LOCATION OF (5) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION, LOIS M. DEBERRY SPECIAL NEEDS FACILITY, DAVIDSON COUNTY
A criminal background check and drug screening will be required prior to employment.
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This is an on-site position.
Qualifications
Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and three (3) years of full-time increasingly responsible professional social or psychological counseling work.
Substitution of Education for Experience: Additional graduate coursework in a social or behavioral science may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two (2) years.
Substitution of Experience for Education: Full-time social or psychological counseling experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis to a maximum of two (2) years; requiring two years of study at an accredited college or university.
OR
Three (3) years as a Correctional Counselor with the Tennessee Department of Correction.
Necessary Special Qualifications:
A valid vehicle operator's license may be required for employment in some positions.
Examination Method: Experience and Education, 100%, for Preferred Service positions.
Summary
Summary: Under general supervision, performs correctional counseling work of considerable difficulty.
Distinguishing Features: This is the first supervisory class in the Correctional Counselor sub-series. An employee in this class is responsible for supervising subordinates in counseling adult and juvenile offenders. Certain assignments with no supervision may be included in this class when the work assignment requires program oversight. This class differs from the Correctional Counselor 2* in that an incumbent of the latter is not responsible for supervisory or lead work. This class differs from the Chief Correctional Counselor in that an incumbent of the latter is responsible for program management and oversight of the entire counseling program at a facility.
Responsibilities
Processing Information:
Calculates sentencing information to determine accuracy of an offender's sentence computation.
Verifies that offender sentencing complies with judgment order.
Reviews sentence calculations computed by subordinate counseling staff.
Completes initial intake packages and/or risk-need assessment for offenders.
Reviews intake packages and risk-need assessments compiled by subordinate counseling staff.
Prepares, records, and reports on offender history, progress, adjustments, rule violations, recommendations for special visits, and other related statistics.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:
Reviews offender files for various institutional needs.
Acts as a board chair during, and participates in, classification and reclassification hearings to review information relevant to offender behavior, program participation, and other factors to determine offender custody levels and programmatic needs and goals.
Supervises a case load of up to 165 offenders in an institutional setting.
Monitors environment to identify security related concerns in order to assure continued safety of the institution.
Monitors offenders to ensure compliance with recommendations and parole board mandates.
Monitors subordinate counseling staff in completion of workload assignments.
Getting Information:
Administers risk-need assessment to offenders using motivational interviewing techniques.
Conducts Prison Rape Elimination Act screenings to determine victim or aggressor status.
Gathers information relevant to offender history from appropriate agencies and personnel.
Interviews offenders to evaluate progress in accomplishing recommendations and parole board mandates.
Thinking Creatively:
Delivers curriculum using various teaching modalities to accommodate offender learning styles.
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates:
Develops performance standards and SMART goals for assigned subordinates.
Provides performance feedback to subordinate staff.
Training and Teaching Others:
Provides classroom instruction to offenders in a variety of areas, including but not limited to: pro-social life skills, anger management, job readiness, cognitive restructuring, consumer education, and stress management.
Prepares curriculum accurately for groups.
Presents materials clearly and accurately.
Coaching and Developing Others:
Develops workshops for offender reentry and career development.
Facilitates workshops for offender reentry and career development.
Observes staff performance and provides feedback and coaching on accomplishment of goals and performance standards.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:
Builds and maintains relationships with community-based resources that will assist in offender reentry.
Interacting with Computers:
Enters or retrieves information concerning offenders using computerized databases daily.
Uses web-based programs to communicate with persons inside and outside of the agency concerning offender needs.
Uses various computer programs to compile data for weekly reporting.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:
Evaluates all offender records, case notes, and other information to ensure compliance with all applicable standards, laws, policies, rules, and regulations.
Compiles documentation to demonstrate compliance with applicable standards, laws, policies, rules, and regulations.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:
Attends various mandated training to enhance job skills and performance.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization:
Assists offenders with communicating with persons or agencies outside of the institution to expedite release plans or respond to emergencies.
