Juvenile Correctional Counselor (#513040)
$34.91-$42.44 Hourly / $6,051.52-$7,355.66 Monthly / $72,618.19-$88,267.86 Yearly
Apply as a Transfer to Comparable Class applicant

• Supervision is provided by a Juvenile Correctional Counselor (Supervising).
• May receive technical and/or functional oversight from a Juvenile Correctional Counselor (Senior).
• Employees in this class may provide technical and functional oversight and training to Juvenile Correctional Counselor (Entry).
• Exercises supervision over justice-involved youth.

This class specification represents the core area of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the needs of the department.

• Ensures security, daily care and custody of youth within a pod, including counseling youth, mediating disputes, monitoring group dynamics among youth, assisting in emergency situations, serving meals and overseeing laundry care and distribution, logging and dispensing inhalers and medicated shampoo as prescribed by medical staff, and performing all other duties to oversee the health and safety of those in custody.
• Provides crisis intervention counseling, including suicide prevention counseling; makes referrals to behavioral health; provides general counseling and facilitates programs to give support to or to modify youth behavior; may give personal guidance and counseling youth who are confined.
• Facilitates the Cognitive Behavioral Training (CBT) groups; implements behavioral management program; conducts CBT mini-cycles with youth; creates and monitors weekly and monthly case plans.
• Manages assaultive behavior; prepares behavior summaries and written daily observations, including special incident reports for youths on a daily basis or as needed; enforces the policies and procedures of the institution. 
• Processes the intake and release of youths including searches, screening for medical needs; processes and enters information onto a variety of documents, forms and logs; inventories possessions; provides information to relevant personnel, parents, and agencies as to youth status, etc.; orients all youth to the facility setting and to staff expectations; instructs youth in social and life skills.
• Plans recreation and other structured activities for medium to large groups of justice involved youth of varying ages, ability, gender, and sophistication.
• Monitors individual and group behavior and attitudes to avoid and manage conflicts; maintains constant observation; conducts safety and security checks; conducts authorized felony or misdemeanor searches of youth and all required institutional searches; supervises work, school and study time, mealtime, clean-up, visits, and all other activities of the youth; documents the behavior of individuals by writing timely reports and keeping accurate records. 
• Inspects incoming and outgoing mail; calculates and records point totals for behavior management; issues supplies.  
• Transports youth to medical, dental, court or other mandatory appointments including applying appropriate restraints for transport; ensures that vehicles are devoid of contraband and coordinates vehicle repair; provides emergency medical First Aid treatment as needed.
• Conducts drug testing of youth.
• Attends and participates in meetings, trainings, classes and seminars; assists in training new and lower level personnel.
• Assists in providing treatment in a community-based program; assists in rehabilitation by facilitating an integrated system of care, utilizing the expertise of other agencies and personnel; facilitates conferences with families and assigned personnel; acts as a liaison with and supports families; provides vocational assessments and educational support.
• May appear in court to answer questions or serve as a witness.

Field-related Assignments:

In addition to some or all of the duties outlined above:

• Becomes familiar with the circumstances of the youth by interviewing the youth/family, outside agencies, relatives, employers, and schools officials; reviews files; sets goals for conduct; explains the nature and conditions of release; arranges for referral to other agencies; makes follow-up contacts with various legal representatives, social services, school and other agencies.
• Supervises the conducts and welfare of youth; monitors compliance with conditions of release and evaluates adjustments to home, school, and community; modifies status as necessary; counsels youth/family.
• Prepares case reports with recommendations for continuations, modifications or termination of status; maintains logs, cases, files and records.

Knowledge of:

• Facility rules and policies, laws and regulations as they pertain to justice involved youth assigned to the facility; juvenile problems and development.
• Groups and individual counseling techniques including Cognitive Behavioral Training, theory and application.
• Crisis intervention methods and counseling techniques.
• Effective teamwork concepts.
• Management of assaultive and violent behavior.
• Basic First Aid.
• Applicable Penal Code, Health and Safety Code, Vehicle Code, Welfare and Institutions Code sections.
• Laws, rules and procedures of the juvenile justice system.
• English composition, spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation for both written and oral communications.
• Formats and uses of appropriate terminology for written communications such as narrative reports.
• Standard office procedures, practices, equipment, personal computers, and software.

