Family Court Counselor

Family Court Counselor

San Diego Superior Court is seeking additional qualified candidates for the position of Family Court Counselor. Candidates who previously applied under Exam No. 22-023 and qualified to be on the eligible list do NOT need to reapply. The ability to speak Spanish is highly desirable. The eligible list may be used to fill Family Court Counselor vacancies in all court locations as they occur, for both bilingual and non-bilingual positions. Upon successful completion of training, incumbent(s) may be assigned to any of the Family Court Services locations based on the needs of the court:

• Central Courthouse, 1100 Union Street, San Diego CA
• North County Regional Center, 325 South Melrose Drive, Vista CA
• East County Regional Center, 250 East Main Street, El Cajon CA
• South County Regional Center, 500 Third Avenue, Chula Vista CA

A Family Court Counselor evaluates and makes recommendations regarding disputed child custody, visitation and guardianship matters. Typical duties may include but are not limited to: investigating and determining facts and conditions regarding issues of domestic violence and child and substance abuse; making collateral contacts; interviewing parties; making community referrals; presenting recommendations orally and in writing; testifying in court; conducting child custody recommending counseling conferences; drafting stipulated settlement agreements; preparing and maintaining case files, court reports and statistical records.

The IDEAL CANDIDATE should have the following:

KNOWLEDGE OF: Principles and practices of mental health; adult psychopathology; psychological and socioeconomics of the family unit; characteristics and signs of abuse, domestic violence and substance abuse; clinical issues relating to family dysfunction and child development; laws related to visitation, custody and parental rights; child custody recommending counseling, negotiation and individual/group counseling practices and techniques; governmental and private community resources and referral agencies.

ABILITY TO: Reach logical conclusions based on the evaluation of facts and conflicting information; establish rapport and effective working relationships with clients, some of whom may be emotional or uncooperative; conduct interviews in a non-confrontational manner; communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; prepare concise reports and records; prioritize work and manage time effectively; exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in psychology, social work, marriage/family/child counseling, or other behavioral science closely related to marriage and family interpersonal relationships; AND At least two (2) years of full-time, increasingly responsible, professional, post-graduate-degree counseling or psychotherapy experience in a setting related to the areas of responsibility of the court (e.g., dispute resolution, child protective services). Allowable Substitutions:

• Additional qualifying experience may be applied towards completion of one (1) year of the education requirement based upon a two-year Master's program, which included supervised field placement.
• Possession of a Ph.D. in a directly related field may substitute for one (1) year of the required work experience.

HOW TO APPLY: An online San Diego Superior Court application is required. Please visit the court's website at From the General Info tab, click on Employment. At the Job Opportunities page, click on the position that you are interested in and then click on the Apply button. New users of the NEOGOV/GovernmentJobs online application system will need to set up a job applicant user account.

FILING DEADLINE: Online applications will be accepted on a continuous basis until vacancy is filled.