State of Maryland

A Social Worker Supervisor, Criminal Justice is the first line supervisor level of professional social work providing expert clinical and therapeutic or forensic social work services in either a criminal justice or indigent defense environment.   Employees in this classification that work in a criminal justice environment provide clinical and therapeutic services to clients who have demonstrated a need for rehabilitative intervention because of behavioral factors or personality disorders and co-existing mental health, health, substance abuse or other social adjustment factors.  Employees in this classification that work in an indigent defense environment provide forensic social work services, including mitigation to clients charged with crimes or delinquent offenses and create defense strategies with Assistant Public Defenders for the legal disposition of criminal or delinquent cases.  Employees in this classification supervise Casework Specialists, Criminal Justice and lower-level Social Workers, Criminal Justice.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Social Work Regional Supervisor, Criminal Justice or a Social Work Manager, Criminal Justice or other designated administrator, or a District Public Defender, Division Chief or designee when assigned with the Office of the Public Defender.  Employees generally work in juvenile facilities, other criminal justice or juvenile services environments, or public defender offices.  Employees are frequently exposed to hazardous situations and must exercise vigilance and sound judgment when working with clients.  Employees in this class may be required to work evenings and weekends.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Social Work Supervisor, Criminal Justice is differentiated from the Social Worker Advanced, Criminal Justice in that the Social Work Supervisor, Criminal Justice has full supervisory responsibility for Casework Specialists and Social Workers I and II, Criminal Justice while the Social Worker Advanced, Criminal Justice is a licensed social worker providing expert clinical and therapeutic social work services to the most demanding clients in need of intensive rehabilitative counseling and may mentor lower level-social workers.  The Social Work Supervisor, Criminal Justice is differentiated from the Social Work Regional Supervisor, Criminal Justice in that the Social Work Regional Supervisor, Criminal Justice supervises Social Work Supervisors, Criminal Justice assigned to criminal justice or juvenile services facilities or public defender offices within a region.

Plans, coordinates, supervises and evaluates the work of Social Workers, Criminal Justice and related support staff, such as addictions counselors and HIV counselors;

Instructs staff in administrative and operating policies, procedures and practices regarding safety and security, treatment modalities, personnel practices and related matters;

Reviews progress reports and case material to assure compliance to standards and procedures for providing social work services;

Assists in planning and conducting in-service training activities for Social Workers and related support staff;

Applies social work values, principles and techniques to assist clients to confront their personality disorders and any co-existing health, mental health, physical or developmental disability, substance abuse or other social adjustment factor;

Completes required reports and makes recommendations to improve social work services;

Represents the department at meetings, forums and study groups within and outside the agency;

Assists the regional supervisor or other administrative official in the development of policies, procedures and treatment protocols;

Supervises social work students and interns;

Provides guidance and social work consultation to agency staff;

May provide expert testimony in court proceedings;

May assist assistant public defenders with developing mitigation for clients;

Performs other related duties.

1. Employees are required to meet mandatory standards for continuing education as determined by the hiring department. Employees who fail to obtain the required continuing education credits shall be subject to disciplinary action including demotion, suspension or dismissal.

2. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services must complete an approved training program in group counseling techniques.

3. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services may be required to complete the Level I Counseling course of the Maryland AIDS Professional Education Center.

4. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services must qualify for and successfully complete the Entry Level Training Academy operated by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions.

5. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services are required to complete the Correctional First Line Supervisors Training within one year of appointment.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position. 

Class Descriptions for Professional Service classes provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System. All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions. Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.