Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist
The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office for the Western District of Washington is currently accepting applications for a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist.
The Drug and Alcohol Treatment Specialist will supervise a reduced caseload of high-risk individuals with substance use disorders. This position is responsible for providing leadership and mentoring within the district through education, training, and case staffing regarding DATS supervision.
Our District has three distinct units: a pretrial services unit including supervision, a presentence unit, and a post-conviction supervision unit. There are five offices within the district: Seattle, Tacoma, Tukwila, Everett, and Vancouver. The assignment to a duty station is at the discretion of the Chief. Frequent travel within the district is required as is some out of district travel.
Duties
⦁ Serves as in-house authority for staff and the court regarding the treatment and supervision of individuals with substance use disorders.
⦁ Performs investigative and supervision responsibilities for defendants in pretrial and post-conviction specialized cases.
⦁ Consults and collaborates with officers on pretrial, presentence and post-conviction substance use disorder cases district wide. Consults with officers to evaluate and recommend appropriate treatment options.
⦁ Coordinates and administers all specialized caseload needs and assists with personal, marital, family, educational, vocational, and emotional crisis needs for chemically dependent individuals and families.
⦁ Conducts interviews of potential ⦁ DREAM⦁ (Drug Reentry Alternative Model)⦁ participants and makes referrals to the DREAM Executive Review Team regarding potential program participants. DREAM is a post-plea / pre-adjudication program.
⦁ Works collaboratively with the DREAM Executive Review Team.
⦁ Attends monthly court appearances and prepares monthly status reports to the Court and the DREAM Executive Review Team providing thorough updates on the progress, compliance, and recovery efforts of the participants.
⦁ Maintains close contact with DREAM participants, treatment providers, sponsors, and collateral contacts.
⦁ Routinely attends treatment groups and graduations.
⦁ Serves as a liaison with the Bureau of Prisons and community correction centers for individuals with substance use disorders.
⦁ Determines and evaluates available resources to assist or complement the program.
⦁ Maintains and updates program policies and procedures to ensure overall understanding and consistency within the district.
⦁ Assists officers in meeting the needs of individuals with complex problems and circumstances; provides leadership in the development of alternatives, utilization of community resources, and the application of professionally sound case management principles.
⦁ Represents Probation and Pretrial Services at meetings, seminars, etc., and makes presentations to interested groups relative to substance abuse program initiatives.
⦁ Educates staff and other stakeholders regarding our mission as it relates to substance use disorder supervision. Collaborates with community resources and other agencies to coordinate the delivery of training to staff.
⦁ Serves as mentor to new and existing personnel. Manifests leadership skills through mentoring and involvement in various assigned projects and training programs. Participates in administrative level planning, provides consultation, and offers ideas on program direction.
⦁ Provide consultation to judges and attorneys concerning substance use disorder programs and community service programs.
⦁ Collaborates with law enforcement and other community resources to identify new illegal street drugs, symptoms of abuse, types of abusers and drug trends.
⦁ Works with the contracting specialist to identify, solicit, evaluate, and monitor drug contract services and troubleshoot vendor issues as needed. Identifies treatment needs for allocation of available funds.
⦁ Develops policy regarding testing procedures and develops, coordinates, and disseminates district policy for the supervision of individuals with substance use disorders to ensure a consistent philosophical approach in the enforcement of supervision conditions.
⦁ Works collaboratively as part of a team.
⦁ Embraces a diverse and inclusive workplace and is committed to promoting fair, impartial, and just treatment of persons under supervision throughout all phases of the justice system.
⦁ Officers are required to work a minimum number of non-standard hours per month and are expected to be available if needed on a 24/7 basis, when not on leave status.
⦁ Performs additional duties as required by management.
⦁ Knowledge of, and compliance with, the Code of Conduct for Judicial Employees and court confidentiality requirements. Ability to demonstrate sound ethics and mature, professional judgment as an objective, neutral officer of the court.
QUalifications
⦁ Demonstrated passion and commitment to dealing with individuals with substance use disorders;
⦁ Demonstrated knowledge, skill, and ability in working with individuals with substance use disorders;
⦁ Knowledge of the principles of Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous;
⦁ Capability of dealing skillfully with others in professional work relationships;
⦁ Commitment to upholding and promoting district’s mission statement;
⦁ Professional written and verbal communication skills;
⦁ Strong work ethic;
⦁ Commitment to professional development;
⦁ Ability to exercise mature judgment and discretion
Preferred Qualifications
⦁ Certification as a substance use disorder professional or a master’s degree in a field relevant to substance use treatment or chemical dependency.
