Counselor, Reentry Program

Come work with a supportive team to help women lead safer, healthier lives! The Benedict Center values its staff members - people who want to work with purpose, making a difference in our communities.

The Benedict Center is a leading provider of services and advocacy to help women in the criminal justice system live safer, healthier lives for themselves, their children and our community. Our services include community-based substance use and mental health treatment, reentry programming, and street outreach & drop-in centers for women in the street sex trade.

POSITION:            Counselor, Women’s Reentry Program

REPORTS TO:      WHRP Clinical Director

CLASSIFICATION: Full-Time, Non-Exempt

SALARY RANGE:  $52,000-$58,000 annual

POSITION PURPOSE: Provide individualized, strength-based supportive counseling, and advocacy services to women at the Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center (CRC) in Franklin, WI, formerly known as the House of Correction. This position will also provide intake, screening, individual support and psychoeducational groups on site at the CRC.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Conduct screening and intake to identify needs with clients.
  • Provide individualized, strength-based supportive counselling to women throughout their time at the CRC.
  • Facilitate 1-2 weekly evidence-based, gender-responsive group curricula, including Moving On, Seeking Safety, Beyond Violence, Nurturing Parenting, and others as assigned.
  • Provide crisis intervention, safety planning, and supportive case management to clients.
  • Coordinate with other service providers at the CRC and with outside community agencies to provide clients with continuity of care and to optimize available resources; address bio-psycho- social needs by coordinating and linking clients to appropriate community agencies.
  • Connect women with family or supportive persons who can help them navigate their return to the community.
  • Collect data to track case management activities and women’s’ progress towards meeting goals of pre- and post-release case plans, as well as avoiding recidivism. Attend other professional development trainings as are deemed necessary to provide services.
  • Coordinate orientation sessions and develop program schedules for participants.
  • Attend clinical supervision meetings
  • Attend in-service training and staff development activities
  • Attend other trainings as is deemed necessary to provide services

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Master’s Degree in psychology, counseling or social work or another related human services field required
  • Must have Substance Abuse Counselor (SAC) or Substance Abuse Counselor-In Training (SAC-IT) certification
  • Mental Health (LPC or APSW/LCSW) licensure in good standing by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services preferred. In-training or temporary licensure with experience will be considered
  • One year experience working with women impacted by the justice system, preferred
  • Training in Trauma-Informed Care principles and Motivational Interviewing practices, preferred
  • Must have a valid driver’s license and up-to-date auto insurance

EXPERIENCE/SKILLS/ABILITY:

  • At least 5 years of experience working with women with substance use issues and criminal justice involvement preferred.
  • Experience with Trauma-Informed Care principles and Motivational Interviewing practices required
  • Commitment to providing services that are gender-responsive, evidence-based and reflect the practices of Stages of Change Theory and Harm Reduction
  • Ability to communicate and work well with people from diverse economic, racial, ethnic, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and religious backgrounds in an open and respectful environment and a commitment to self-reflection, accountability and commitment to providing culturally-effective services
  • Commitment to the mission of creating system of justice that is fair and treats justice-involved individuals and the community with dignity and respect
  • Proven ability to work effectively as part of a team and to advocate on behalf of clients within the criminal justice system and the community, including Probation Agents, Courts, landlords, and other community agencies
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, including experience with group facilitation
  • Sound judgment and ability to deescalate situations with clients when indicated
  • Ability to work independently in a self-directed manner and as a team-player
  • Computer literacy and experience with electronic medical record, databases, and excel worksheets

TERMS:

  • Role requires walking through facility
  • Must be able to lift up to 20lbs

BENEFITS:

  • Full-time, non-exempt position
  • Paid vacation and personal/sick time
  • 13 paid holidays
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance available
  • Short-term disability, life, accident and other insurances available
  • 401(k)
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Professional development opportunities

The Benedict Center is committed to a diversified workforce and is an EEOC employer

Please send resume to hr@benedictcenter.org