Professional Counselor (40 Hour) #260813-6355FP-001

We are seeking a highly motivated Professional Counselor to join the team at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, CT.

About the role

This is a full-time, second shift position (40 hours per week), scheduled Monday through Friday between 2:00 pm and 10:00 pm, with rotating weekends and holidays. This is a Hazardous Duty Position offering a pension plan through the State Employees Retirement System Tier IV.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor within the correctional setting, you will provide a range of clinical and case management functions to individuals in the custody of the Department of Correction. You will work within a dynamic, multidisciplinary team including social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, APRNs, medical personnel, and custody staff, all focused on delivering high-quality, service-oriented care.

• Conduct intake assessments, individual psychotherapy, and group therapy
• Provide crisis management and suicide risk assessments
• Deliver case management services and other clinical activities
• Engage in collaborative discharge planning with external support services and research-driven programming

About us

The Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) is a diverse agency responsible for corrections in Connecticut, operating 13 correctional facilities with a mission to protect public safety by ensuring offenders serve their sentences in safe, humane facilities that provide re-entry programming. The DOC supervises all sentenced and unsentenced offenders, including those on parole and community release programs.

The Garner Correctional Institution is a level 4 high-security facility that incarcerates both pretrial and sentenced offenders with significant mental health needs. The facility uses a progressive mental health treatment approach, including individualized treatment plans, extensive programming, and therapy in both group and one-on-one settings. Staff operate through an integrated team approach to ensure continuity of custody, care, treatment, and control.

Responsibilities

• Provide case management, needs assessment, and supportive counseling to address client strengths, weaknesses, and needs
• Develop, implement, and maintain individualized treatment and rehabilitation plans
• Work with treatment teams to assist patients in achieving social and emotional stability
• Conduct psychosocial assessments through clinical interviews
• Deliver clinical treatment services, including triage, crisis intervention, individual and/or group counseling, screening, and planning
• Utilize community services and facilities to assist clients in meeting identified needs
• Interpret and synthesize client information, professional observations, and evaluation reports to form professional judgments about services
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of treatment plans and document treatment in clinical records
• Complete reports in accordance with agency and accrediting bodies
• Consult and collaborate with other behavioral health providers to improve service delivery
• Maintain counseling treatment and standards as required

Requirements

• Licensure as a professional counselor in the State of Connecticut
• Knowledge of principles, methodology, casework, and techniques of counseling, interviewing, and psychosocial assessment
• Understanding of family and interpersonal relationship dynamics, values, sanctions, purposes, and ethics of professional counseling work
• Familiarity with community resources
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills
• Ability to devise and implement treatment plans with measurable goals that address client needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with correctional or forensic behavioral health treatment
• Experience with crisis intervention
• Experience with behavior management
• Experience with individual and group psychotherapy
• Experience with criminal justice-involved adults

Special Requirements

• Must possess and retain a license to practice professional counseling in Connecticut pursuant to Sec. 20-195 (aa-jj) of the Connecticut General Statutes
• Certain positions may require knowledge of sign language and communication ability with the deaf and hearing impaired
• Certain positions may require ability in Spanish oral and written communication

Benefits

• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness after 10 years of service
• Professional growth and development opportunities
• Healthy work/life balance initiatives
• Pension plan through the State Employees Retirement System Tier IV (Hazardous Duty Position)

Schedule

Full-time, second shift (40 hours per week), scheduled Monday through Friday between 2:00 pm and 10:00 pm, with rotating weekends and holidays.