Specialty Court Counselor (Adult Probation)

Specialty Court Counselor I/II

The Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (CSCD) is one of the largest probation departments in the United States, supervising more than 70,000 individuals and employing over 600 staff members across 6 locations. We provide a wide range of services including community supervision, outpatient counseling, cognitive-behavioral programming, and residential treatment, designed to strengthen our clients' abilities and support their long-term success. With a focus on utilizing evidence-based practices, we aim to improve outcomes and reduce recidivism for all clients under supervision.

The Specialty Court Counselor I/II provides clinical services for Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department. The Specialty Court Counselor will provide services to criminal justice involved individuals including completion of intake assessments, treatment planning, progress reports, treatment plan reviews, and discharge summaries. The Specialty Court Counselor will also complete concise and timely documentation of all clinically related duties and work with the Specialty Court interdisciplinary treatment team to ensure client needs are addressed.

Schedule hours will range between 8:00 AM- 9:00 PM. The Specialty Court Counselor will be required to work until 9:00 PM a minimum of two (2) days a week.

Essential Functions:

• Attend weekly or bi-weekly staffing meetings with CSCD court team (CSOs, Program Manager, CSO Supervisor, Counselor Supervisor, etc.).
• Regularly collaborate and communicate with CSOs between scheduled CSCD staffings and/or Court when the need arises.
• Attend Court staffings for assigned dockets/courts.
• Attend Court reviews with clients present for assigned dockets/courts.
• Provide interdisciplinary Court team with appropriate treatment recommendations.
• Complete assessments of clients completed with substance abuse treatment but still actively in STAR Drug Court or SOBER Court as requested by Judge and provide court team with treatment recommendation.
• Conducts individual and group counseling sessions with clients.
• Provides services to clients with diverse criminal backgrounds.
• Communicates key information and regularly collaborates with Community Supervision Officers.
• Tracks compliance with drug and alcohol testing and provide evidence-based interventions for substance use treatment
• Participates in staffing cases with supervisors, peers, Community Supervision Officers, and the courts.
• Ensures accurate and timely entries in the electronic case management systems.
• Monitors and adheres to deadlines to ensure completeness, accuracy and compliance with policy, grant standards, funding and licensure requirements, special conditions of community supervision, and Community Justice Assistance Division (CJAD) general and substance abuse standards.
• Maintains professional and effective communication, including email correspondence, with judges, attorneys, prosecutors, court personnel, law enforcement officially, CSCD personnel, victims, and community members.
• Participates in clinical and interdisciplinary staffing.
• Participate in team, unit and departmental meetings.
• Travel to Court, other HCCSCD locations or off-site locations for meetings, training, group coverage, etc. is required as needed.
• Testify in a court setting.
• Operates office equipment, computers, phones, telecommunication devices and other necessary required tools.

Qualifications:

Education and Licensure:

• Must possess a Master's degree in a psychological, counseling or social work field.
• At minimum possess licensure as an LPC-Associate, LMSW, or LMFT-Associate at the start of employment. Will provide clinical supervision as needed. Should clinical supervision be provided, then the applicant is required to remain in this position for the equivalent amount of time clinical supervision was provided.
• Preferred: LPC's, LCSW's, and LMFT's
• Must become Texas Risk Assessment System (TRAS) certified and maintain certification within the first two attempts. Failure to pass the certification may result in termination of employment.
• Meet the minimum requirements for access to Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) information
• Must have a valid Texas Class C Automobile Operator's License or Texas Identification Card

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt.

Work Schedule: Five days per week

Schedule hours will range between: 8:00 AM- 9:00 PM

The Specialty Court Counselor will be required to work until 9pm a minimum of two days a week.

Flexibility in work schedule is required and determined by program needs.

Work overtime as required.