Correctional Counselor 2

State of West Virginia; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of West Virginia seeks a Correctional Counselor to provide counseling and psychological services for inmates in a correctional facility. This full-performance role includes conducting clinical interviews, administering tests, and preparing evaluations to guide treatment and release decisions.

Under supervision, you may supervise junior staff, review progress, and contribute to policy updates. Strong communication and record-keeping are essential for success in this position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in criminal justice, corrections, psychology, sociology, counseling, counseling and guidance, education, therapeutic recreation or closely related field.

Responsibilities

• Conducts clinical interviews, administers and scores psychological tests and prepares psychological evaluations for inmates and commitments.
• Counsels inmates to facilitate treatment and identify distressed or potentially suicidal individuals.
• Communicates with courts, review boards, mental health centers, parole officers and attorneys to coordinate treatment or release.
• Writes monthly activity and progress reports for the unit.
• Maintains counseling session summaries and treatment logs.
• Supervises counselors or staff and may participate in policy changes.

Skills

Counseling

Clinical interviews

Psychological testing

Crisis intervention

Documentation

Staff supervision

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree (psychology or related field)

Job description

Nature of Work Under general supervision, performs full-performance level work by providing a variety of counseling and psychological services for the inmate population of a correctional facility. Areas of specialization at assigned facility may include vocational counseling, diagnostic testing and evaluation, substance abuse counseling, and/or guidance for inmates on work release. Performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This is full-performance level Correctional Counselor work. The employee works independently in conducting clinical interviews, administering and scoring psychological tests and preparing psychological evaluations. The employee may supervise beginning level counselors and office support staff. The classification determinant at this level is the greater degree of skill in counseling and diagnostic evaluation.

Examples of Work

• Conducts clinical interviews, administers and scores psychological tests and prepares psychological evaluations for committed inmates and sixty-day presentence commitments.
• Counsels inmates to facilitate inmates' treatment and identify disturbed and/or potentially suicidal inmates.
• Corresponds with circuit courts, review boards, mental health centers, parole officers, attorneys and other agencies to supply information, to consult with specialists or to seek assistance with an inmate's treatment or release.
• Writes monthly reports on unit's activities and review inmate's progress reports.
• Attends meetings, training sessions and some workshops.
• Maintains summaries of counseling sessions and treatment logs.
• May conduct disposition hearings.
• May write policy or procedure changes for the unit.
• May supervise counselors in a correctional facility; may make assignments, monitor counselor's work, train staff and discuss cases with staff and may approve attendance, vacation and sick leave.
• May assist correctional officers on living unit.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Knowledge of Department of Corrections policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of behavior modification techniques and philosophies used in corrections.
• Knowledge of psychometrics.
• Knowledge of psychotherapeutic counseling.
• Knowledge of techniques of crisis intervention.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people.
• Ability to observe changes in inmate behavior.
• Ability to keep accurate records.
• Ability to organize the work of subordinates.

Minimum Qualifications

Training: A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in criminal justice, corrections, psychology, sociology, counseling, counseling and guidance, education, therapeutic recreation or closely related field.

Substitution: None.

Other Information

Your complete work history is needed to qualify you for positions. Please be as detailed as possible and list all of your past employment.

Adult Facilities

Prisons and Jails

• Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Braxton County [phone]
• Denmar Correctional Center and Jail - Pocahontas County [phone]
• Eastern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility / Martinsburg Correctional Center and Jail - Berkeley County [phone]
• Huttonsville Correctional Center and Jail/Huttonsville Work Camp - Randolph County [phone]
• Lakin Correctional Center and Jail - Mason County [phone]
• Mount Olive Correctional Complex and Jail/Slayton Work Camp - Fayette County [phone]
• North Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Doddridge County [phone]
• Northern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility / Ohio County Correctional Center and Jail - Marshall/Ohio [phone]
• Potomac Highlands Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Hampshire County [phone]
• Pruntytown Correctional Center and Jail - Taylor County [phone]
• Saint Marys Correctional Center and Jail - Pleasants County [phone]
• Salem Correctional Center and Jail - Harrison/Doddridge County [phone]
• South Central Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Kanawha County [phone]
• Southern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Raleigh County [phone]
• Southwestern Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Logan County [phone]
• Stevens Correctional Center - McDowell County [phone]
• Tygart Valley Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Randolph County [phone]
• Western Regional Jail and Correctional Facility - Cabell County [phone]

Community Corrections

• Anthony Correctional Center - Greenbrier County [phone]
• Beckley Correctional Center and Jail - Raleigh County [phone]
• Charleston Correctional Center and Jail - Kanawha County [phone]
• Parkersburg Correctional Center and Jail - Wood County [phone]

Juvenile Facilities and Reporting Centers

• Donald R. Kuhn Juvenile Center - Boone County [phone]
• Gene Spadaro Juvenile Center - Fayette County [phone]
• J.M. "Chick" Buckbee Juvenile Center - Hampshire County [phone]
• Kenneth "Honey" Rubenstein Juvenile Center - Tucker County [phone]
• Lorrie Yeager Jr. Juvenile Center - Wood County [phone]
• Robert L. Shell Juvenile Center - Cabell County [phone]
• Ronald C. Mulholland Juvenile Center - Ohio County [phone]
• Sam Perdue Juvenile Center - Mercer County [phone]
• James H. "Tiger" Morton Juvenile Center - Kanawha County [phone]
• Vicki V. Douglas Juvenile Center - Berkeley/Jefferson County [phone]

Youth Reporting Centers

• Boone/Logan County Youth Reporting Center - Boone County [phone] or [phone]
• Brooke/Hancock County Youth Reporting Center - Hancock County [phone]
• Cabell County Youth Reporting Center - Cabell County [phone] or [phone]
• Fayette County Youth Reporting Center - Fayette County [phone]
• Greenbrier County Youth Reporting Center - Greenbrier County [phone] or [phone]
• Harrison County Youth Reporting Center - Harrison County [phone]
• Jefferson County Youth Reporting Center - Jefferson County [phone]
• Kanawha County Youth Reporting Center - Kanawha County [phone]
• Lincoln County Youth Reporting Center - Lincoln County [phone] Ext. 4307
• Marion County Youth Reporting Center - Marion County [phone]
• Mason County Youth Reporting Center - Mason County [phone]
• Mercer County Youth Reporting Center - Mercer County [phone] or [phone]
• Monongalia County Youth Reporting Center - Monongalia County [phone]
• Pocahontas County Youth Reporting Center - Pocahontas County [phone]
• Putnam County Youth Reporting Center - Putnam County [phone]
• Raleigh County Youth Reporting Center - Raleigh County [phone]
• Randolph County Reporting Center - Randolph County [phone]
• STARS Berkeley County Youth Reporting Center - Berkeley County [phone] or [phone]
• Wetzel/Tyler County Youth Reporting Center - Wetzel County [phone]
• Wood County Youth Reporting Center - Wood County [phone]

State employment offers a variety of benefits.