State of Maryland

A Social Worker Supervisor, Criminal Justice is the first line supervisor level of professional social work providing expert clinical and therapeutic or forensic social work services in either a criminal justice or indigent defense environment.   Employees in this classification that work in a criminal justice environment provide clinical and therapeutic services to clients who have demonstrated a need for rehabilitative intervention because of behavioral factors or personality disorders and co-existing mental health, health, substance abuse or other social adjustment factors.  Employees in this classification that work in an indigent defense environment provide forensic social work services, including mitigation to clients charged with crimes or delinquent offenses and create defense strategies with Assistant Public Defenders for the legal disposition of criminal or delinquent cases.  Employees in this classification supervise Casework Specialists, Criminal Justice and lower-level Social Workers, Criminal Justice.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Social Work Regional Supervisor, Criminal Justice or a Social Work Manager, Criminal Justice or other designated administrator, or a District Public Defender, Division Chief or designee when assigned with the Office of the Public Defender.  Employees generally work in juvenile facilities, other criminal justice or juvenile services environments, or public defender offices.  Employees are frequently exposed to hazardous situations and must exercise vigilance and sound judgment when working with clients.  Employees in this class may be required to work evenings and weekends.

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 Social Work Supervisor, Criminal Justice is differentiated from the Social Worker Advanced, Criminal Justice in that the Social Work Supervisor, Criminal Justice has full supervisory responsibility for Casework Specialists and Social Workers I and II, Criminal Justice while the Social Worker Advanced, Criminal Justice is a licensed social worker providing expert clinical and therapeutic social work services to the most demanding clients in need of intensive rehabilitative counseling and may mentor lower level-social workers.  The Social Work Supervisor, Criminal Justice is differentiated from the Social Work Regional Supervisor, Criminal Justice in that the Social Work Regional Supervisor, Criminal Justice supervises Social Work Supervisors, Criminal Justice assigned to criminal justice or juvenile services facilities or public defender offices within a region

Plans, coordinates, supervises and evaluates the work of Social Workers, Criminal Justice and related support staff, such as addictions counselors and HIV counselors;

Instructs staff in administrative and operating policies, procedures and practices regarding safety and security, treatment modalities, personnel practices and related matters;

Reviews progress reports and case material to assure compliance to standards and procedures for providing social work services;

Assists in planning and conducting in-service training activities for social workers and related support staff;

Applies social work values, principles and techniques to assist clients to confront their personality disorders and any co-existing health, mental health, physical or developmental disability, substance abuse or other social adjustment factor;

Completes required reports and makes recommendations to improve social work services;

Represents the department at meetings, forums and study groups within and outside the agency;

Assists the regional supervisor or other administrative official in the development of policies, procedures and treatment protocols;

Supervises social work students and interns;

Provides guidance and social work consultation to agency staff;

May provide expert testimony in court proceedings;

May assist assistant public defenders with developing mitigation for clients;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the principles, practices and ethics of professional social work;

Knowledge of diagnostic criteria and language used in medical and mental health records, reports and planning;

Knowledge of procedures and practices used in criminal justice environments to insure the safety and security of the public and the institution;

Knowledge of standards of conduct, personnel regulations and fair employment practices as they apply to professional social work staff in a criminal justice environment;

Knowledge of the social aspects of physical illnesses, behavioral health diagnoses, disabilities, and deficiencies;

Knowledge of individual and group behavior;

Knowledge of community resources addressing the after care or transitional services needs of special clients in various stages of the adjudication process;

Ability to provide group and individual therapeutic counseling to clients in a confidential setting;

Ability to identify and manage manipulative behavior;

Ability to instruct social workers and social work interns in providing individual and group therapeutic social work counseling, crisis intervention and on-going treatment to clients in a criminal justice environment;

Ability to plan, coordinate, supervise and evaluate the work of licensed social workers and other support staff;

Ability to assist clients to develop a plan of service which allows for follow through;

Ability to prepare accurate, cogent reports;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff of criminal justice institutions, such as juvenile services staff, public defender staff, court personnel and representatives of other agencies and institutions, community organizations and public interest groups;

Ability to testify in court proceedings.

Education: Determined by the State Board of Social Work Examiners under the licensing requirements for Social Workers.

Experience: Four years of experience providing clinical and therapeutic services through the application of the principles, methods and procedures of professional social work to clients requiring rehabilitative counseling or forensic social work services, including eighteen months of experience completing assessments, formulating diagnostic impressions, treating behavioral health diagnoses and other conditions or providing psychotherapy as a certified social worker-clinical.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute a Doctorate degree in social work from an accredited college or university may be substituted for up to one year of the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience at the rank of Corporal/Petty Officer or higher as a commissioned officer in Social Work classifications or Social Work specialty codes in Social Science, Psychology or Welfare fields of work for the required experience.

1. Employees in this classification must have a license as a Master Social Worker (approved for independent practice), Certified Social Worker or Certified Social Worker-Clinical issued by the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

1. Employees are required to meet mandatory standards for continuing education as determined by the hiring department. Employees who fail to obtain the required continuing education credits shall be subject to disciplinary action including demotion, suspension or dismissal.

2. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services must complete an approved training program in group counseling techniques.

3. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services may be required to complete the Level I Counseling course of the Maryland AIDS Professional Education Center.

4. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services must qualify for and successfully complete the Entry Level Training Academy operated by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions.

5. Employees of the Department of Juvenile Services are required to complete the Correctional First Line Supervisors Training within one year of appointment.

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

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit as indicated by the designation of S (supervisor), M (manager), T (agency head), U (Board or Commission member), W (student), X (Used by agency or excluded by executive order), or Z (confidential).  As provided by 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 therefore, all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.