Contacts and counsels with offender family members concerning release.
Selling or Influencing Others:
Uses motivational interactions with offenders to realign offender behaviors, thinking, and reactions to conform to facility rules and societal norms.
Developing Objectives and Strategies:
Develops reentry plans for offenders within established time frames and in accordance with departmental policies.
Provides counseling specific to the needs of a reentry caseload.
Counsels offenders concerning risk of reoffending.
Provides information to offenders in regards to community resources and methods of finding and keeping employment and improving family relationships.
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others:
Provides appropriate interventions in interactions between staff and offenders to resolves issues of conflict.
Thoroughly investigates conflicts and complaints according to established timeframes and procedures.
Provides information to a review board with other counselors and security staff regarding offenders' segregation status.
Assisting and Caring for Others:
Collaborates with medical professionals to provide information to offenders regarding advanced directives.
Leads individualized or group counseling sessions to assist offenders with adjustment to incarceration.
Counsels offenders regarding personal and family issues as needed.
Addresses offender mental health and medical needs with appropriate staff.
Provides counseling in order to modify offenders' behavior and attitudes, reduces negative behaviors, and help offender adjust to the correctional environment.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events:
Identifies issues with offender behavior in order to identify appropriate intervention techniques.
Identifies offender movement to ensure caseload accuracy.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems:
Acts as lead in making decisions and solving problems related to offender programming and behaviors in the assigned work area.
Assists offenders in addressing their concerns regarding job pay, trust fund, sentence information, and educational needs and programs.
Scheduling Work and Activities:
Schedules outside services to assist with offender transition from prison to the community.
Assigns case load to assigned team members or subordinate counselors.
Analyzing Data or Information:
Analyzes disciplinary reports to determine offender behavior trends.
Documenting and Recording Information:
Records risk-needs assessment interviews for quality assurance.
Documents referrals made to offenders regarding outside services.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:
Communicates with other counseling personnel to share knowledge of counseling responsibilities.
Communicates with various institutional personnel to meet offender needs.
Provides information in treatment team meetings to other team members regarding offenders' progress in programming.
Facilitates treatment team meetings regarding offenders' progress based on offender risk-needs assessment.
Competencies
Competencies:
Integrity and Trust
Decision Quality
Patience
Written Communications
Listening
Confronting Direct Reports
Time Management
Command Competencies
Directing Others
Composure
Knowledge:
Intermediate knowledge of clerical practices
Basic knowledge of administration and management
Intermediate knowledge of computers with regards to web-based databases, word processing software, email systems, and data entry
Customer and personal service
Basic knowledge of education and training
Basic knowledge of law and government
Basic knowledge of mathematics
Basic knowledge of psychology with regards to human behavior, performance, individual differences in ability, personality and interests, and learning and motivation
Public safety and security
Basic knowledge of sociology with regards to group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences
Intermediate knowledge of counseling as it pertains to offenders
Skills:
Active learning
Active listening
Critical thinking
Intermediate learning strategies
Basic math
Basic monitoring
Intermediate reading comprehension
Advanced speaking
Advanced writing with regards to reports
Coordination as it relates to offender behavior
Intermediate instructing
Intermediate negotiation
Basic Persuasion
Service orientation
Social Perceptiveness
Judgment and decision making
Management of personnel resources
Time management
Abilities:
Intermediate deductive reasoning
Fluency of ideas
Inductive reasoning
Information ordering as it relates to determining behavior trends
Oral comprehension
Oral expression
Originality
Problem sensitivity
Selective attention
Time sharing
Written comprehension
Written expression
Auditory attention
Speech clarity
Speech recognition
Tools & Equipment
Personal Computer
Printer
Word Processing Software
Electronic/Paper Documents
Multi-line Telephone
Calculator
Copy Machine
Fax Machine
Digital Recorder
2-Way Radio
Keys
Lamination Machine
Calendar/Planner
Files
Shredder
Lamination Machine
Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.