Corrections Counselor - lock

Overview

The Department of Corrections is seeking to fill a Corrections Counselor 4 in Lovelock. The Corrections Counselor 4 is responsible for providing a wide range of psychological services, including testing, assessment, treatment planning and implementation, psychotherapy, consultation, psycho educational programming, research, and training. This role involves conducting comprehensive psychological evaluations by selecting and administering appropriate tests, interpreting results, and interviewing individuals to determine treatment, programming, or placement needs.

The counselor delivers psychotherapeutic services through both individual and group therapy, incorporating approaches such as biofeedback, relaxation techniques, substance abuse counseling, and pain management.

In addition, the psychologist diagnoses mental and related disorders and may provide both oral and written testimony in court. Responsibilities also include assessing inmates’ level of disability and credibility, staffing a walk‑in psychology clinic, and participating in crisis intervention efforts. The role further supports institutional operations by completing Parole Board evaluations, contributing to quality assurance by monitoring psychological services and ensuring appropriate care, and maintaining thorough medical documentation through progress notes.

Active participation in interdisciplinary classification committees and treatment team meetings is also an essential component of the position.

• Interview individuals to determine treatment, programming, or placement needs; make behavioral health recommendations; interpret and integrate data with interview findings and behavioral observations; discuss results with offenders or other authorized individuals; prepare written reports on offenders interviewed which include potential behavioral health needs.
• Participate as a member of the treatment team in staff meetings; share information and analyze treatment options; define, provide, and schedule appropriate care.
• Provide counseling services, relaxation training, relationship counseling, substance abuse counseling, and pain management counseling to facilitate recovery and maintain offender in the least restrictive environment possible.
• Provide crisis intervention by applying appropriate de‑escalation techniques and principles in order to relieve the immediate problem; intervene with offenders who may be hostile, aggressive, combative or assaultive; follow established protocol in order to protect offenders, staff, and others who may be at risk; form a crisis debriefing team of mental health and security professionals and debrief staff involved in emergency situations to alleviate emotional concerns.
• Consult and train staff regarding current policies and procedures to comply with statutory and ethical requirements and current scientific developments in areas relevant to agency services.
• Participate in planning, developing and coordinating program services to meet the needs of the population served; participate in committees and facility activities in developing policies and procedures; and participate in quality review programs. In a correctional setting, participate on the Unit Management Team to deliver services to offenders within their units.
• Document activities in regular written reports and on charts to comply with legal requirements and maintain adequate records; prepare information and documentation necessary for billing and recommend third‑party payments as appropriate.
• Conduct research and evaluation studies, for data collection and statistical purposes, to enhance services provided which may include interviews, offender characteristics, prediction of positive treatment outcomes, or prediction of recidivism or violence of an individual offender.
• Perform related duties as assigned.
• Under general direction, incumbents perform advanced clinical and programmatic work and perform the full range of duties described in the series concept. In addition, incumbents observe for mental illness symptoms, developmental or learning disabilities and other related disorders, provide oral and written court testimony as a…