Classification Counselor

Full-Time | Permanent

Location:

Washington State Penitentiary (WSP)
Walla Walla, Washington

The Department of Corrections is seeking highly motivated and qualified individuals to fill a Full-Time, Permanent Classification Counselor 2 position at Washington State Penitentiary (WSP).

The Washington State Penitentiary is staffed 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. Whether the work is inside a prison, in community corrections, or in an administrative office, the Washington State Department of Corrections professional staff experience a high degree of personal satisfaction knowing they are creating environments in which all incarcerated individuals can learn to make choices that contribute to a safer society.

The Department of Corrections (DOC), as a partner in the criminal justice system, enhances public safety, administers criminal sanctions and programs in accordance with the law and provides leadership for the future of corrections in Washington State.

The Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) is comprised of 4 Close Custody Units, 3 Special Housing Units, 2 Intensive Management Units, 2 Medium Units, 2 Minimum Housing Units and a Health Service Building. In all, WSP houses approximately 2,000 Incarcerated Individuals and employs approximately 1,100 staff.

DOC is an organization that respects individuals for their unique qualities and strives to create a safe environment for individual uniqueness.

• Investigating all information available for each Incarcerated Individual arriving to determine his documentation and programming needs.
• Administering Risk Assessment Tools.
• Participating in Risk Management teams.
• Completing Incarcerated Individual Release Plans, verifying transition plans and approving low risk release plans.
• Counseling and informing Incarcerated Individuals regarding community resources and problems they might encounter in their transition to work release, parole, or release.
• Working with unit staff as well as with other sections of the facility to resolve Incarcerated Individual problems.
• Enforcing court ordered conditions and imposing DOC conditions.
• Collecting information to complete facility plans, criminal history and risk management tools to determine needs.
• Maintaining communication with Incarcerated Individuals to assist with attorney calls, child custody/support hearings with DSHS and courts, and family contact through crisis/emergency situations.
• Completing paperwork for special visits, death bed visits, funeral outings, job referrals, End of Sentence Review packets, EFV's, marriages, psych evaluation requests, incarcerated individual to incarcerated individual correspondence, and out of state and international transfers.
• Evaluating Incarcerated Individuals for early release. Testifying before courts, boards and/or classification or disciplinary hearings.
• Regularly reviewing and updating Incarcerated Individual plans and programming needs.
• Working with internal and external entities to facilitate Incarcerated Individuals re-entry into the community.
• Preparing Mutual Agreement Plans and coordinate with other facilities for acceptance.

• Five years of experience in adult corrections*, juvenile corrections, rehabilitation, or social casework.

• Satisfactory completion of two years of college level credit classes** (60 semester or 90 quarter credits) and three years of experience in adult corrections*, juvenile corrections, rehabilitation, or social casework.

• One year as a Classification Counselor 1 in Washington State service to include, at a minimum satisfactory completion of two years of college level credit classes** (60 semester or 90 quarter credits).

• A bachelor's degree in sociology, psychology, social work, criminology, or closely related field from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or foreign equivalent, and one year of social service or corrections experience*. A master's degree in sociology, psychology, social work, criminology, or closely related field will substitute for the year of required experience.
• Note:
  
  Corrections experience is defined as the focus of the work is dealing directly with incarcerated individuals a majority of the time.
• Note:
  
  The Washington State Department of Corrections defines college level credits as 100 level and above classes.

DOC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex,…