⦁ Experience working in community corrections.
⦁ Ability to communicate fluently in a second language.
⦁ Demonstrated interest in professional development and self-improvement
Preferred Competencies
⦁ Demonstrates professional maturity, stability, presence, and composure.
⦁ Demonstrates a history of consistently good decision making and problem-solving skills.
⦁ Embraces and promotes diversity to create a more cohesive workforce and accept differences among staff.
⦁ Demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and development, promoting and pursuing opportunities to develop knowledge and skills.
⦁ Leads consistently with strong ethical core values and beliefs.
⦁ Acts with integrity, transparency, and truthfulness.
⦁ Skilled at listening and obtaining complete and accurate information to assist in decision making.
Education
Required Education: Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of academic study, such as criminal justice, criminology, psychology, sociology, human relations, or business or public administration.
Preferred Education: Completion of a master’s degree in psychology, behavioral science, mental health, or social work related field
Prior to appointment, the selectee considered for this position will undergo a medical examination and drug screening. As conditions of employment, incumbent will be subject to ongoing random drug screening and, as deemed necessary by management for reasonable cause, may be subject to subsequent fitness-for-duty evaluations.
The medical requirements and the essential job functions for probation and pretrial services officers are available for public review at http://www.uscourts.gov/. Pre-employment medical examinations for current federal probation and pretrial services officers are at the discretion of the Chief.
Background Investigations
Final candidates are subject to a preliminary background investigation and record check. Upon successful completion of the medical examination and drug screening, candidates may be appointed provisionally, pending a favorable suitability determination based on a full background investigation. Background investigations are 10 years in scope and conducted by the Office of Personnel Management; a full reinvestigation occurs every 5 years.
Maximum Entry Age
First-time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment. Applicants 37 or over who have previous law enforcement officer experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System and who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement officer position may have their previous law enforcement officer experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.
Law Enforcement Training
Officers are required to attend a 6-week training program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, located in Charleston, SC, during their first year of employment. Employees are generally not able to travel back to their home district during training.
Salary Range
Court Personnel System Classification Level:
CL27, Step 1 – 61, $56,646 - $92,084
CL28, Step 1 – 61, $67,906 to $110,356
CL29, Step 1 – 61, $80,729 – $131,257 (Requires one year at a CL28)
Depending on experience and qualifications; additional promotional potential without further recruitment.
Only qualified applicants will be considered for this position. Applicants must be United States citizens or eligible to work in the United States. Applicants selected for interviews must travel (for in person interviews) or connect via Zoom (for remote interviews) at their own expense. Qualified applicants selected for interviews will be tested.
U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services for the Western District of Washington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and seek a diverse pool of applicants in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, disability, religion, and socio-economic circumstance.
The United States District Court requires employees to follow a code of conduct which is available upon request. Reference checks with current and former employers will be conducted on top candidates. A background investigation with law enforcement agencies, including fingerprint and criminal record checks, will be conducted as a condition of employment. Any applicant selected for a position will be hired provisionally pending successful completion of the investigation. Unsatisfactory results may result in termination of employment. Employees of the United States District Court are considered “at will” employees.
The Federal Financial Management Reform Act requires direct deposit of federal wages.
The Court provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please notify human resources. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The Court reserves the right to modify the conditions of this job announcement, to withdraw the announcement, or to fill the position sooner than the closing date, any of which may occur without prior written or other notice. If a position becomes vacant in a similar classification, within a reasonable time from the original announcement, management may elect to select a candidate from the applicants who responded to the original announcement without posting the position. More than one position may be filled from this announcement.
Benefits
The District Court offers a generous benefit package, including transit passes, participation in a defined benefit pension plan (the Federal Employees Retirement System), Thrift Savings Plan (similar to a 401K), health and life insurance benefits, flexible spending accounts, and long-term care options, annual and sick leave accrual, and ten paid holidays per year. Judiciary employees are not covered by the Executive Branch civil service classification system or regulations. For additional information on employment with the federal courts, please visit www.uscourts.gov.