Master Correctional Counselor

State of Delaware; Delaware; On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Delaware Department of Correction seeks a professional counselor to provide advanced rehabilitation services to adult offenders. The role involves direct counseling, program development, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

You will assess progress, develop treatment plans, and coordinate referrals while maintaining detailed records and contributing to policy and procedure improvements within the correctional system.

Qualifications

• Identifies treatment needs and develops program guidelines.
• Provides comprehensive counseling to inmates/clients.
• Trains security and treatment staff on program goals and methodologies.
• Maintains and reviews progress records and evaluations.
• Participates in multidisciplinary teams and committees.

Responsibilities

• Identifies treatment need and develops program guidelines, operational procedures, and evaluation methods.
• Provides counseling to inmates/clients and conducts group sessions.
• Evaluates program effectiveness through progress reports and records.
• Develops treatment plans based on counseling data and sources.
• Assesses progress toward rehabilitation and compliance with plans.
• Maintains accurate client files and documentation.
• Represents the program on boards and committees.
• Makes referrals to external treatment or education resources.

Skills

Counseling

Staff training

Case management

Behavior analysis

Education

Masters degree or higher in Behavioral/Social Science

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Behavioral/Social Science

Job description

Summary Statement

A class incumbent is responsible for advanced level professional counseling work providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders incarcerated in correctional institutions or assigned to Community Corrections.

Career Ladder

Upon satisfactory completion of department promotional standards and job requirements, employees may be eligible to be promoted to the next level.

Summary Statement

A class incumbent is responsible for advanced level professional counseling work providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders incarcerated in correctional institutions or assigned to Community Corrections.

Career Ladder

Upon satisfactory completion of department promotional standards and job requirements, employees may be eligible to be promoted to the next level.

Essential Functions

• Identifies treatment need and develops program guidelines, operational procedures, and evaluation methods. Provides comprehensive, intensive counseling to inmates/clients in the area of specialty.
• Provides training and technical guidance to security and treatment staff on the goals and objectives of the specialized program and application of treatment program methodologies.
• Evaluates effectiveness of specialized program through review of inmate/client progress reports, case records, and related documentation. Makes recommendations to superior for revisions to program as required.
• Conducts general individual and/or group counseling sessions with inmates/clients.
• Develops treatment plan based on counseling sessions as well as information obtained from inmate file, records, and reports, family members, associates, former employers, and other counselors, or rehabilitation team members.
• Assesses inmate progress efforts toward re-socialization and compliance with recommended treatment plan.
• Prepares a variety of records, reports, and summary evaluations relative to inmate progress.
• Maintains files on clients/inmates which include appropriate supporting documentation, classification reports, social histories, progress notes, and counseling records.
• Serves on a variety of boards and committees such as the Multi-Disciplinary Team's classification committees and inmate grievance committees.
• Makes recommendations relative to appropriate classification level of inmates/clients based on assessment of behavioral/attitudinal changes and positive effort made toward self improvement and compliance with program/institutional requirements.
• Participates in case conferences regarding treatment alternatives of inmates/clients. Makes referrals to such resources as drug or alcohol treatment programs or educational programs.

Job Requirements

• At least three years experience providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders OR a Masters degree or higher in Behavioral/Social Science and at least one year experience providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders OR a Bachelors degree or higher and at least two years experience providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders.
• Three years experience in behavior management which includes understanding, explaining, describing and predicting behavior, studying the connection between behavior and its causes and identifying appropriate behavior modification strategies for individual situations.
• Three years experience in case management which includes assessing, planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating options and services to meet an individuals human service needs.
• Six months experience in providing rehabilitation services to adult offenders which includes evaluating progress in attainment of goals and adjusting treatment plans; analyzing social and criminal history; participating in interdisciplinary conferencing.
• Six months experience in interpreting laws, rules, regulations, standards, policies, and procedures.
• Six months experience in narrative report writing.
• Six months experience in using an automated information system to enter, update, modify, delete, retrieve/inquire and report on data.
• Knowledge of staff training.

Additional Posting Information

Candidates must successfully complete all phases of the Non-Security Basic Training Course to receive Hazardous Duty A1. This course is five-weeks in duration, and is administered by the Department of Correction at the Steven R. Floyd Sr. Training Academy. Coursework includes physical, classroom and hands-on training.

Conditions of Hire

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. The State of Delaware Executive Branch participates in the Federal E-Verify system where the State will provide the federal government with each new hires Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. For more information refer to our job seeker resources. This position is a classification organized under an exclusive bargaining representative (labor organization) that has been elected by employees as their representative for collective bargaining and other applicable terms and conditions of employment, in accordance with Title 29, Chapter 59 and Title 19, Chapter 13 and 16. This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement based on its individual terms. DOC(NSBT): For admission to the State of Delaware Department of Correction Academy applicants who are made a conditional offer of employment shall be required to successfully complete a criminal background check, pre- employment drug test and medical examination. The recruiting agency requires the applicant to pay for the medical examination as part of the conditional offer of hire. Upon a conditional offer, the applicant must undergo a pre- employment base line two step tuberculin skin test (TST) as part of the hiring process. All new hires are required to report to the Statewide New Employee Orientation (SNEO) on their first day of employment. Sessions are held at designated locations in Kent or New Castle County.

Benefits

To learn more about the comprehensive benefit package please visit our website at https://dhr.delaware.gov/benefits/

Accommodations

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process.

Individuals who use TDD may request auxiliary aid or service by calling [phone] or by visiting delawarerelay.com .

If you need assistance with an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or general applicant support, you may call [phone] or email [e-mail] .

The State of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage and seek out a workforce representative of Delaware including race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.