Position Information

Arlington County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court is seeking a Group Home Counselor I. This Counselor will work with a team of professionals to assist clients with developing positive life skills and connecting to a continuum of services offered in the group home and community at the Andrew B. Ferrari Argus House. Argus House, a certified Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP), is a behavioral and therapeutic setting in which the residents and their family members work with staff to improve the youth's functioning at home, in school, and in the community.

Specific duties include:

• Counseling residents, as needed, and leading morning house meetings to process issues, follow through on decisions, and prepare residents for the day;
• Conducting and documenting nightly inspections of the household to include health, safety and security checks;
• Managing medication supplies and disbursements to residents on a set schedule following medical policies and procedures of the Argus House Program;
• Planning, organizing, and implementing educational, community service and recreational activities for residents on day shifts worked;
• Inventorying, preparing and documenting meals served with the Food Service Coordinator;
• Supervising the cleaning of the kitchen after breakfast;
• Maintaining annual training requirements including first aid, CPR, Handle with Care, and other necessary trainings.
• Maintaining accurate, confidential, and daily documentation of resident activities including, progress notes, medication logs, and confidential case files; and
• Transporting residents using a 15-passenger van.

• Knowledge and understanding of the unique characteristics of Arlington’s diverse population and experience working with Northern Virginia youth and families; and/or
• Evidenced based practices and techniques such as Motivational Interviewing, EQUIP, Trauma Informed Care, and Positive Peer Culture.

Selection Criteria

Minimum:

Education: Bachelor's in Psychology, Social Work or a related field; and

Experience: Some experience supervising youths in a group home setting, performing social casework, juvenile probation/justice, youth counseling or related work.

Substitution: Additional qualifying experience may substitute for the education requirement on a year for year basis.

Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates that possess experience in one or more of the following:

• Working in a group setting for delinquent youth;
• Substance abuse treatment and counseling;
• Developing programming for youth related to self-sufficiency skills, decision making, goals setting and peer support; and/or
• Working active overnight shifts in a residential setting.

Special Requirements

A pre-employment criminal records check will be conducted to include: an NCIC check, a Virginia State Police background check, an FBI fingerprint background check, and a Virginia Department of Social Services Child Protective Services Central Registry search.

The applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid Driver License. If the applicant possesses or acquires a license, the applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain, or the applicant must provide, a copy of the applicant's official state/district driving record. Any offer of employment will be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record and criminal history.

Additional Information

Work Hours: This is an awake, overnight schedule position, working Monday through Friday, 12:00 am-8:00am.

Your responses to the supplemental questionnaire are considered part of the selection process and are required for this position. Please do not give "see resume" as a response to the questions. Incomplete applications will not be considered. In order to receive full credit for your experience, please ensure that you have included details of all relevant work experience on your application and have completed the Supplemental Questionnaire in its entirety.

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Applicants who have questions or need assistance with the application may telephone (703) 228-3500 or visit the Human Resources Department. Our staff will be happy to work with you to enter your application into the system. Public access computers are available at all County Libraries, and in the Human Resources Department.

The examination process for this position may include: (1) training and experience evaluation; (2) written and oral examination; (3) personal interview; (4) performance test/work sample; and/or (5) physical examination.

Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process. Please call the ADA Coordinator at 703-228-3559 (voice) or email pers@arlingtonva.us.