Job Description

Under general supervision, the Juvenile Hall Counselor is responsible for the care, custody, safety and welfare of juveniles detained at Juvenile Hall.

Essential duties include, but are not limited to: 

1. Observes behavior of detainees in an assigned living unit; directs detainees in the upkeep of personal hygiene, during mealtimes, and while cleaning the unit; maintains appropriate close supervision over detainees to prevent negative incidents; provides appropriate discipline; consults with supervisors regarding disciplinary problems; conducts regular state mandated security checks of rooms; monitors visiting sessions to ensure the safety and security of detainees and counselors.

2. Inspects windows, locks doors when not in use, and keeps count of all detainees assigned to the unit; administers emergency first aid pending the arrival of medical staff; responds to emergency conditions which may require physically subduing and restraining hostile detainees to ensure the safety and security of the unit and the facilities.

3. Completes incident reports, behavior reports, individual case reports, and other departmental forms and reports; maintains the unit log book to ensure adherence to legal requirements. Maintains and updates electronic databases and case management systems.

4. Conducts ongoing individual and group counseling sessions with detainees by communicating rules, policies, expectations, and consequences; listens and responds to questions, concerns, complaints, and requests; provides assistance in working out problems to assist detainees.

5. Directs leisure time activities; teaches and encourages good sportsmanship.

6. Transports residents to and from various locations; directs and controls residents’ movement to ensure the safety and security of the residents.

7. Facilitates the admittance and release process of residents.

8. Confers with departmental personnel and representatives of outside agencies.

Working Conditions: Individuals must be willing and able to respond to emergency conditions, which may involve physically subduing and restraining hostile youth and young adults who often have the size and strength of adults.  Vision and hearing must be sufficient to perform the duties of the position. May involve considerable amounts of standing, walking and/or when necessary, running. This includes the ability to lift and/or move with assistance objects weighing up to 50 lbs or more. The Counselor may be assigned to work day, swing and graveyard shifts, holidays and weekends.

Qualifications

Education: Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

License and Certification: Possession of a valid California driver's license. Possession of a valid Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificate.

Education Substitution: Experience as a counselor in a juvenile detention facility or experience involving the organization, detention, or suspension of youth groups in a recreational or correctional program may substitute for up to two (2) years of the education requirement on a year-for-year basis. One (1) year equals thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units.

Desirable Qualifications: The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring 

Knowledge of:

• Crisis Intervention
• Interviewing
• Individual and group counseling principles and techniques
• De-escalation strategies

 Ability to:

• Organize and supervise group activities
• Ability to handle stressful situations 
• Enforce rules
• Accurately observe behavior
• Apply appropriate "use of force" in self-defense or restraint procedures
• Remain alert to potential problems
• Handle emergency situations
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with others
• Communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively in individual and group situations

Verification:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

NOTE: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Additional Information

• THIS IS A POSITION-BASED TEST CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH CIVIL SERVICE RULE 111A.
• APPLICATIONS OPEN: December 12, 2022
• APPLICATIONS CLOSE: No earlier than 11:59pm on December 16, 2022
• EXTENDED CLOSE DATE: 11:59pm on December 23, 2022
• Salary range for 8562/8320 position: $75,270 TO $91,520
• POST Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
• Information on the Hiring Process

Eligible List/Score Report: 

A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created, and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of twenty-four (24) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN FRANCISCO:

• Information About the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are ONLY accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. FAILURE TO RECEIVE THIS EMAIL MEANS THAT THE ONLINE APPLICATION WAS NOT SUBMITTED OR RECEIVED.

Certification: The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Three Scores.

Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst Brian Hidalgo at Brian.Hidalgo@sfgov.org.

                                                   SELECTION PROCEDURES

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

REMINDER:

• We communicate via e-mail, please ensure you have access to the e-mail address you have register with. All communications related to this recruitment will be sent to the e-mail you have registered with. 
• All testing components will be scheduled in-person, please plan accordingly if you progress in the hiring process.

CALIFORNIA BOARD OF STATE AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS EXAM (WEIGHT: PASS/FAIL) Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a performance examination. This examination is two hours and thirty minutes and designed to measure general cognitive abilities that are important for performing successfully as an Adult Corrections Officer, Juvenile Corrections Officer, or Probation Officer. While some exam questions may use job-related examples, no prior knowledge or training is needed to complete the exam.

         TESTING DATES: January 23 - 24, 2023          TIMES: 9:00am - 11:30am & 12:30pm - 3:00pm

** This is a standardized examination. Therefore, test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review. **

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE (WEIGHT: PASS/FAIL) Candidates will complete a Minimum Qualifications Supplemental Questionnaire (MQSQ) prior to the oral examination. Applicants will be required to respond to the MQSQ and submit their answers as directed. This MQSQ is designed to obtain specific information regarding an applicant's experience in relation to the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) for this position. The MQSQ will be used to evaluate if the applicant possesses the required minimum qualifications.

ORAL EXAMINATION (WEIGHT: 100%)  Candidates who successfully pass the written exam will be invited to participate in an oral examination designed to measure the knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas as described in this announcement. Candidates must achieve a passing score on the oral examination in order to be ranked on the eligible list.

After the eligible list is finalized/adopted, the department may administer additional selection procedures to make a final hiring decision (e.g. interviews, written exercise, etc.). Applicants meeting the Minimum Qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all steps of the selection process.

                                                               TIMELINE

BSCC EXAM:  January 2023 (Subject to change pending candidate pool)

ORAL EXAM:  February 2023

ELIGIBILITY LIST ESTABLISHED & DEPARTMENTAL INTERVIEWS:  Spring 2023

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.