Emergency Services Probation Counselor (Probation Counselor III)

About the role

This position provides emergency coverage when a vacancy occurs in the probation, intake, and residential services divisions of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. It includes Domestic Relations, Community Corrections, Juvenile Intake, Juvenile Probation/Parole field units, and residential programs.

Responsibilities

• Serve as supervisor for Probation Counselor I, Probation Counselor II and/or Administrative Assistant positions;
• Actively participates in the selection, orientation, training and performance management process which includes evaluating performance, identifying goals and objectives, recognizing staff achievements, and coaching staff in overcoming performance or skill deficiencies;
• Determines and coordinates appropriate assessments, including family evaluation, alcohol and drug assessments, mental health assessments, and sex offender assessments;
• Convenes an interdisciplinary/inter-agency team to collaboratively plan, deliver and monitor multiple services;
• Makes an intake disposition, including decisions such as informal handling, rejection of a case on a jurisdictional basis, referral to other agencies or setting the case on the docket for a court hearing;
• Makes program admission and release decisions;
• Examines and evaluates the individual circumstances of each case referral;
• Ensures that subordinates adhere to agency operating procedures and standards adopted by the Code of Virginia and Virginia State Department of Juvenile Justice;
• Serves as a resource, trainer and policy expert for professional staff in providing appropriate custody and care, and ensuring the safety and welfare of juvenile or adult offenders or defendants;
• Evaluates effectiveness of methods and procedures and recommends changes;
• Participates in the development of policy and procedures;
• Manages the grant funded treatment contract with service providers;
• Maintains liaison with State and local law enforcement agencies;
• Interprets policies and regulations for clients;
• Works with other Counselors in the disposition of cases assigned;
• Composes and dictates case records, petitions and correspondence;
• Supervised Visitation and Exchange Program
• Enforces court orders and conditions of supervised visitation and exchanges as required and ensures overall quality of the supervised visitation/supervised exchange program;
• Mediation Coordinator
• Coordinates and implements mediation programs, assigns mediators and monitors quality of the programs;
• Residential Services
• Manages the daily operation of an assigned wing of a residential facility;
• Makes final decision regarding care or treatment of residents that can be resolved at the shift level, deferring to higher level management as needed;
• Oversees and administers routine medication disbursement for residents;
• Handles crisis situations to include medical, mental health and behavioral crises as necessary;
• May be required to drive 15-passenger van for educational and recreational trips:
• Police Department, Victim Services Section
• Provides assistance in administrative oversight to the unit;
• Monitor funding grants;
• Responsible for short term responsibilities and projects that might normally be handled by upper management;
• Will perform supervisory functions in the absence of the Director;
• Serves as the point of contact for all victim service internal and external training for the department;
• Identifies appropriate training for victim services specialist;
• ASAP Case Management Services
• Maintains a caseload of court referred and volunteer clients who have been charged/convicted of impaired driving offenses and first time drug offenders;
• Interviews clients during intake process and assign appropriate program classification;
• Writes intake summary on each client interviewed and writes and prepares reports to the courts, clients and treatment providers;
• Conducts case management duties to include monitoring of ignition interlock;
• Makes referrals as needed;
• Testifies in court on non-compliant cases, make appropriate recommendations when requested by the judge;
• Administers alcohol breath tests to clients;
• Performs supervisory duties as assigned including supervising subordinate personnel, special projects, ancillary programs (which may include Victim Impact and other programs);
• Serves as probation supervisor when that person is unavailable;
• Supervises the intake process and handles calls and emergency situations as they arise;
• Provides training and monitoring of staff as required with regard to intake and case management.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in social/behavioral sciences, law enforcement, or education;
• Two years of professional experience in probation work. For positions in the Police Department only, two years of sworn law enforcement supervision may be substituted for the two years of professional experience in probation work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in sociology, criminology, psychology, social work, criminal justice, or a related field is preferred;
• Experience in case management, service plans, and risk assessments;
• Experience working in a residential facility;
• Proficient in evidence-based practices, such as EPICS and Motivational Interviewing;
• Experience writing court reports and/or documents;
• Experience testifying in court.

Physical Requirements

• Duties require the ability to access clients' homes and other locations (ie. work sites) as necessary to conduct background interviews and supervision meetings.
• Visual and auditory acuity is required to read computer monitor; incumbent must be able to operate keyboard driven equipment.
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle.