Child Custody Recommending Counselor

Superior Court of Santa Cruz County; Watsonville (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The Superior Court of Santa Cruz County seeks a Family Court Services professional to mediate and assess child custody and visitation disputes at the Watsonville Courthouse. Under direct supervision, you will prepare reports and recommendations for the Court in accordance with Family Code sections 3160–3165 and California Rules of Court 5.210–5.230.

A Master’s degree in psychology, social work, marriage-family-child counseling, or related field with two years of relevant experience is required;

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in clinical psychology, social work, marriage-family-child counseling, behavioral science, or a related field.
• Two years of counseling or psychotherapy experience related to family conciliation for the courts.
• Licensure strongly preferred (LCSW, LMFT, PsyD, LPCC, PhD).

Responsibilities

• Mediate and assess child custody and visitation disputes.
• Prepare written reports and recommendations for the Court.
• Attend meetings and provide court reports and recommendations in line with Family Code and California Rules.

Skills

Mediation

Record keeping

Communication

Interviewing

Education

Master’s degree in psychology / social work / counseling

Job description

DEFINITION

Under direct supervision of the Family Court Services Director, mediates disputes involving child custody and visitation; assesses complex cases involving child custody disagreements; prepares a variety of court reports and recommendations; and performs other duties as required. This position functions within a recommending jurisdiction and provides formal recommendations to the Court pursuant to Family Code sections 3160–3165 and California Rules of Court 5.210–5.230.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This single-position class is responsible for mediating and assessing sensitive situations and family relationships, collecting information, writing reports, and making recommendations for determination in child custody or timeshare disputes in Superior Court. Work is performed in person at the Watsonville Courthouse, Monday–Friday, to ensure consistent support to judicial officers and timely access for families.

TYPICAL TASKS

Provides guidance to cases referred by the Court; conducts Child Custody Recommending Counseling; meets with parties involved in custody and visitation disputes; works through differences with involved parties and develops recommendations for the Court; considers allegations concerning child custody; prepares written stipulations and recommendations for the Court at the completion of Child Custody Recommending Counseling; provides social case histories, correspondence, and other documents as necessary; attends and participates in professional group meetings; stays current on legislation regarding custody evaluation, domestic violence, and related issues; represents Family Court Services at conferences and meetings; conducts stepparent adoption investigations; conducts juvenile dependency and guardianship mediations; conducts ex parte reviews; testifies in court on recommendations; in underage marriage permission cases, interviews the couple and prepares assessment reports on the readiness of the couple to marry; performs freedom-from-parental-custody-and-control evaluations; and makes appropriate referrals for assistance to other community resources. Mediations with parents occur both via Zoom and in person, but all sessions are conducted at the courthouse to ensure safety, confidentiality, and judicial access.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Any combination of education and experience which would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying, unless otherwise specified. A typical way to obtain these would be:

Equivalent to a Master's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in clinical psychology, social work, marriage-family-child counseling, behavioral science, or a related field AND two years of experience in counseling or psychotherapy related to family conciliation for the courts and with a population similar to that served by the County.

Valid licensure strongly preferred with the CA Board of Behavioral Sciences (LCSW, LMFT, PsyD, LPCC, PhD).

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/CONDITIONS

LICENSE/CERTIFICATE

• Possession of a valid California Class C driver license or the ability to provide suitable transportation approved by the appointing authority.
• Possession of a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Marriage Family Child Counseling, or Clinical Psychology license issued by the State of California.
• Completion of Domestic Violence training program in accordance with Section 1816 of the Family Code.
• This position operates under statutory authority defined in Family Code §§ 3160–3165 and California Rules of Court 5.210–5.230.
• Santa Cruz County is a recommending jurisdiction pursuant to Local Rule of Court 3.3.

For more information about Family Court Services statewide, see the Judicial Council's Family Court Services program page: https://courts.ca.gov/programs-initiatives/families-and-children/family-law/family-court-services

KNOWLEDGE OF

Thorough knowledge of

• Court system of California and the procedures used in family law cases.
• Community resources to which clients can be referred for assistance.

Working knowledge of

• Adult psychopathology, family psychology, and system dynamics.
• Child development theory.
• Clinical issues related to children.
• Recent developments, current literature, and sources of information related to child abuse, the effects of divorce on children, and child custody research.
• Principles of social casework.
• Interviewing principles and techniques.
• Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations including those affecting conciliation, mediation work, and mental health issues.
• Substance abuse problems and their relationship to family court issues.
• Statutory and regulatory framework governing Family Court Services, including Family Code §§ 3160–3165 and California Rules of Court 5.210–5.230.

ABILITY TO

• Perform specialized mediation and investigative work involving family law and child custody.
• Conduct specialized research to assess the mental health needs of children and adults.
• Analyze problems, identify solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and develop recommendations in support of goals.
• Develop and prepare a variety of records and reports.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
• Recognize substance abuse and domestic violence.
• Navigate a recommending-mediation model and clearly articulate recommendations consistent with statutory and local rule requirements.