CORRECTIONS COUNSELOR 3

State of Nevada; Carson City (NV); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

Vacation

Sick Leave

Holidays

PERS Retirement

Deferred Compensation

No state income tax

Job summary

Nevada Department of Corrections in Carson City is seeking qualified candidates for the Correctional Counselor III role. The position provides mental health services, assessments, and psycho-educational classes to inmates, with case management and crisis intervention as core duties.

The role conducts group treatments, reviews historical records, evaluates mental health status, and refers to appropriate services.

Qualifications

• Master's or Doctoral degree in a relevant field with post-master's experience in therapy or programmatic services in correctional or institutional settings.
• Alternative Doctoral degree with approved internship and one year of professional experience in similar settings.
• Psy.D. in clinical psychology with internship and one year of experience in correctional programs.
• One year of experience as a Corrections Counselor II in Nevada State service.

Responsibilities

• Interview offenders to determine treatment and placement needs and prepare reports.
• Participate in treatment team meetings to define care and options.
• Provide counseling and psycho-educational services to offenders.
• Deliver crisis intervention with de-escalation techniques when needed.
• Consult and train staff on policies, procedures, and current best practices.
• Plan, develop, and coordinate program services for the population served.
• Document activities and prepare information for billing and records.

Skills

Interviewing

Case management

Crisis intervention

Counseling (group/individual)

Education

Master's degree in psychology/counseling/social work

Doctoral degree in clinical/educational psychology or Psy.D.

Corrections Counselor II experience (Nevada)

Job description

• No Nevada state income tax.

Job Summary

The Nevada Department of Corrections is seeking qualified candidates for Correctional Counselor 3. This recruitment is to fill existing vacancies at Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City. Incumbent will provide support services to offenders in a correctional setting including assessments and psycho-educational classes. The mental health professional will provide case management and behavioral/human services to persons with mental illness, crisis intervention and de-escalation of crisis situations with the inmates. Under general supervision, provide group treatment to inmates through psycho-educational and other group formats, utilizing evidence-based and scientifically researched program models, review all pertinent historical clinical records before beginning treatment, evaluate inmates' mental health status and behavior for clinical needs and make appropriate referrals, evaluate all emergency or crisis requests, provide intervention strategy or treatment plans, prepare a mental health summary to assure continuity of care for inmates being transferred.

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 three years of post Master'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 and one year of professional experience providing therapy, psychological testing and programmatic services in a correctional, rehabilitative, clinic or institutional setting; OR a Doctoral degree (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology from an accredited school of professional psychology, a one-year internship in an applied program, and one year of experience as described above; OR one year of experience as a Corrections Counselor II 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 III’s are assigned complex caseloads and provide care for the most severely mentally ill, developmentally, or learning-disabled offenders and provide for psycho-educational programs and groups.

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: assessment tools and instruments used in the diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of individuals in the population served; federal and State laws related to mental health, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse; correctional programs; agency, divisional and departmental policies and procedures; client/offender rights and confidentiality of information; personality disorders; educational and learning disorders; survey design and data collection; mental health and developmental service delivery systems; analysis and interpretation of statistical data; case management practices and procedures; crisis intervention techniques; individual, marital, group and family counseling techniques; treatment team dynamics; psychotropic medications including desired effects, common side effects, and drug interactions; services, roles and responsibilities of human services agencies in the community.

General knowledge of: chemical dependency and substance abuse; psychological and physical conditions encountered in a correctional setting; normal and abnormal human behavior, growth and development.

Ability to: make specific observations and recommendations regarding client/offender treatment and progress; coordinate treatment services provided by agency personnel and others; and provide correctional programming; work ethically and professionally with individuals who have been convicted of crimes; participate in program development projects; assess, develop and implement behavior plans and goals; assess and utilize social, agency, and community resources; establish rapport and appropriate relationships with offenders, their families and care providers; set priorities which accurately reflect the level of care needed by offenders; balance responsibilities with documentation requirements; modify intervention procedures to meet specific service needs of offenders or families.

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

01

Do you have any of the following?

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in clinical psychology, psychology, counseling, education, social work, or closely related field and three years of postMaster’s degree experience providing therapy, psychological testing and programmatic services in a correctional, rehabilitative, clinic or institutional setting.
• 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 and one year of professional experience providing therapy, psychological testing and programmatic services in a correctional, rehabilitative, clinic or institutional setting.
• Doctoral degree (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology from an accredited school of professional psychology, a one-year internship in an applied program, and one year of experience as described above.
• One year of experience as a Corrections Counselor 2 in Nevada State service.
• None of the above.

02

A pre-employment criminal history check and fingerprinting are required. Persons offered employment in this position will be required to pay for these items. Can you meet this requirement?

• Yes
• No

03

Pursuant to NRS 284.4066, positions in this series have been identified as affecting public safety. Persons offered employment in these positions must submit to a pre-employment screening for controlled substances. Can you meet this requirement?

• Yes
• No

04

A valid driver's license is required at the time of appointment and as a condition of continuing employment. Can you meet this requirement?

• Yes
• No
• Required Question