Description
The Counselor serves as a vital member of the Sheriff's Office team, providing direct, face-to-face counseling and support services to individuals in custody. This role is primarily conducted within inmate housing units and other secure areas, not behind a desk or computer screen. The Counselor spends the majority of their time engaging in-person with inmates, building rapport, assessing needs, and delivering interventions in real time within the correctional environment.
The position's schedule spans Monday through Saturday, with assigned work hours set according to the operational needs of the department.
A Correctional Counselor III provides crisis intervention and short-term counseling to inmates. Counselors provide psycho-educational groups, including cognitive behavioral based programs, to inmates. They work in collaboration with security and medical staff concerning inmate related problems. Counselors conduct suicide assessment and mental health screening for inmates with follow up supervision. Counselors provide diagnostic mental health evaluations of inmates to determine mental health needs. Counselors complete assessment for emergency commitment (M-1) and prepares appropriate documentation upon the release of an inmate.
Requirements
Required Education
Master's Degree in counseling, social work, clinical psychology, or related field.
Experience Qualifications
1 year experience in counseling, specifically in the mental health field working with a variety of diagnoses, and facilitation of psychoeducational groups
Skills and Abilities
Must have the ability to read, write, and speak English.
Basic math skills, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals; and the ability to count, sort, and categorize inventory items.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of variables, in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Ability to operate telephones, computer terminal, keyboard, photocopier, and printer/scanning instrumentation.
Candidate must pass criminal background check prior to employment start date.
Licenses and Certifications
LPC-Licensed Professional Counselor Must hold current license in Colorado as a Licensed Professional Counselor Required
LCSW- License Clinical Social Worker Licensed Clinical Social Worker Required
NCAC - National Certified Addictions Counselor Licensed Addictions Counselor or equivalent Required
Or hold a permit in Colorado as a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate or Clinical Social Worker Candidate or equivalent with eh ability to obtain a license within the first 2.5 years of employment. Required
Supervision hours are offered to assist in reaching licensure requirements. Required
The ability to speak and write a language other than English is a skill that enhances an employee’s ability to complete this job. The incidents that require the use of secondary language skill vary by day but are routinely frequent; it is expected that this skill will be used more than 11 times per month. The employee must be proficient in speaking and writing the second language to be eligible for the bilingual pay differential.
Background check (required).
Polygraph (required).
Pre-employment substance screening is required for this position.
This position is subject to a pre-employment drug screening. Employment is contingent upon successfully passing the screening in accordance with Weld County policy.
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