Professional Counselor (40 Hour)

IntroductionThe State of Connecticut, Department of Correction (DOC) is seeking to fill a position for a highly motivated Professional Counselor at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, CT. WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOUVisit our NEWState Employee Benefits Overview page!The State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Click here for more information;Professional growth and development opportunities;A healthy work/life balance for all employees!POSITION HIGHLIGHTSThis position is full-time, following a second shift schedule, 40 hours a week, scheduled Monday - Friday between 2:00 pm and 10:00 pm, with rotating weekends and holidays.This is a Hazardous Duty Position and offers a pension plan - the State Employees Retirement System Tier IV.Licensed Professional Counselors within the correctional setting provide a range of clinical and case management functions to those entering the custody of the Department of Correction.Professional Counselors at the Garner Correctional Institution work within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team comprised of social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists and APRNs, as well as medical personnel and custody staff, all sharing the common goal of providing high quality, service-oriented care. In this position you will also discover the opportunity to: Work within a clinically rich setting;Provide intake assessments, individual psychotherapy and group therapy, crisis management, suicide risk assessment, case management services and other clinical activities; ansEngage in collaborative discharge planning with external support services and research driven programming. NOTE: Additional opportunities to engage in collaborative discharge planning with external support services and research driven programming, are also encouraged and available.ABOUT US The Connecticut Department of Correction is a diverse agency with a wide variety of employees from Correction Officers, to Educators, to Managers and Skilled Professionals. We value differences that make us stronger as a team and support our mission statement. The Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) is the agency responsible for corrections in the U.S. state of Connecticut. The agency operates 13 correctional facilities. It has its headquarters in Wethersfield. The DOC protects public safety by ensuring offenders serve their sentences of imprisonments in facilities that are safe, human, and provide re-entry programming.The State of Connecticut, Department of Correction is a unified system; all sentenced and un-sentenced offenders are supervised by the DOC. The Department also provides supervision for offenders on parole, community release, and other discretionary release programs. The DOC shall strive to be a global leader in progressive correctional practices and partnered re-entry initiatives to support responsive evidence-based practices aligned to law-abiding and accountable behaviors. Safety and security shall be a priority component of this responsibility as it pertains to staff, victims, citizens and offenders.OUR FACILITYThe Garner Correctional Institution incarcerates both pretrial and sentenced offenders. Through proven programmatic innovation and intervention, the Garner Correctional Institution provides positive alternatives for inmates to assist in their successful reintegration into the community as productive members of society.Under the administration of then Commissioner Theresa C. Lantz, care and treatment for adult male offenders with significant mental health issues throughout the Department of Correction were consolidated at this level 4 high-security facility.Based upon their mental health needs, offenders from throughout the system, both pretrial and sentenced, are assigned here. The facility's staff utilizes a highly progressive mental health treatment approach. Individualized treatment plans, based upon an offender's level of functionality include extensive programming and therapy, in a group and one on one setting. The staff at the facility, both custody and mental health, operate through an integrated team approach which insures a continuity of custody, care, treatment and control.The program is designed to return as many of these offenders as is possible to the ability to function in either a general population prison setting or ultimately to life in the community. For an inside look at what it's like to work as an employee for the State of Connecticut, please watch the video below! Selection PlanFOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING: Check out our Applicant Tips on How to Apply! Need more resources? Visit our Applicant Toolkit for additional support throughout the recruitment process. BEFORE YOU APPLY: Meet Minimum Qualifications: Ensure you meet the Minimum Qualifications listed on the job opening by the job closing date. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements listed must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. Educational Credits: List your earned credits and degrees from accredited institutions accurately on your application. To receive educational credits towards qualification, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the contact listed below.Resume Policy: Per Public Act 21-69, resumes are not accepted during the initial application process. As the recruitment process progresses, candidates may be required to submit additional documentation to support their qualification(s) for this position. This documentation may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the request and discretion of the hiring agency. Preferred Shift/Location: Select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift. Timely Submission: All application materials must be received by the job posting deadline. You will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application to the State. Late submissions are rarely accepted, with exceptions only for documented events that incapacitate individuals during the entire duration of the job posting. Request exceptions by emailing View email address on click.appcast.io. Salary Calculations: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other. Note: The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.AFTER YOU APPLY: Some email providers may experience delays or issues delivering messages. To avoid missing important updates—such as referral questionnaires or interview scheduling links—please check your Personal Status Board regularly. For added convenience, you can also enable text (SMS) notifications. To do this, log in to your Personal Status Board and select “Update My Contact Information.” Referral Questions: This posting may require completion of additional Referral Questions (RQs), which must be completed by the questionnaire’s expiration date. If requested, RQs can be accessed via an email sent to you after the job close date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Prepare For An Interview: Interviews are limited to those whose experience and training are most aligned with the role. To prepare, review this helpful Interview Preparation Guide to make the best impression! Stay connected! Log in daily to your JobAps Personal Status Board to track your status and check email (including spam/junk folders) for updates and tasks. The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class. Note: This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State employees, available at .This employer may participate in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I9 information to confirm work authorization. QUESTIONS? WE’RE HERE TO HELP: Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Alejandro G. Dávila-Hurtado at View email address on click.appcast.io the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK) In a state agency behavioral health program as part of a multi-disciplinary team at one or more locations this class is accountable for independently providing clinical counseling services. EXAMPLES OF DUTIESAs a member of a multi-disciplinary clinical team or within a network of community based behavioral health services, provides case management, needs assessment and supportive counseling in addressing client strengths, weaknesses and needs; Develops, implements and maintains individualized treatment and rehabilitation plans for clients; Works with treatment teams to assist individual patients in achieving social and emotional stability; Develops psychosocial assessments through clinical interviews; Provides clinical treatment services such as: triage, crisis intervention, individual and/or group counseling, screening and planning; Makes use of available community services and facilities to assist clients in meeting identified needs; Interprets and synthesizes client information, professional observations and evaluation reports in order to form professional judgments about services; Monitors and evaluates effectiveness of treatment plans, documents treatment in clinical records; Completes reports in accordance with agency and accrediting bodies; Consults and collaborates with other behavioral health providers to improve delivery of services to clients; Maintains counseling treatment and standards as required; Performs related duties as required.KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITYKnowledge of principles, methodology, casework and techniques of counseling, interviewing and psychosocial assessment; family and interpersonal relationship dynamics; values, sanctions, purposes and ethics of professional counseling work; community resources; Considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; Ability to devise and implement a treatment plan with measurable goals that address client needs.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE Licensure as a professional counselor in the State of Connecticut. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSExperience with Correctional or Forensic Behavioral health treatment;Experience with crisis intervention;Experience with behavior management;Experience with individual and group psychotherapy; andExperience with criminal justice involved adults.SPECIAL REQUIREMENTSIncumbents in this class must possess and retain a license to practice professional counselor work pursuant to Sec. 20-195 (aa-jj) of the Connecticut General Statutes.Incumbents in this class may be required to have knowledge of sign language and communication ability with the deaf and hearing impaired in certain designated positions.Incumbents in this class may be required to have ability in Spanish oral and written communication in certain designated positions.Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.WORKING CONDITIONS Incumbents in this class may be exposed to some risk of injury from assaultive and/or abusive clients. ConclusionAN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERThe State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility. Location Newtown, CT Date Opened

8/20/2026 11:37:00 AM

Salary $90,629 - $122,474/year Job Type Open to the Public Close Date

9/3/2026 11:59:00 PM