Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Instructs and assists with in-service training programs; integrates casework services with activities of other disciplines represented on a clinic team in a diagnostic center; provides casework services to select inmates and serves as treatment consultant to the custodial staff in lock-up units; checks the compilation of case records to determine that policies and appropriate procedures are followed; follows up on specific classification recommendations; assists in the development of effective casework procedures; coordinates the work of the Department of Corrections and that of the law enforcement agencies and interested public and private agencies; performs special assignments and studies; conducts or directs individual and group psychotherapy and counseling sessions; consults with custodial, educational, and care and treatment staffs; makes recommendations to the Board of Prison Terms for parole and retention of inmates; performs peace officer duties which include maintaining order and supervising the conduct of inmates, maintaining the safety of public, staff, inmates and property while enforcing state and Federal laws, rules, and regulations, inspecting premises and searching inmates for contraband, and replacing and/or assisting custodial staff during emergency situations, such as fights, attempted escapes, or major incidents such as riots; utilizes de-escalation/communication/use of force techniques to defend the safety and security of a correctional institution; documents incidents per policy and procedures.

In addition to the above tasks, the following is performed by the specialty assignments: the Assistant Classification and Parole Representative coordinates hearings for the Board of Prison Terms, serves as a member of the classification and disciplinary committees, and supervises the official recording of the Board of Prison Terms; the Inmate Appeal Coordinator researches and investigates second-level inmate appeals and makes recommendations for response; the Inmate Work/Training Incentive Program Coordinator assists in achieving legislative and departmental mandates to provide full work/training assignments for inmates, audits and monitors the work incentive law, provides training to staff on all aspects of the work incentive law, and maintains records to show compliance; the Prison Litigation Coordinator (Legal Liaison) serves as the institution litigation specialist for noncriminal lawsuits filed by, or on behalf of inmates, including habeus corpus, tort and civil rights type cases filed in State and Federal courts.

Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s). Individuals must specify on their application that they are applying for a Training and Development assignment.

This recruitment may be used to fill any additional vacancies in this classification for the life of the recruitment.

CDCR/CCHCS employees are encouraged to use their existing CDCR email address on their job application.

Please note : Main communication for this position will be through email. Please ensure you have a valid email address on your application.  It is the applicant’s responsibility to check their email inbox, to include junk emails, for any correspondences regarding their application status.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for a job vacancy, such as your State application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number (SSN), birthdate, student identification number, driver’s license number (unless required), basis of eligibility, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. Confidential information on the first page of applications submitted electronically online, such as Easy ID number, SSN, examination related information, and driver’s license number will automatically be redacted upon submission.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting Minimum Qualifications with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined an applicant does not meet the Minimum Qualifications, the candidate will be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board.

Applicants who completed their education outside of the US (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of U.S. course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at

Candidates new to CDCR or the Division of Juvenile Justice are required to submit to a background investigation process utilizing Live Scan Fingerprinting, and Tuberculosis testing prior to appointment followed by department annual Tuberculosis testing/evaluation thereafter.

This advertisement may be used for other vacancies that occur during the life of this recruitment.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Willingness to create and promote an equitable and inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated and valued.

Knowledge of: Principles and procedures of inmate classification, assignment, and transfer in correctional institutions; principles and practices of counseling and guidance; causes of crime and delinquency; casework theory and practice and the principles of individual and group behavior; purposes, activities, regulations, and functions of the California Department of Corrections and the Board of Prison Terms; educational, psychological and vocational tests used in counseling and placement work and interpreting test results; principles and practices of vocational guidance and occupational placement; principles of verbal and written expression; correctional casework procedures; an understanding of the range of normal and abnormal human behavior; the policies and procedures of custody; methods used and problems involved in the supervision and adjustment of inmates; the various prison gangs, gang behavior, and the threat of gang action in an institutional setting; group processes and dynamics, including various roles played by group participants and different types of questions or modes of inquiry which can be used in group settings; training methods and planning and conducting in-service training programs.

Ability to: Apply the principles and practices of counseling and guidance; interpret test results; evaluate sociological, psychological, psychiatric, and vocational findings and make recommendations; coordinate the work of professional and technical employees in inmate guidance and classification work; secure accurate social data and record such data systematically; speak and write effectively; command the respect and trust of inmates and staff; organize and prioritize work; meet deadlines; deal tactfully/diplomatically with sensitive issues; evaluate situations accurately and take effective action; deal effectively with a high volume of work; work under pressure; respond effectively to emergency situations; work independently; control an interview with an inmate; interpret institutional/departmental policies, rules and regulations; adjust to changes in assignments; work with a team of people from a variety of occupations and professional disciplines; motivate an inmate toward specific goals; recognize and handle dangerous situations for inmates and staff.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the California Department of Human Resources .

Information on benefits afforded by membership in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System can be found on the .

Information on the benefits and protections provided to public employees by the State Civil Service Act can be found on the .

Additional benefit information can be found on the website.

This webpage is intended to provide general information. Benefit eligibility may be based on job classification, bargaining unit, time base and length of appointment.

Minimum Qualifications and Exam Information

To obtain list eligibility for the Correctional Counselor II (Specialist), before applying for the position(s), you must first take and pass the Correctional Counselor II (Specialist) examination.

Either I

One year of experience in the California state service performing correctional casework duties at a level of responsibility equivalent to Correctional Counselor I.

Or II

Experience: In a California state adult correctional institution either:

1. One year performing the duties of Correctional Program Supervisor III. or
2. Two years performing the duties of a Correctional Program Supervisor II. and

Education: Equivalent to graduation from a recognized four-year college. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for not more than two years of the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

Or III

Experience: Two years of experience in collecting, evaluating, and interpreting social, behavioral, and vocational data for purposes of counseling and promoting individual adjustment. This experience must have been gained in one or a combination of the following fields: probation, parole or correctional casework.

(Completion of one year of graduate training in a recognized school in a field of social work, clinical psychology, criminology, or sociology, administration of justice, correctional science, criminal justice, psychology, or other related behavioral science field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.)

and

Education: Equivalent to graduation from a recognized four-year college. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for not more than two years of the required education on a year-for-year basis.)

(In appraising experience, more weight will be given to the breadth of pertinent experience and the evidence of the candidate's ability to accept and fulfill increasing responsibility than to the length of his/her experience.)

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Other -

  All applicants are  required to submit a copy of their Performance Evaluation dated within the last twelve (12) months.  If not a vailable, please attach a letter of recommendation instead.

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