State of Maryland

A Casework Associate Trainee Correctional is the entry level of work providing direct services and benefits management to inmates or offenders.  Employees in this classification ensure that individuals who are incarcerated will receive appropriate aftercare, prerelease planning and access to entitlement services upon release to the community.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a higher level licensed Social Worker.  Employees in this class may be required to work evenings and on weekends and may be assigned to provide on-call coverage.  Work is performed in correctional institutions, detention facilities and other correctional settings.  Employees may be required to deal with potentially hazardous situations.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Casework Associate Trainee Correctional, Casework Associate I Correctional and Casework Associate II Correctional are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over the employees.  The Casework Associate Trainee Correctional learns to perform duties under close supervision. The Casework Associate I Correctional performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed. The Casework Associate II Correctional performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to assist inmates or offenders diagnosed with serious mental or medical illnesses and other social adjustment problems to receive appropriate services or benefits;

Learns to prepare and manage case records and reports concerning benefits management services received by inmates or offenders in correctional institutions and detention facilities;

Learns to interview inmates or offenders to obtain the information necessary to determine eligibility for social services, mental health services or eligibility for continuation of treatment services previously qualified for in public social services, health or mental health systems;

Learns to assess case situations and make recommendations to supervisor regarding individualized plans of service;

Learns to establish and maintain regular contact with the Behavioral Health Administration of the Maryland Department of Health, government resources and other helping agencies to share data that identifies and facilitates the provision of entitlement benefits and treatment services to inmates or offenders;

Learns to testify in legal proceedings as to the facts of a specific inmate or offender service case;

Learns to develop and implement a personalized training plan to maintain and upgrade knowledge and skills related to the delivery of direct services;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of human growth and development;

Knowledge of emotional, social, economic and physical needs of adults or juveniles;

Knowledge of individual and group behavior;

Knowledge of the social implications of various diseases or disabilities;

Ability to learn the basic principles and techniques of interviewing inmates or offenders and recording relevant case information;

Ability to learn to assess inmate and offender’s circumstances in order to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, environmental constraints and eligibility for entitlement programs and resources;

Ability to learn to work effectively with incarcerated adults or juveniles who have social, economic, emotional or behavioral problems;

Ability to learn to enhance and develop problem solving and coping capabilities of inmates or offenders;

Ability to learn to identify social services, medical and mental hygiene resources for individuals with disabilities and aged individuals and to learn to appropriately link inmates or offenders to the services and resources;

Ability to learn to make recommendations regarding individualized plans of service;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff members, other agencies and institutions and the general public.

Education:   A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a behavioral science, such as: sociology, social work, psychology, counseling, nursing, criminology, juvenile justice, human growth and development, human services, mental health or human resources management that includes at least 30 credit hours in human services or human development.

Experience: None.

Note: Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Social Work classifications or Social Work specialty codes in the Social Science, Psychology, and Welfare field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

1. Employees in this classification who have not already done so must complete an approved training program and pass a competency test before being granted permanent employment status.

2. Employees in this classification assigned to the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services and the Department of Juvenile Services are required to qualify for and successfully complete the Entry Level Training Academy approved by the Police and Correctional Training Commission.

3. Employees in this classification are required to meet mandatory standards for continuing education as determined by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services or the Department of Juvenile Services. Employees who fail to obtain the required continuing education credits shall be subject to disciplinary action including demotion, suspension and dismissal.

4. Employees in this classification may be required to provide the employer with a telephone number at which they can be reached.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit F, Social and Human Service  Professionals classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime, as provided by the State Personnel and Pensions      Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.