Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide rehabilitative addiction counselling to offenders, assist in addiction counselling programs offered by the treatment department and to provide discharge-planning activities for offenders, including establishing community contacts with addiction counselling organizations/agencies to assist in post­ sentence contact.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Assisting in the development of addiction counselling programs with Manager, Social Work and Rehabilitative Services, and in cooperation with other treatment professionals and correctional staff, identifying needs of offenders and gaps in treatment services, providing input into the evaluation of program effectiveness, identifying community organizations providing addiction counselling services and establishing contact to facilitate post-sentence treatment.

2. Providing rehabilitative addiction counselling services by working with individual or groups of offenders, counselling in dealing with addictions and assisting in the implementation of individual treatment plans, maintaining appropriate records; developing pamphlets or other written materials to encourage participation of offenders in programs and maximize benefit of inmate participation in programs, recommending awareness programs, written/audio-visual materials, self-help groups based on needs of offenders and parameters of programs.

3. Participating in case conferences treatment planning meetings, discharge planning conferences, contacting family members, to assist in the coordination of treatment of offenders within the Institution and discharge planning with self-help or addiction treatment agencies/organizations in the community following sentence; preparing reports, statistics and treatment records as required.

4. Participates as a member of the Methadone Treatment Program of the Institution by attending meetings and case conferences, providing specific counselling services in support of program, working with team members in a cooperative effort to achieve goals of program, identify gaps and provide input to program changes.

5. Liaising with community agencies and self-help organizations, citizen's groups, business, industries, colleges/universities in order to promote understanding of the Institution's role in addiction treatment, philosophy and offenders/needs and encourage post-sentence employment opportunities; accepting public speaking engagements; developing presentations, brochures and displays for approval prior to distribution to the public, working towards strengthening the ties between community and Institution.

Knowledge :

- Job requires detailed knowledge of current addiction counselling theories, practices and counselling techniques, substance abuse indicators, group/individual counselling strategies and referral network in the community.
- Job requires knowledge of accepted correctional rehabilitative and discharge planning theories, practices and techniques to engage in discharge planning process to effectively combine discharge planning with addiction counselling initiatives.
- Job requires knowledge of institutional operating policies and procedures, related manuals pertaining to the addiction programs, practices and procedures, and legislation to ensure programs do not negatively affect the security and correctional goals and objectives of the Institution.
- Job requires knowledge of community agencies and resources to identify/arrange the appropriate support and discharge resources.
- Job requires knowledge of computers, computerized offender records system and related software packages to input/retrieve offender data, prepare presentation materials, prepare and maintain reports and statistics.
- Job requires basic knowledge of public relations and marketing to prepare materials and speaking notes in order to address community groups, students and volunteers.
- Job requires knowledge of evaluation techniques in order to effectively assess and compare new and/or existing programs and recommend appropriate changes, evaluate and counsel volunteers.

Skills :

- Job requires analytical and evaluative skills to determine offenders/program needs based on input from institutional staff and offenders.
- Job requires reasoning skills to assess suitability when screening applicants for the program.
- Job requires problem-solving skills to resolve issues or matters pertaining to offender participation or program usage taking into consideration institutional policies and procedures relating to security and offender needs.
- Job requires oral communication and presentation skills to convey facts and Information clearly when explaining the nature of the program to the offenders, public, indicating the security requirements of the facility, promoting and understanding of the Institution's role and philosophy.
- Job requires written communication skills to prepare brochures for distribution to the offenders and to prepare correspondence and reports.
- Job requires interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy to deal with requests or program complaints, to interpret and/or clarify information, and to encourage compliance and co-operation from program participants.
- Job require decision-making skills to recommend new/changes to programs, when offenders no longer demonstrate commitment to program and to recommend termination.

Freedom of Action :

- Job requires working in accordance with Ministry policies and procedures relating to addiction programs, security of information; especially when addressing community groups and agencies and fielding questions.
- Job requires completed tasks to be reviewed to ensure established, programs adhere to ministry standards and procedures.
- Job requires unusual situations not covered by ministry policies and procedures to be referred to the supervisor for appropriate direction and action; such as, breaches of security rules, e.g.by outside resource volunteers, offender behavioral problems and program changes.