CORRECTIONS COUNSELOR 2 - ELY

About the role

The Nevada Department of Corrections is seeking to fill the Corrections Counselor 2 position at Ely State Prison (ESP) in Ely. Under direct supervision of the Corrections Counselor 3, the incumbent will provide mental health services to offenders in a correctional setting including interviews, behavioral planning and implementation, consultation, psycho-educational classes, research, and training.

Responsibilities

• Interview individuals to determine treatment, programming, or placement needs; make behavioral health recommendations; interpret and integrate data with interview findings and behavioral observations; discuss results with offenders or other authorized individuals; prepare written reports on offenders interviewed which include potential behavioral health needs.
• Participate as a member of the treatment team in staff meetings; share information and analyze treatment options; define, provide, and schedule appropriate care.
• Provide counseling services, relaxation training, relationship counseling, substance abuse counseling, and pain management counseling to facilitate recovery and maintain offender in the least restrictive environment possible.
• Provide crisis intervention by applying appropriate de-escalation techniques and principles in order to relieve the immediate problem; intervene with offenders who may be hostile, aggressive, combative or assaultive; follow established protocol in order to protect offenders, staff, and others who may be at risk; form a crisis debriefing team of mental health and security professionals and debrief staff involved in emergency situations to alleviate emotional concerns.
• Consult and train staff regarding current policies and procedures to comply with statutory and ethical requirements and current scientific developments in areas relevant to agency services.
• Participate in planning, developing and coordinating program services to meet the needs of the population served; participate in committees and facility activities in developing policies and procedures; and participate in quality review programs.
• In a correctional setting, participate on the Unit Management Team to deliver services to offenders within their units.
• Document activities in regular written reports and on charts to comply with legal requirements and maintain adequate records; prepare information and documentation necessary for billing and recommend third party payments as appropriate.
• Conduct research and evaluation studies, for data collection and statistical purposes, to enhance services provided which may include interviews, offender characteristics, prediction of positive treatment outcomes, or prediction of recidivism or violence of an individual offender.

Requirements

This position requires a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in clinical psychology, psychology, counseling, education, social work, or closely related field and two years of post-Master's degree experience providing therapy, psychological testing and programmatic services in a correctional, rehabilitative, clinic or institutional setting; OR a Doctoral degree from an accredited college or university in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, educational psychology, social work, or closely related field which included a one-year internship in an applied program in a correctional, law enforcement, rehabilitative, clinic or institutional setting; OR a Doctoral degree (Psy.D.) in clinical psychology from an accredited school of professional psychology, and a one-year internship in an applied program as described above; OR two years of experience as a Corrections Counselor I in Nevada State service.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of theories and principles of counseling;
• Symptoms, characteristics, and treatment of neurological impairment, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders;
• Laws governing abuse and neglect of clients/offenders;
• Ethical standards of care and treatment;
• Verbal communication skills sufficient to confer with colleagues, clients/offenders, and others.

Skills

Ability to:

• Develop and maintain effective and cooperative working relationships with co-workers, medical and health professionals, social service agency representatives and others;
• Write comprehensive evaluations, reports and recommendations;
• Observe and detect signs and symptoms of psychological disorders.

Benefits

Health Insurance: Medical, dental, life, and disability insurance programs for employees and their dependents/family are offered through the Public Employees’ Benefits Program (PEBP).

Vacation: Accrual of three weeks of annual leave each year.

Sick Leave: Accrual of three weeks of sick leave each year.

Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year.

Retirement: Participation in the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System (PERS).

Employees do not contribute to Social Security but will contribute to PERS if their position is at 50% or more full-time equivalency.

Deferred Compensation: The State offers a voluntary Deferred Compensation Program.

No Nevada state income tax.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Eligible due to public sector employment.

Longevity Payments Eligibility: Employees who have received a performance rating of “standard” or better and have completed eight (8) or more years of continuous service are eligible for longevity pay.

Additional benefits may apply to employees covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), depending on their designated bargaining unit.

For more information, visit the Labor Relations Unit (LRU).

For more details about your rights and responsibilities as a State of Nevada employee, please review the State of Nevada Employee Handbook (PDF).

State Holidays:

• January 1.............................................. New Year's Day
• Third Monday in January.................. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
• Third Monday in February................ Washington’s Birthday
• Last Monday in May........................... Memorial Day
• June 19................................................ Juneteenth Day
• July 4.................................................... Independence Day
• Last Monday in September.............. Labor Day
• Friday following the Fourth Thursday in November...................... Family Day
• December 25........................................ Christmas Day

When January 1, June 19, July 4, November 11, or December 25 falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the observed legal holiday.

If these days fall on Sunday, the following Monday is the observed holiday.

Eligibility for holiday pay is covered by the provisions of NAC 284.255.