Program Specialist Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work (MSW) or mental health counseling (MHC) from a program recognized and approved by the New York State Department of Education.
• New York State Department of Education licensure as a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) or Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). A provisional license or Limited Permit may be held initially, with a permanent license required before the provisional license expires.
• Successful completion of all required background checks for the agency and Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office.
• Knowledge of criminogenic risks and needs that contribute to mental, emotional, and social maladjustment among justice-involved individuals.
• Knowledge of cognitive behavioral interventions and other therapeutic techniques used with justice-involved individuals.
• Cultural competence and ability to relate empathetically to the client population using a trauma-informed lens.
• Knowledge of crisis management techniques.
• Ability to develop and maintain collaborative, supportive working relationships with clinical and case management team members, jail staff, and agency staff.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Respect, initiative, resourcefulness, tact, and courtesy.
• Ability to organize work and complete documentation and records in accordance with accepted professional standards.
• Ability to obtain training required to administer approved curricula.
• Ability to work evening hours as needed for pre-planned programming.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a jail or with a justice-involved population.
• Bilingual Spanish/English skills.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate and co-facilitate groups for men and women, including cognitive behavioral groups, with a minimum of four groups weekly.
• Provide individual therapy, including diagnostic assessment and evaluation.
• Participate in developing transition plans from custodial settings to community environments, including appropriate ongoing supports.
• Conduct psychosocial assessments.
• Work with the jail-based team to identify potential participants and use and administer COMPAS/COMPAS-R.
• Participate in team meetings with providers, jail staff, and other stakeholders as needed, and collaborate with in-jail team members to ensure goals are met.
• Inform the supervisor of relevant clinical issues and consult appropriately with team members.
• Develop individual treatment plans and update them on an ongoing basis to reflect clients’ behavioral changes resulting from therapy.
• Maintain case records, document all client contacts, and meet deadlines for required paperwork in Northpointe.
• Attend weekly supervision and regular clinical supervision with supervisory-level staff.
• Keep the Program Director informed of client progress and developments.
• Coordinate transitional community services with community-based providers.
• Provide community-based individual therapy sessions virtually for RESTART participants.
• Refer clients to community-based providers as needed and coordinate treatment with other agencies.
• Advocate for clients as appropriate.
• Occasionally attend meetings or appointments outside the jail.
• Act as a liaison to community individuals and organizations and represent the program and agency professionally.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Maintain current mental health or social work licensure and keep competency current with developments in the mental health field.
• Organize work and complete documentation and records in accordance with accepted professional standards.
• Obtain training required to administer evidence-based, evidence-informed, and other approved curricula.
• Work evening hours as needed to provide pre-planned programming for the general incarcerated population.

Benefits

• Medical coverage.
• Dental coverage.
• Vision coverage.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match up to 5%.
• Paid vacation, holidays, sick time, and personal time: two weeks of vacation in the first year, 13 paid holidays per year, 12 sick days per year, and four personal days per year.
• Access to Family Services’ Compassionate Leave Program, where employees can donate or receive unused time off.
• Group term life insurance.
• Long-term disability insurance.
• Supplemental life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage.
• Supplemental insurance through Aflac.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).
• Pet insurance.