STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Professional Counselor (35 Hour)

Recruitment #230608-6355HC-001

Introduction


Are you looking to grow your counseling career with the State of Connecticut? If so, read below and apply today!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC), has an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and experienced, licensed Professional Counselor at Corrigan Correctional Center.

As a State Employee you will benefit from our competitive benefits plan
  • Excellent health and dental coverage
  • A 25 year Hazardous Duty pension plan
  • Paid time off 
  • A healthy work/life balance!
Position highlights
Licensed Professional Counselors within the correctional setting provide a range of clinical and case management functions to men entering the custody of the Department of Correction. The incumbent in this position will have the opportunity to work within a clinically rich setting, with opportunities to provide intake assessments, individual psychotherapy, crisis management, suicide risk assessment, case management services and other clinical activities.

Programs offered to offenders in the Corrigan Correctional Institution include an extensive anger management curriculum for inmates with a history of violent tendencies. A close monitoring unit is maintained in order to segregate those offenders who have been classified as members of gangs. In this unit, cultural and gang awareness programs are offered to encourage offender insight into the negative aspects of gang participation. A full complement of educational and addiction services programming is also offered.

Additional opportunities to engage in collaborative discharge planning with external support services and research driven programming, are also encouraged and available. Professional Counselors at the Corrigan Correctional Center work within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team comprised of social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and APRNs, as well as medical personnel and custody staff, all sharing the common goal of providing high quality, service oriented care.

Important Note:  Candidates must possess the license titled Professional Counselor as seen on the Department of Public Health website elicense.ct.gov.

The current position is second shift, Monday through Friday (35 hours) 3:00pm - 10:00 PM with rotating weekends and holidays.

About us 
The Corrigan Correctional Institution and the Radgowski Correctional Institution were consolidated in May 2001 as the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center. This facility confines both pretrial and sentenced offenders. It serves superior courts in Danielson, New London, Norwich and Windham.

The Department of Correction provides comprehensive health care to the offender population that meets a community standard of care, and includes medical, mental health, dental, addiction and ancillary services, in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and consent decrees.

DOC strives to be a global leader in progressive correctional practices and partnered re-entry initiatives to support responsive evidence-based practices aligned to law-abiding and accountable behaviors. Safety and security shall be a priority component of this responsibility as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens, and offenders.

Learn more from our healthcare team at the DOC:

            

Selection Plan

Before you apply:
  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
  • The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
Important information for after you apply:
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
Questions about this position should be directed to Mackenzie Robinson at mackenzie.robinson@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency behavioral health program as part of a multi-disciplinary team at one or more locations this class is accountable for independently providing clinical counseling services.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

As a member of a multi-disciplinary clinical team or within a network of community based behavioral health services provides case management, needs assessment and supportive counseling in addressing client strengths, weaknesses and needs; develops, implements and maintains individualized treatment and rehabilitation plans for clients; works with treatment teams to assist individual patients in achieving social and emotional stability; develops psychosocial assessments through clinical interviews; provides clinical treatment services such as: triage, crisis intervention, individual and/or group counseling, screening and planning; makes use of available community services and facilities to assist clients in meeting identified needs; interprets and synthesizes client information, professional observations and evaluation reports in order to form professional judgments about services; monitors and evaluates effectiveness of treatment plans, documents treatment in clinical records; completes reports in accordance with agency and accrediting bodies; consults and collaborates with other behavioral health providers to improve delivery of services to clients; maintains counseling treatment and standards as required; performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Knowledge of principles, methodology, casework and techniques of counseling, interviewing and psychosocial assessment; knowledge of family and interpersonal relationship dynamics; knowledge of values, sanctions, purposes and ethics of professional counseling work; knowledge of community resources; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; ability to devise and implement a treatment plan with measurable goals that address client needs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Licensure as a professional counselor in the State of Connecticut with some experience working in a behavioral health facility or in a juvenile justice setting.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Correctional or Forensic Behavioral health treatment experience.
  • Experience with crisis intervention. 
  • Experience with behavior management.
  • Experience with individual and group psychotherapy.
  • Experience with criminal justice involved adults.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license to practice professional counselor work pursuant to Sec. 20-195 (a-f) of the Connecticut General Statutes.
2. Incumbents in this class may be required to have knowledge of sign language and communication ability with the deaf and hearing impaired in certain designated positions.
3. Incumbents in this class may be required to have ability in Spanish oral and written communication in certain designated positions.
4. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Incumbents in this class may be exposed to some risk of injury from assaultive and/or abusive clients.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.