Back to jobs
Job Description
The Professional Counselor provides professional mental health counseling services to youth housed at the Smith County Juvenile Attention Center. The Professional Counselor works within a secure juvenile justice environment and collaborates with detention staff, probation officers, medical personnel, educators, and other treatment professionals to assess, treat, and support youth. Services are trauma-informed and focused on behavioral health stabilization, rehabilitation, and successful reintegration.
- Provide individual and group counseling services to youth
- Conduct psychosocial assessments, mental health screenings, and clinical evaluations
- Develop, implement, and monitor individualized treatment plans
- Provide crisis intervention, risk assessments, and de-escalation services as needed
- Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential clinical documentation and records
- Participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings and case reviews
- Collaborate with juvenile probation officers, detention staff, and community providers
- Ensure compliance with ethical standards, state regulations, and county policies
- Provide referrals and coordinate continuity of care upon youth release
- Maintain required licensure and continuing education requirements
- Experience working with adolescents preferred
- Experience in juvenile justice, detention, residential treatment, or trauma-informed care preferred
- Ability to work effectively in a secure detention or correctional environment
- Knowledge of adolescent development, behavioral health disorders, and evidence-based treatment approaches
- Strong assessment, counseling, and clinical judgment skills
- Ability to manage crisis situations calmly and professionally
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Strong organizational skills and attention to details
- Master’s degree in Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, or a closely related mental health field from an accredited institution