CORRECTIONS COUNSELOR 2 - LOVELOCK

State of Nevada; Lovelock (NV); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Vacation

Sick Leave

Holidays

PERS Retirement

Deferred Compensation

No state income tax

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Longevity Pay

Job summary

State of Nevada in Lovelock is seeking a Corrections Counselor II to provide psychological services within a correctional setting, including testing, assessment, treatment planning, and group/individual therapy.

You will conduct evaluations, participate in treatment teams, document progress, and support parole and quality assurance efforts while upholding ethical standards and professional guidelines.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Doctoral degree with relevant therapy and testing experience in a correctional setting.
• Two years post-Master’s experience providing therapy and programmatic services.
• Two years experience in Nevada State service as Corrections Counselor I may qualify.

Responsibilities

• Interview individuals to determine treatment, programming, or placement needs and prepare reports.
• Participate in treatment team meetings to plan and coordinate care.
• Provide counseling, relaxation and pain management, and substance abuse counseling.
• Deliver crisis intervention and apply de-escalation techniques as needed.
• Consult and train staff on current policies and ethical requirements.
• Develop and coordinate program services for the served population.
• Document activities and assist with billing documentation as appropriate.
• Conduct research/evaluation studies to enhance services.

Skills

Counseling

Crisis intervention

Psychotherapy

Psychological testing

Interviews

Documentation

Team collaboration

Research methods

Treatment planning

Education

Master’s degree in related field

Doctoral degree in clinical psychology or Psy.D.

Two years post-Master’s experience in correctional setting

Internship in correctional/rehabilitative setting (for Doctoral)”

Job description

• No Nevada state income tax.

Job Summary

The Department of Corrections is seeking to fill a Corrections Counselor 2 in Lovelock. The Corrections Counselor 2 is responsible for providing a wide range of psychological services, including testing, assessment, treatment planning and implementation, psychotherapy, consultation, psychoeducational programming, research, and training. This role involves conducting comprehensive psychological evaluations by selecting and administering appropriate tests, interpreting results, and interviewing individuals to determine treatment, programming, or placement needs. The counselor delivers psychotherapeutic services through both individual and group therapy, incorporating approaches such as biofeedback, relaxation techniques, substance abuse counseling, and pain management. In addition, the psychologist diagnoses mental and related disorders and may provide both oral and written testimony in court. Responsibilities also include assessing inmates’ level of disability and credibility, staffing a walk-in psychology clinic, and participating in crisis intervention efforts. The role further supports institutional operations by completing Parole Board evaluations, contributing to quality assurance by monitoring psychological services and ensuring appropriate care, and maintaining thorough medical documentation through progress notes. Active participation in interdisciplinary classification committees and treatment team meetings is also an essential component of the position. Corrections Counselors within in the Nevada Department of Corrections provide mental health services to offenders in a correctional setting including interviews, behavioral planning and implementation, consultation, psycho-educational classes, research, and training.

Essential Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited college or university in clinical psychology, psychology, counseling, education, social work, or closely related field and two years of postMaster's degree experience providing therapy, psychological testing and programmatic services in a correctional, rehabilitative, clinic or institutional setting; OR a Doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, educational psychology, social work, or closely related field which included a one-year internship in an applied program in a correctional, law enforcement, rehabilitative, clinic or institutional setting; OR a Doctoral degree (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology from an accredited school of professional psychology, and a one-year internship in an applied program as described above; OR two years of experience as a Corrections Counselor I in Nevada State service.

