Career Opportunity

Senior Counselor, Juvenile Hall, Juvenile Probation Department (85686/8322)

Recruitment: REF52798Z

Published: July 03, 2025

Apply using SmartRecruiters, the City and County of San Francisco's application portal.

About:

THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.

• Applications Open: July 3, 2025
• Applications Close: no earlier than 11:59pm on July 14, 2025
• Salary range for 8568/8322 position: $107,354 to $130,520
• Recruitment ID: CBT-8566/8322-X00100

Are you passionate about Juvenile Justice, Public Safety, and the Community we serve? Are you a dedicated professional who wants to maximize their impact in the lives of some of San Francisco’s most marginalized youth? If so, we encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity to join a team that is devoted to re-imagining Juvenile Justice, committed to racial equity, and focused on ensuring long-term public safety through the development, enrichment, and accountability of young people we serve throughout San Francisco. Click here to read more about the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department (JPD). 

The San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department’s mission is to serve the needs of youth and families who are brought to our attention with care and compassion.  We engage fiscally sound and culturally competent strategies that promote the best interests of the youth, and provide victims with opportunities for restoration.

Our equity-centered goals are to:

• Reimagine how the City addresses juvenile crime, from referral through reentry, in collaboration with the community and our system partners, emphasizing research and evidence-based practices, and sustainably addressing pervasive racial disparities throughout the system. 
• Advance a Whole Family Engagement strategy that places racial equity at its center to ensure that all youth have equal access to successful outcomes, and that advances youth-and family-centered case plans and goal development, with the supports and resources necessary to help justice-involved youth thrive. 
• Bolster equitable leadership development opportunities for BIPOC staff; implement change that meaningfully improves the workplace experience of BIPOC staff; enact our organizational belief of redemption and helping people to succeed.

Role description

Under general direction, the 8322 Senior Counselor, Juvenile Hall oversees the operation, and maintenance of a juvenile court facility and/or long-term rehabilitation facility.

Essential duties include, but are not limited to: 

1. Provides supervision of juveniles at the Juvenile Hall; plans and oversees the activities of staff members.

2. Develops, interprets, and enforces policies, methods, rules and regulations relating to the care of youth in custody; communicates with parents, counseling staff, probation personnel, psychologists, and others regarding the care, security, and rehabilitation of juveniles; maintaining a liaison with juvenile hall or school staff.

3. Plans and oversees daily routines involving clean-up, bedding, and general sanitation; evaluates reports of illness and injury and arranges for appropriate treatment.

4. Administers the receipt and censoring of incoming and outgoing mail; may receive and be responsible for safeguarding detainee money, valuables, and personal property.

5. Represents the Department when collaborating with other agencies; conducts tours.

6. Conducts regular inspections to evaluate the sanitation and safety of living units and grounds; reviews log entries, watch lists, and the maintenance of records; and reports on damages, deterioration or malfunction of equipment. Patrols halls, units, and other areas to evaluate security of facilities and the overall well-being of youth in custody; confers with counselors on special behavioral problems and various disciplining methods; counsels emotionally disturbed or overly aggressive youths and confers with other departmental personnel on difficult cases; may be assigned to investigate and resolve juvenile grievances.

7. Reviews and approves all youth discipline along with the Director or as designated; conducts hearings for major violations; reviews staff reports for accuracy; and forwards reports for prosecution when crimes have been committed.

8. Prepares operational, progress, and related records and reports; evaluates reports; write court reports.

9. Facilitates the booking or admitting and releasing of youth and reviews case records and official documents for proper entries; makes decisions on search status and classification for unit placement of new admissions.

10. Conducts and coordinates the initial training of new personnel and advanced on-going training of experienced counselors. Trains and evaluates new staff in the techniques and methods of individual and group counseling, recreation, athletics and supervision of large groups; notifies appropriate personnel regarding runaways from the facility.

11. Participates in counseling, disciplining and oversees difficult cases; submits reports regarding the progress of detainees; confers with parents, probation officers, school department personnel and others in connection with the overall rehabilitation problems and the educational programs for juveniles; develops and conducts recreational and other special activities and programs. 

12. Develops annual work plans for subordinate personnel; conducts annual evaluations on the performance of subordinate employees.

13. Conducts investigations of incidents; provides discipline and counseling to staff.

14. Maintains accountability and control of facility issued keys, radios, and important documents. Reviews facility records and reports. Maintains and updates electronic databases and case management systems.

Working Conditions:
Individuals must be willing and able to respond to emergency conditions, which may involve physically subduing and restraining hostile youth and young adults who often have the size and strength of adults.  Vision and hearing must be sufficient to perform the duties of the position. May involve considerable amounts of standing, walking and/or when necessary, running. This includes the ability to lift and/or move with assistance objects weighing up to 50 lbs or more. The Counselor may be assigned to work day, swing and graveyard shifts, holidays and weekends.