Skills and/or Ability to:

• Understand, interpret and apply applicable laws, regulations and policies governing juvenile detention program operations and use good judgement in their application. Comply with laws, regulations and professional practices governing juvenile detention program services and operations.
• Make decisions and independent judgments; determine the appropriate course of action in emergency or stressful situations.
• Communicate information and ideas clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
• Communicate effectively with people, especially teenagers, of diverse socio‑economic backgrounds and temperaments.>Deal firmly and fairly with clients of various socio‑economic backgrounds and temperaments.
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with those contacted in the performance of required duties.
• Work with and speak to various cultural and ethnic individuals and groups in a tactful and effective manner.
• Understand program objectives in relation to departmental goals and procedures.
• Prepare a variety of written communications to include narrative and statistical reports.
• Maintain accurate records and document actions taken.
• Maintain confidentiality of records and information per pertinent laws/regulations.
• Perform a variety of technical and specialized tasks and functions in an independent, competent and timely manner.
• Interview people to ascertain motives or personal problems.
• Be aware of faces, incidents and location of assigned youth at all times; remember individuals, actions, statements made, and location of incidents.

One year of related experience supervising groups in a detention facility equivalent to Group Counselor (Entry) in Solano County.  

Education/Training:  Completion of thirty (30) semester is required units from an accredited college or university preferably in criminology, social work, psychology, sociology or a closely related field.

Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Class C California driver's license is required.

The probation period for this classification is six months.

Possession of a valid American National Red Cross Standard First Aid and Personal Safety certificate is required. Evidence of successful completion of training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is required.

Must complete the Juvenile Counselor Core Course certified by the California Board of Corrections Standards and Training for Correctional Programs within one year of job hire.

Successful completion of training under Section 832 of the California Penal Code is required.

Peace Officers must meet minimum standards concerning citizenship, age, character, education and physical/mental condition as set forth in Section 1031 of the California Government Code.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Mobility and Dexterity: Positions in this class typically require stooping, kneeling, reaching, standing, walking, grasping, feeling (i.e., sense of touch), and repetitive motion for 50% of a typical shift but may be higher.
• Lifting, Carrying, Pushing and Pulling: Positions in this class require exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Occasionally may require physical restraint of youth including lifting and holding in excess of 100 pounds with assistance.
• Vision: Positions in this class require the employee to have close visual acuity, with or without correction, to prepare and analyze data and figures, view a computer terminal, read, etc. Positions in this class also require employees to have depth perception in order to operate a motor vehicle. Employees in this class must have the visual acuity to make observations of surroundings and must demonstrate color vision sufficient to distinguish colors in order to describe events in an accurate manner.
• Hearing/Talking: Positions in this class require the employee to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction and have the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication. Positions in this class require the employee to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word. Detailed or important instructions must often be conveyed to others accurately, loudly, and/or quickly.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Incumbents must be able to work in a restricted, sometimes hostile environment.
• Incumbents may be required to lift objects weighing more than 100 pounds with assistance.
• Employees in this class will be working in a detention facility environment and thus will be subject to exposure to communicable diseases, disruptive and confrontational people, potentially combative and violent people, intense noises, odors, and blood and other bodily fluids.
• Hours of Work: Incumbents may be required to work weekends, holidays, irregular hours, on-call, and after normal business hours.

• Pursuant to Title 15, Division 1 of the California Administrative Code incumbents are required to successfully complete a minimum of 24 hours of annual training.
• Must pass a physical exam and psychological exam as a condition of hire.
• Independent Travel: Incumbents are required to travel independently, for example, to attend meetings, trainings, classes and seminars and to transport juveniles.
• Background Checks: The County may conduct a background check and a reference check on candidates prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include the State of California Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Child Abuse Central Index (CACI), and criminal checks in any City/County where the applicant has lived, worked or gone to school.
• Drug Testing: Candidates for positions in this class and employees in this class will be subject to Pre-Employment, Reasonable Suspicion, Post Accident, Return-To-Duty and Follow-Up drug testing in accordance with the Solano County Alcohol and Drug Free Workplace Policy.
• Child Abuse Reporting: Selectees for employment must, as a condition of employment, sign a statement agreeing to comply with Section 11166 of the California Penal Code relating to child abuse reporting.
• Language Proficiency: Some positions allocated to this class will require the applicant to speak, read and write in a language other than English.