State of Maryland

A Military Youth Counselor II is the full performance level of work providing direct services and counseling for juvenile applicants, cadets or postgraduates of a voluntary quasi-military residential program operated by the Military Department.  Employees in this classification serve as recruitment, placement, mentor, admissions or cadet counselors to encourage and assist juveniles in adopting and maintaining positive life skills.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but may provide guidance to lower-level Military Youth Counselors and Military Youth Workers.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Military Youth Counselor Supervisor or Military Youth Counselor Program Supervisor.  The work of this class may require travel to various locations for youth activities, such as job fairs and community services.   Employees will be required to remain calm in stressful situations involving agitated, irate or overwrought juveniles and family members.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing 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 Military Youth Counselor I and Military Youth Counselor II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Military Youth Counselor I performs a limited range of duties under general supervision at times and under close supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Military Youth Counselor II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Military Youth Counselor II is differentiated from the Military Youth Counselor Supervisor in that the Military Youth Counselor Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Military Youth Counselors.

As Recruitment Counselors:

Develops and implements candidate recruitment strategies, promotes and markets the National Guard Freestate Challenge Program to public and private sector groups and organizations, and facilitates the resolution of candidate eligibility issues;

As Placement Counselors:

Develops and implements employment and educational opportunities for postgraduates, such as job fairs, vocational training areas and job shadowing and assists juveniles in identifying career goals and available options;

As Mentor Counselors:

Reviews volunteer mentor applications to determine eligibility, provides instruction and formal training to eligible mentors, recommends approval and placement of mentors and monitors progress of mentor relationships with juveniles;

As Admissions Counselors:

Interviews applicant and family to obtain personal and family background information, organizes and coordinates receipt of required documentation, schedules testing and interview procedures, assists recruitment counselors in the resolution of eligibility issues and presents committee recommendations for candidate acceptance to the Program Director;

As Cadet Counselors:

Advises new cadets of program procedures, protocols, rules and requirements, develops individual cadet goals and objectives, monitors cadets’ activities and performance to identify and address individual cadet problems and needs and evaluate progress, and conducts individual and group classroom life skill counseling sessions;

Entire Classification:

Provides direct services to juvenile applicants, cadets or postgraduates of the Maryland National Guard Freestate Challenge Academy by implementing and coordinating recruitment, placement, mentoring or admissions services, such as program requirements and candidate eligibility, application processes, career goals and employment opportunities, educational and vocational training or mentoring relationships;

Provides individual or group behavioral modification counseling to juvenile cadets and post graduates of the Maryland National Guard Freestate Challenge Academy to encourage and assist juveniles in adopting and maintaining positive life skills, such as, anger management, decision-making, problem-solving, stress management, personal budgeting, and citizenship;

Assists juvenile cadets and postgraduates in identifying, developing, modifying and using their potential capabilities as well as other community resources for taking care of their social, health, emotional, behavioral and economic needs and problems;

Assesses problems that may occur in cadet residences, field and training environments and classroom settings or in emergency and crisis situations, and makes appropriate contacts and referrals, and provides limited crisis intervention services as necessary;

Attends in-service training on relevant topics, such as crisis prevention, suicide prevention, gang related behaviors, drug abuse, and positive life skills, in order to maintain knowledge of juvenile social patterns of behavior, behavior modification counseling methods, and training requirements of the National Guard Freestate Challenge Program;

Consults with parents, legal guardians, schools, public and private agency personnel to obtain or clarify information, explain National Guard Freestate Challenge Academy procedures and expectations and coordinate services;

Prepares reports and make recommendations on the appropriate course of action concerning eligibility issues, incidents, rule violations or emergencies;

Prepares and maintains documentation and records on juveniles’ eligibility, history and progress in database system;

May serve as caseworkers and assist the recruitment, placement and mentor counselors by completing database system entries, obtaining and clarifying information, assisting in the resolution of problems, and monitoring postgraduate mentoring relationships;

Performs other related duties.   

Knowledge of individual and group juvenile behaviors;

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

Knowledge of the program requirements, procedures, rules, protocols and processes of the National Guard Freestate Challenge Academy;

Skill in interviewing juveniles and family members to obtain and clarify information and explain procedures and expectations;

Skill in identifying, implementing and coordinating direct services for juveniles or in conducting group or individual juvenile behavioral modification counseling for juveniles that encourage the adoption and maintenance of positive life skills;

Skill in preparing accurate and complete documents, correspondence, reports and narratives;

Ability to assess juveniles’ circumstances to evaluate their strengths, weakness, environmental constraints and resources and develop individual goals and objectives;

Ability to identify and manage manipulative behavior demonstrated by juveniles;

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

Ability to use computer systems to maintain case records, produce reports and access informational resources;

Ability to communicate effectively.

Education:   A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience: One year of experience providing direct services and counseling to juveniles in a quasi-military environment.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute sixty credit hours which includes 15 credit hours in the social or behavioral sciences or criminal justice from an accredited college or university and two years of experience providing direct services, counseling, case management or supervision and guidance to youth in a community or residential setting for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute two years of experience providing direct services, counseling, case management or supervision and guidance to emotionally or socially maladjusted, delinquent, victimized, or exceptional juveniles in a community or residential setting for the required experience.

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

1. Candidates for positions in this classification will be required to apply for a criminal background check as required by the Family Law Article, Section 5-561, Annotated Code of Maryland.

2. Employees in this classification are required to successfully complete training as indicated by the National Challenge Program, such as one-week basis course for all Challenge Program staff and advanced courses on specific job responsibilities.

3. Employees in this classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with the Code of Maryland Regulations 17.04.09, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

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 H, Public Safety and Security 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.