Corrections Counselor - Weld County Sheriff's Office

Govtjobs; Greeley (CO); On-site; USD 52,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Govtjobs is recruiting for a Counselor III with the Weld County Sheriff’s Office to provide direct, face-to-face counseling for inmates in custody.

The role emphasizes in-unit, in-person interactions rather than desk work, with crisis intervention and group psycho-education integral to daily practice.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in counseling, social work, clinical psychology, or related field.
• 1 year of counseling experience in the mental health field.
• LPC, LCSW, or NCAC licensure, or ability to obtain within 2.5 years; supervision hours provided.

Responsibilities

• Provide crisis intervention and short-term counseling to inmates.
• Lead psycho-educational groups, including cognitive behavioral programs.
• Collaborate with security and medical staff on inmate-related problems.
• Conduct suicide risk assessments and mental health screenings; follow up with supervision.
• Complete assessments for emergency commitment (M-1) and document releases.

Skills

English proficiency

Basic math

Practical problem solving

Interpreting instructions

Office tech basics

Background check

Education

Master's degree in counseling or related field

Job description

The Weld County Sheriff's Office is searching for a skilled counselor to work with inmates.

The Counselor serves as a vital member of the Sheriff's Office team, providing direct, face-to-face counseling and support services to individuals in custody. This role is primarily conducted within inmate housing units and other secure areas, not behind a desk or computer screen. The Counselor spends the majority of their time engaging in-person with inmates, building rapport, assessing needs, and delivering interventions in real time within the correctional environment.

A Correctional Counselor III provides crisis intervention and short-term counseling to inmates. Counselors provide psycho-educational groups, including cognitive behavioral based programs, to inmates. They work in collaboration with security and medical staff concerning inmate related problems. Counselors conduct suicide assessment and mental health screening for inmates with follow up supervision. Counselors provide diagnostic mental health evaluations of inmates to determine mental health needs. Counselors complete assessment for emergency commitment (M-1) and prepares appropriate documentation upon the release of an inmate.

The position's schedule spans Monday through Saturday, with assigned work hours set according to the operational needs of the department.

Required Education

Master's Degree in counseling, social work, clinical psychology, or related field.

Experience Qualifications

1 year experience in counseling, specifically in the mental health field working with a variety of diagnoses, and facilitation of psychoeducational groups

Skills and Abilities

• Must have the ability to read, write, and speak English.
• Basic math skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals; and the ability to count, sort, and categorize inventory items.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables, in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Ability to operate telephones, computer terminal, keyboard, photocopier, and printer/scanning instrumentation.
• Candidate must pass criminal background check prior to employment start date.

Licenses and Certifications

• LPC-Licensed Professional Counselor Must hold current license in Colorado as a Licensed Professional Counselor Required
• LCSW- License Clinical Social Worker Licensed Clinical Social Worker Required
• NCAC - National Certified Addictions Counselor Licensed Addictions Counselor or equivalent Required
• Or hold a permit in Colorado as a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate or Clinical Social Worker Candidate or equivalent with eh ability to obtain a license within the first 2.5 years of employment. Required
• Supervision hours are offered to assist in reaching licensure requirements. Required
• The ability to speak and write a language other than English is a skill that enhances an employee’s ability to complete this job. The incidents that require the use of secondary language skill vary by day but are routinely frequent; it is expected that this skill will be used more than 11 times per month. The employee must be proficient in speaking and writing the second language to be eligible for the bilingual pay differential.
• Pre-employment substance screening is required for this position.
• This position is subject to a pre-employment drug screening. Employment is contingent upon successfully passing the screening in accordance with Weld County policy.