfolios.
One year of experience delivering classroom instruction or group workshops to adult learners with varied literacy levels, including employment readiness, problem-solving, conflict resolution, or decision-making curriculum.
Knowledge of workforce and reentry resources, including the Maryland Workforce Exchange, American Job Centers, postsecondary admissions processes, and community-based reentry organizations.
A bachelor’s degree in education, counseling, social work, human services, criminal justice, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Assist incarcerated students under age 21 in developing individualized transition plans.
Review the under-21 list monthly to identify incoming inmates.
Provide transition-planning assistance to students designated for special education, including participating in IEP meetings as required.
Complete required transition reports for special education students and submit them to the special education teacher, student folder, and Academic Education or Special Education Coordinator.
Maintain a monthly log of students served, meeting dates, and students scheduled who refused to attend or did not attend.
Administer career assessments as needed.
Help students assemble employment and reentry portfolios, including resumes and job applications.
Coordinate with ERW teachers to help students search for jobs and access community employment resources using facility computers with limited internet access, if available.
Establish connections with local American Job Centers to support employment training opportunities after release.
Coordinate with postsecondary institutions to provide admissions information to students pursuing postsecondary education.
Maintain contacts with community reentry resources and connect students with DPSCS transitional and community resources as needed.
Coordinate with students about including family members, sponsors, or significant others in transition planning.
Help students under age 21 prepare transition-plan documents for parole hearings.
Deliver curriculum that develops problem-solving, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills for career success.
Encourage students to create personal goals and expectations to achieve personal outcomes.
Distribute and review the syllabus at the first class session; check the roster, verify registration, and take attendance each session.
Provide students with an evaluation packet at the end of the class session and return it within one week before the end of class.
Post class grades within 72 hours after the class ends.
Perform other duties assigned by the Correctional Transition Coordinator.