How to qualify

Education:

Possession of a Bachelor�s degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience:

Two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in counseling, disciplining, and care of delinquent or dependent children.

License and Certification:

Possession of a valid California driver license.

Possession of a valid Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certificate.

Substitution:

Experience in counseling, disciplining and caring for delinquent or dependent children may substitute for up to two (2) years of the education requirement on a year-for-year basis. One (1) year of experience equals to thirty (30) semester units or forty-five (45) quarter units of college coursework.

Knowledge of:

• Group and individual counseling techniques as applied to adolescents
• the laws and codes governing the care and custody of juveniles confined to detention facilities; 
• Professional principles that aid in the rehabilitation of delinquents;
• Policies and procedures of the Juvenile Court with specific application to living facilities; 
• Reporting requirements for suspected child abuse;
• Emergency procedures and the ability to direct unit/institutional staff during major emergencies including basic first aid, CPR, and evacuation procedures;
• Gang issues both in the facility and in the community;
• City policies and procedures concerning harassment, discrimination, and violence in the workplace

 Ability to:

• Identify and enforce policies in safety and security issues and make recommendations for improvement;
• Supervise and direct activities of an institutional workforce, train subordinal personnel and direct and supervise the operations of detention living units;
• Write clear and concise reports;
• Exercise firm but appropriate discipline over juveniles and aid in their rehabilitation;
• Mediate and resolve inter-personal conflict between staff, as well as the ability to collaborate with other departments. 

Verification:

Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

What else should I know?

• This is a Class-Based Test conducted in accordance with Civil Service Rule 111A.
• Applications Open: July 3, 2025
• Applications Close: No earlier than 11:59pm on July 14, 2025
• Salary range for 8568/8322 position: $107,354 to $130,520
• POST Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
• Information on the Hiring Process

Eligible List/Score Report: 

A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.

The duration of the eligible list resulting from this examination process will be of six (6) months and may be extended with the approval of the Human Resources Director. 

Applicants must be guided solely by the provisions of this announcement, including requirements, time periods and other particulars, except when superseded by federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations. [Note: The correction of clerical errors in an announcement may be posted on the Department of Human Resources website at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ .] The terms of this announcement may be appealed under Civil Service Rule 110.4. Such appeals must be submitted in writing to the Department of Human Resources, 1 S Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103-5413 by close of business on the 5th business day following the issuance date of this examination announcement. Information concerning other Civil Service Commission Rules involving announcements, applications and examination policies, including applicant appeal rights, can be found on the Civil Service Commission website at http://sfgov.org/civilservice/rules.

Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Diversity Statement

How to Apply:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

Certification:
The certification rule for the eligible list resulting from this examination will be Rule of Three.

Statement on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:
At the City and County of San Francisco, we share a commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. Each member of our organization is responsible and accountable for what they say and do to make San Francisco an inclusive and equitable place to live and work by employing fair and just practices to and for all.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst Joanna Luong at Joanna.Luong@sfgov.org.

                                                              SELECTION PROCEDURES

Reminder:

• We communicate via e-mail, please ensure you have access to the e-mail address you have register with. All communications related to this recruitment will be sent to the e-mail you have registered with. 
• All testing components will be scheduled in-person, please plan accordingly if you progress in the hiring process.

After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

California Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) Exam (Weight: Pass/Fail):
Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be invited to participate in a performance examination. This examination is two hours and thirty minutes and designed to measure general cognitive abilities that are important for performing successfully as an Adult Corrections Officer, Juvenile Corrections Officer, or Probation Officer. While some exam questions may use job-related examples, no prior knowledge or training is needed to complete the exam. The BSCC has developed a Candidate Orientation Booklet Exam that can be reviewed here. 

         Testing Dates: Testing tentatively to be scheduled at various times throughout the week of August 11, 2025
         Location: Anticipated to be 375 Woodside Ave, San Francisco, CA 94122                                               

** This is a standardized examination. Therefore, test questions and answers are not available for public inspection or review. **

Oral Examination (Weight: 100%):

Candidates who successfully pass the BSCC Exam will be invited to participate in an oral examination to assess their knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas as described in this announcement. Job-related written and performance exercises may be included.  Candidates must achieve a passing score on the oral examination in order to be ranked on the eligible list.

After the eligible list is finalized/adopted, the department may administer additional selection procedures to make a final hiring decision (e.g. interviews, written exercise, etc.). Applicants meeting the Minimum Qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all steps of the selection process.

                                                               TIMELINE

BSCC Exam: 
Tentatively scheduled for the week of August 11, 2025 (Subject to change pending applicant counts)

Eligibility List Established & Departmental Interviews: 
Fall 2025

We are also committed to ensuring that we have a safe, equitable, and inclusive workplace for individuals of all races. This includes creating opportunities for hiring, promotion, training, and development, FOR ALL EMPLOYEES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO particularly for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC).

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.