Group Life Counselor - Female Specific

Josephine County; Grants Pass (OR); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Josephine County Juvenile Department, Turning Point Residential, seeks a Group Life Counselor to supervise youth in a therapeutic setting and deliver group and individual skill-building sessions. You will support safety, administer crisis interventions, and document youth activities in residential records.

You will coordinate with Detention and DHS/OYA personnel as needed, uphold RPPS/CPS principles, and participate in ongoing training to maintain high standards of care.

Qualifications

• Able to supervise youth in a therapeutic milieu and maintain safety.
• Experience with de-escalation and crisis response.
• Ability to document activities and maintain records accurately.

Responsibilities

• Actively supervise and interact with youth in the therapeutic milieu and community.
• Establish rapport with youth and maintain professional boundaries.
• Safely de-escalate crises using verbal and physical interventions when needed.
• Perform housekeeping and routine tasks to maintain a safe environment.
• Deliver group skill building sessions using approved curricula.
• Transport youth to appointments or court as required.
• Document activities and medication administration in the tracking program.

Skills

Supervision

Crisis de-escalation

Documentation

Therapeutic milieu

CPR/First Aid training

Interpersonal communication

Education

Associate degree or equivalent

Tools

JJIS

CPI training

Job description

Description

Josephine County Juvenile Justice Department provides residential program and detention services to youth in Josephine and neighboring counties. The Residential Program, Turning Point Residential, is a statewide resource that operates under the Behavioral Rehabilitative Services (BRS) federal guidelines. Josephine County Juvenile Detention operates under the Oregon Revised Statutes. Both programs utilize Trauma Informed Care, provide services which include evidence-based programming, cognitive behavioral treatment programming, educational services, mental health services, and medical services. Both programs rely on and collaborate with other state and local agencies such as juvenile and adult courts, attorneys, Department of Human Services, law enforcement, and the public.

Group Life Counselors (GLC) are essential employees and oversee all aspects of daily living which includes, but is not limited to, education, recreation, facilitating group and individual interventions based on department approved curriculum and training. Group Life Counselors also serve as the primary resource for the youth in these programs and always conduct themselves in a professional manner, role modeling respect towards youth, co-workers, and our stakeholders.

Typical Daily Tasks

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Actively supervise and interact with youth in the therapeutic milieu, and in the community to maintain safety and provide necessary services.
• Establish rapport by demonstrating and maintaining clear, consistent, appropriate, and therapeutic boundaries.
• Safely de-escalate youth in various stages of crisis by effectively using verbal intervention skills.
• Participate in physical interventions when necessary to maintain residential youth and staff safety in accordance with Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) standards and trainings.
• Engage in physical restraints, use mechanical restraints, and employ defensive tactics to subdue physically violent detention youth to maintain the safety and security during a crisis.
• During an emergency or crisis, GLC staff shall assist in physically moving combative detention youth to a safer location as directed by the Detention Supervisor or designee.
• Present a positive attitude, professional demeanor, and demonstrate respect to youth, families, staff, visitors, and community partners.
• Maintain prompt and regular attendance for all assigned shifts and trainings.
• Perform housekeeping tasks such as: filling up and emptying mop buckets, lifting full baskets of laundry, removing, and replacing floor mats, and cleaning bathrooms as needed to maintain a clean and safe milieu.
• Demonstrate alignment with the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard (RPPS) and the philosophy of Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) while working with residential youth.
• Actively utilize, reference, and follow policies and procedures as set forth by Turning Point Residential and Josephine County Juvenile Department.
• Adhere to Oregon Revised Statutes and standards of care.
• Collaborate with other GLC staff to ensure shift activities and milieu structure is maintained in the absence of Shift Lead.
• Serve as primary counselor over assigned youth who are in Turning Point Residential Program. The primary counselor is responsible for delivering and documenting one hour of individual skill building services to their youth each week. Maintain regular contact with Social Services Facilitator regarding youth’s progress and needs.
• Facilitate group skill building opportunities for residential youth using approved curriculums that address the youth’s skill deficits and promote progress towards the youth’s treatment goals.
• Facilitate and supervise youth on community outings.
• Transport youth to and from appointments, outings and court, this includes both scheduled and emergent transports to meet the needs of the youth and facility.
• Accurately document residential youth activities, group skill building interventions, individual skill building interventions, and medication administration in residential tracking program in a timely manner.
• Facilitate medication administration for youth in residential and in detention.
• Perform control room duties which include communicating with law enforcement, monitoring radios, intercoms and cameras, telephone communications, control all door locking mechanisms, schedule and visually supervise youth visits.
• Complete intake and release procedures on youth in custody.
• Search detained youth for weapons, contraband and other harmful articles.
• Inform Shift Lead of intake dispositions, or, as directed by Shift Lead, inform Department of Human Services (DHS) Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) and Juvenile Department personnel of intake dispositions.
• Make mandatory reports to the appropriate agencies when allegations of abuse, neglect, PREA incidents or sexual contact are made by detention or residential youth.
• Gain competency in the Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).
• Supervise all daily activities of detention youth, including meals, recreation, cleanup, room time, showers, visitations, etc.
• Facilitate Cognitive Groups in Detention under the direction of the Treatment and Transition Program Coordinator.
• Other related duties assigned by Shift Lead, Social Services Facilitator and Program Manager.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

Education And Experience

Associate degree (A.A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

The following must be obtained during the first six months of employment and maintained while in this position.

• Successfully complete 40 hours of OJDDA Detention and Custody Workers training.
• Successfully complete Residential Program orientation and training
• Successfully complete Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) Full Course with verbal de-escalation skills and physical skills.
• Successfully complete Detention Defensive Tactics Course
• Successfully complete Suicide Awareness and Intervention Training
• First Aid/CPR Certification
• Food Handlers License
• Possession of (or ability to obtain) a valid Oregon Driver’s License, comprehensive automobile insurance, and a safe driving record.
• Attend on-going training as scheduled.

Supplemental Information

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

Those employed in this position are subject to drug testing and background investigation including criminal background investigation. Conviction of a crime may disqualify an individual for this position. Must pass and maintain Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) security clearance. Individuals in this position are required to receive and maintain approval for employment in the position from the Department of Human Services criminal records unit.

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Request for Confidentiality: Certain documents that are submitted to the County may be disclosed to the public under state public records laws. If you are submitting your application on the condition that it will be kept confidential, please select "yes", if not, please select "no". If you select "yes" to this supplemental question, the County will use good faith efforts to keep your application confidential. This request will not be used to consider your employment with the County.

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