Psychological Services Specialist, DOC - SCI Pine Grove

Description of Work

This position supports the mental health needs of inmates by providing counseling, evaluations, and guidance within SCI Pine Grove. As a Psychological Services Specialist, you will perform the following duties:

• Group Services: Provide group therapy to address inmate adjustment challenges, emotional needs, and skill development.
• Individual Services: Provide individual counseling to support inmates who present significant emotional disorders and agree to treatment.
• Inmate Evaluations: Conduct interviews; administer, score, and interpret psychological tests; prepare initial reports; and refer or recommend referral of inmates to higher-level specialist support or testing if needed.
• Reports and Planning: Prepare initial reports of inmate test results, capabilities, and academic achievement; prepare behavior modification plans and case formulations recommending therapy or counseling interventions.
• Service Coordination: Work with internal departments, outside agencies, and other state facilities to coordinate direct mental health services during and at release from incarceration.
• Departmental Teamwork: Assist with research studies, guide student interns, help provide crisis intervention, and serve as a member of various institutional committees.

Work Schedule and Additional Information

Full-time employment, 37.5 hours per week. Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 30-minute lunch. This position is eligible for full retirement benefits at age 50 or 55. Telework: You will not have the option to telework in this position.

Salary

Selected candidates who are new to employment within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will begin employment at the starting annual salary of $69,086.00 (before taxes). Additional pay will be considered for those who currently possess or obtain licensure as a Social Worker, Clinical Social Worker, or Professional Counselor issued by the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapist and Professional Counselors. Documentation will need to be provided at interview to receive additional pay consideration.

Required Experience, Training & Eligibility

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements: A master’s degree in psychology or a closely related field that includes fifteen graduate level credits in psychology or counseling. Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within three months of graduating with a qualifying degree.

• Other Requirements: Successful completion of basic training in Elizabethtown, PA is required. You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Legal Requirements

You must pass a background investigation and meet Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliance requirements.

How to Apply

Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).

Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted. Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

All application materials and interview responses must reflect the applicant’s own experience, qualifications, and work. Applicants may use generative AI tools for preparation purposes only. Use of AI to misrepresent or falsify information, or to assist during interviews, is not permitted. Review the Guidance for Generative AI Tools & Job Seekers for additional information.

Veterans: Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S.7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

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