Social Service Counselor

Job Overview

The Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ) seeks a Social Service Counselor to provide direct counseling and case management to youth in secure care. The role involves one‑on‑one interventions, group facilitation, and collaborative treatment planning to support youth’s emotional, behavioral, and social development.

• Accountability:
  Owns results, meets standards, and responds to feedback professionally.
• Customer Focus:
  Understands customer needs, communicates clearly, and delivers timely, reliable service.
• Judgment:
  Makes well‑reasoned decisions using available information, context, and trade‑offs.
• Ethics and Integrity:
  Acts with integrity, respects confidentiality, and treats people fairly.
• Adaptability:
  Adjusts quickly and remains effective during change.

• Three years of social services experience; or six years of full‑time experience in any field; or a bachelor’s degree.
• Experience substitution:
  Every 30 semester hours earned from an accredited college or university counts as one year of experience toward the six‑year requirement, up to a maximum of four years.
• Special requirement:
  Positions providing addictive disorder counseling or prevention services require certification or eligibility for certification issued by the Addictive Disorder Regulatory Authority (ADRA), or its successor.

• Provide individual and group counseling using behavior‑modification, reality‑based, and supportive therapeutic approaches.
• Collaborate with security, education, and clinical staff to develop a full profile of each youth.
• Represent youth in Reclassification, Code of Conduct, and other classification‑related meetings.
• Monitor PbS data quarterly and participate in in‑service training; serve as liaison across facility departments.
• Deliver targeted counseling for a designated dormitory population with significant behavioral and emotional challenges.
• Initiate, coordinate, and track psychiatric and psychological referrals; distribute clinical reports to relevant departments.
• Facilitate or co‑facilitate multidisciplinary groups and programs (substance abuse, crisis counseling, Thinking for a Change, pro‑social skills, victim awareness, LAMOD, family groups, regional staffings).
• Prepare progress reports, closing summaries, and correspondence for courts, probation, parole, and other agencies.
• Make recommendations for early release, step‑down placement, or transfer to more secure settings when appropriate.
• Maintain complete and accurate case records, including counseling notes, visitation updates, custody levels, and required documentation for courts and families.
• Support dormitory operations by assisting the Group Leader with daily routines, youth needs, activities, and informal staff oversight; represent supervisory staff when needed.
• Perform additional duties as assigned, including Social Services Counselor responsibilities.

• Work Location:
  
  Swanson Center for Youth, 4701 S. Grand St., Monroe, LA 71202.
• Appointment Type:
  Full‑time Probational, Promotional, Detail to Special Duty, or Job Appointment.
• Career Progression:
  Position may be filled as Social Service Counselor I, II, or III.
• Criminal Record Requirement:
  Incumbent must not have been convicted or pled nolo contendere to a crime listed in R.S. 15:587.1 (c).
• Job specifications can be reviewed at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..