DIRECTOR OF FAMILY COUNSELING

Code: 01596 Local Competitive

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction, plans, develops, and organizes a program of family counseling services; supervises staff providing family counseling services on a variety of economic, social or other contemporary issues; does related work.

Examples of work

• Plans, develops and organizes a program providing family counseling services.
• Supervises the conduct of individual, long-term group and family counseling sessions.
• Prepares reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
• Supervises the counseling of clients and their families on a variety of economic, social, and other contemporary issues affecting the client and family.
• Supervises the identification of the client's social, psychological, emotional or other dysfunction.
• Supervises the identification of the client's treatment needs.
• Explains treatment plans to clients and family.
• Reviews and assigns cases to counselors.
• Reviews counselors' reports and prepares evaluations.
• Supervises client referrals for further psychological, medical, physical or other evaluations.
• Provides advice and guidance to counseling staff.
• Evaluates client progress.
• Evaluates effectiveness of program services.
• Supervises client referrals to social and community service agencies to obtain other needed services.
• Supervises the establishment of essential case histories, records and other files.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, Sociology, Counseling, Social Welfare, or Guidance.

Experience

Five (5) years of experience in work involving individual and family counseling, three (3) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle rather than employee mobility is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of interviewing and counseling techniques.
• Knowledge of the methods used to prepare case histories for diagnostic purposes.
• Knowledge of the symptoms and characteristic of a varied dysfunctional behaviors.
• Knowledge of the evaluation methods used to determine client progress.
• Knowledge of the principles of needs assessment.
• Ability to identify client treatment needs.
• Ability to collect data through questioning.
• Ability to prepare case histories for diagnostic purposes.
• Ability to identify the area of client dysfunction.
• Ability to evaluate and interpret the results of psychological, physical and other evaluations.
• Ability to evaluate client progress and effectiveness of program services.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with staff and clients.
• Ability to prepare clear, sound and accurate reports containing findings, conclusions and recommendations.
• Ability to read and interpret laws, rules and regulations and apply them to specific situations.
• Ability to supervise the establishment and maintenance of case histories, records and other files.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.