Job Duties

• Interview individuals to determine treatment, programming, or placement needs; make behavioral health recommendations; interpret and integrate data with interview findings and behavioral observations; discuss results with offenders or other authorized individuals; prepare written reports on offenders interviewed which include potential behavioral health needs.
• Participate as a member of the treatment team in staff meetings; share information and analyze treatment options; define, provide, and schedule appropriate care.
• Provide counseling services, relaxation training, relationship counseling, substance abuse counseling, and pain management counseling to facilitate recovery and maintain offender in the least restrictive environment possible.
• Provide crisis intervention by applying appropriate de‑escalation techniques and principles in order to relieve the immediate problem; intervene with offenders who may be hostile, aggressive, combative or assaultive; follow established protocol in order to protect offenders, staff, and others who may be at risk; form a crisis debriefing team of mental health and security professionals and debrief staff involved in emergency situations to alleviate emotional concerns.
• Consult and train staff regarding current policies and procedures to comply with statutory and ethical requirements and current scientific developments in areas relevant to agency services.
• Participate in planning, developing and coordinating program services to meet the needs of the population served; participate in committees and facility activities in developing policies and procedures; and participate in quality review programs. In a correctional setting, participate on the Unit Management Team to deliver services to offenders within their units.
• Document activities in regular written reports and on charts to comply with legal requirements and maintain adequate records; prepare information and documentation necessary for billing and recommend third party payments as appropriate.
• Conduct research and evaluation studies, for data collection and statistical purposes, to enhance services provided which may include interviews, offender characteristics, prediction of positive treatment outcomes, or prediction of recidivism or violence of an individual offender.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
• Under general supervision, Corrections Counselor II’s perform the full range of duties described in the series concept.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

This job specification lists the major knowledge, skills and abilities of the job and is not all inclusive. Incumbent(s) will be expected to have knowledge, skills and abilities from a previous level.

Working knowledge of: theories and principles of counseling; symptoms, characteristics, and treatment of neurological impairment, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders; laws governing abuse and neglect of clients/offenders; ethical standards of care and treatment; verbal communication skills sufficient to confer with colleagues, clients/offenders, and others.

General knowledge of: client rights and confidentiality of information.

Ability to: develop and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with co-workers, medical and health professionals, social service agency representatives and others; write comprehensive evaluations, reports and recommendations; observe and detect signs and symptoms of psychological disorders.

The State of Nevada is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building diverse, inclusive, and innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, national origin, religion or belief, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, domestic partnership, genetic information (GINA), or compensation and/or wages.

Benefits Include

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, life, and disability insurance programs for employees and their dependents/family are offered through the Public Employees’ Benefits Program (PEBP).
• Vacation: Accrual of three weeks of annual leave each year.
• Sick Leave: Accrual of three weeks of sick leave each year.
• Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year.
• Retirement: Participation in the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Employees do not contribute to Social Security but will contribute to PERS if their position is at 50% or more full‑time equivalency. For more information on how PERS service may impact Social Security benefits, visit the SSA publication.
• Deferred Compensation: The State offers a voluntary Deferred Compensation Program.
• No Nevada state income tax.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Eligible due to public sector employment.
• Longevity Payments Eligibility: Employees who have received a performance rating of “standard” or better and have completed eight (8) or more years of continuous service are eligible for longevity pay.

Additional benefits may apply to employees covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), depending on their designated bargaining unit. For more information, visit the Labor Relations Unit (LRU).

For more details about your rights and responsibilities as a State of Nevada employee, please review the State of Nevada Employee Handbook (PDF).

• State Holidays The holiday schedule for State employees is established by the Legislature.

The Following Are Legal Holidays

• January 1.............................................. New Year's Day
• Third Monday in January.................. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
• Third Monday in February................ Washington’s Birthday
• Last Monday in May........................... Memorial Day
• June 19................................................ Juneteenth Day
• July 4.................................................... Independence Day
• First Monday in September.............. Labor Day
• Last Friday in October....................... Nevada Day
• November 11........................................ Veterans' Day
• Fourth Thursday in November........ Thanksgiving Day
• Friday following the Fourth Thursday in November...................... Family Day
• December 25........................................ Christmas Day

When January 1, June 19, July 4, November 11, or December 25 falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the observed legal holiday. If these days fall on Sunday, the following Monday is the observed holiday. Eligibility for holiday pay is covered by the provisions of NAC 284.255