Juvenile Services Counselor

Job Description

Job Description

SALARY: $60,000 minimum, compensable on experience

SUMMARY: The purpose of this position is to provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning and well-being of juveniles and families. This is accomplished by providing counseling and education services to juveniles and families as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Provides counseling services for youth and families who are referred by the courts and Probation Officers to participate in a variety of educational, supportive or recovery-oriented programs.
• Conducts thorough substance abuse screening; intakes; orientation; bio-psychosocial assessments and screenings of potential clients. Initiates social services assessments; gathers social histories and other required treatment documentation.
• Facilitates group, individual and family counseling sessions; provides efficient comprehension of various counseling theories; maintains records for program participants; maintains responsibility for required documentation and confidentiality of client records.
• Counsels youth under the department's supervision, and their families, while juveniles are receiving inpatient services in residential placement settings.
• Coordinates Family Preservation services as needed for youth engaged in both outpatient and inpatient programming.
• Participates in the Community Resource Coordination Group (CRCG) staffings and serves as the Juvenile Services CRCG representative.

• Attends staff meetings as needed; attends placement visits with Probation Officer and conducts family sessions and home visits; maintains familiarity with community services for referrals or continuum of care; provides information and referral services; maintains client confidentiality; protects clients' rights.
• Formulates individual clinical plans/treatment plans for client services, which may include individual; family; group psychotherapy; delivery of evidence based on clinical strategies and crisis intervention.
• Develops discharge summaries and plans.
• Responsible for client case management; defines goals; special outcomes and time frames for individuals and family treatment plans; provides individual and family counseling relevant to work with target probationary period; assists families with meeting basic needs by linking families with community resources.
• Identifies and screens clients for groups; develops and implements evidence based curriculum; generates group documentation; facilitates parent education and support groups.
• Provides crisis intervention services; needs assessments; discusses situations and normalizes situations with families; defuses crisis situations.
• Completes required reports; manages programs and counseling budget; staffs cases with multi-disciplinary team; maintains timely and thorough case/client records; program statistics; maintains record of contact hours; conducts follow-up status calls; attends and documents continuing education units as required for licensing.
• Maintains timely progress notes in JCMS reflecting movement towards goals and objectives; provides monthly progress reports to Probation Officers.
• Presents information to the public and at colleges and at conferences.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY/BUDGET RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position has no supervisory responsibility or budget responsibility.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of principles of juvenile law; Texas Juvenile Justice Department standards; Texas Family Code; Code of Criminal Procedure, Education Code and Texas Penal Code.
• Knowledge of applicable State and Federal rules, codes and regulations and County policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of principles, techniques, procedures and trends related to juvenile probation case work; State laws, rules, regulations procedures and techniques involved in the preparation of case records and related documents.
• Ability to create legal, professional and technical correspondence; read legal documents and extract relevant information; plan, prioritize and carry out assignments with minimum supervision; demonstrate effective interpersonal relationships by assisting others in solving problems.
• Experience and willingness to provide hands-on, intensive, home-based services; strong interviewing and assessment skills.
• Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends; willingness to be on call 24/7 for emergency services.
• Must have respect for cultural differences and families rights to self-determination.
• Skills in explaining procedures and processes in a clear, concise and comprehensive manner to the public.
• Ability to prepare clear and comprehensive written and statistical reports; establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with attorneys, law enforcement agencies and the public.

• Ability to assess and prioritize multiple tasks, projects and demands.
• Intermediate to advanced proficiency level utilizing Microsoft Office applications including Excel; Word and Outlook; JCMS software; Noble; and the ability to operate other standard office equipment, telephones, calculators, fax machines, and security cameras and software.
• Self-disciplined and self-motivated to work alone and with others.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be 21 years of age (licensing requirement).
• Master's degree in mental health, social work or other related fields of study from an accredited university.
• Licenses or registration issued by an appropriate Texas State Board to conduct counseling / substance abuse treatment, and LMSW, LCSW or LPC , LPCI for counseling and mental health.
• Valid Texas Driver's License.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Position is located in an office environment with occasional exposure to outdoor environmental conditions. Health and safety hazards are minimal. No protective equipment is required. Vision, hearing, and are constantly required. Occasionally, standing, walking and carrying are required.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Must successfully complete a pre-employment drug screen.
• Must successfully complete a background investigation.