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Posted: January 22, 2026 (1 day ago)

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CLASSIFICATION COUNSELOR 2 - TEAMSTERS

State of Washington

Dept. of Corrections

Fresh

Location

Washington, 98504

Salary

$6,200 - $8,332

per month

Closes

January 29, 2026More State jobs →

SES Pay Grade

Base salary range: $147,649 - $221,900

Typical requirements: Executive-level leadership experience. Senior executive qualifications required.

Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).

Job Description

Summary

This job involves working as a counselor in a Washington state prison, where you'll manage a group of incarcerated men by assessing their needs, creating plans for their time in prison and release, and helping them connect with community resources to reduce future risks.

It's a hands-on role that requires strong judgment to ensure safety and support rehabilitation.

A good fit would be someone with experience in social work or counseling who is patient, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a secure facility environment.

Key Requirements

  • Experience managing caseloads of incarcerated individuals, including investigations and needs assessments
  • Knowledge of risk assessment tools and conducting PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act) risk screenings
  • Ability to prepare release plans and counsel on community resources for re-entry
  • Skills in documentation, such as writing reports, correspondences, and incident reports
  • Participation in multi-disciplinary teams and enforcing court/DOC conditions
  • Strong communication skills for interacting with incarcerated individuals, families, and external agencies
  • Exercise sound judgment in decisions on sanctions, treatment, and education referrals

Full Job Description

Classification Counselor 2

Airway Heights Corrections Center

Salary Range: $6,200 - $8,332 Monthly

This recruitment is open to current DOC employees only.


Description

The Department of Corrections (DOC), Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC), is seeking a highly motivated and qualified individual for a permanent Classification Counselor 2 position.

This position is located at AHCC in Airway Heights WA. Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC) is a 2000+ bed male facility located approximately 10 miles west of Spokane.

The prison consists of a main facility that houses medium- and long-term minimum-custody offenders.

A separate perimeter adjacent to the main facility accommodates a minimum-security unit for offenders with minimum-custody or lower.The Department of Corrections (DOC), as a partner in the criminal justice system, enhances public safety, administers criminal sanctions and programs in accordance with the law and provides leadership for the future of corrections in Washington State.Whether the work is inside a prison, in community corrections, or in an administrative office, the Washington State Department of Corrections professional staff experience a high degree of personal satisfaction know they are creating environments in which all incarcerated individuals can learn to make choices that contribute to a safer society.


A completed application packet will include:

  • A cover letter regarding your interest in this position with our agency
  • A detailed resume
  • Three professional references

Requirements

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Manage a caseload of adult criminal incarcerated individuals:
  • Investigate all information available for each arriving incarcerated individual and determine their documentation and programming needs.
  • Screen incarcerated individuals for job assignments to ensure community safety for incarcerated individual referred to community work crews, Department of Natural Resources crews, and sustainability crews. .
  • Conduct PREA Risk Assessments and single cell assessments to ensure proper housing and safety of offenders.
  • Administering of Risk Assessment tools.
  • Collect information to complete facility plans, criminal history and risk management tools to determine needs.
  • Prepare and submit Incarcerated Individual release plan.
  • Counsel and inform incarcerated individuals regarding community resources and problems they might encounter in their transition to work release, parole, or release. Work with internal and external entities to facilitate incarcerated individual re-entry into the community.
  • Enforce court ordered conditions and impose DOC conditions.
  • Participate in Risk Management/multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Maintain communication with incarcerated individuals to assist with attorney calls, child custody/support hearings with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and courts, and family contact through crisis/emergency situations.
  • Regularly review and update incarcerated individual plans and programming needs.
  • Arrange translator services.
  • Evaluate incarcerated individuals for early release.
  • Monitor incarcerated individual programming and behaviors.
  • Exercise sound judgment, aligned with Department policy, in decisions concerning sanctions, treatment, and education referral.
Provide effective communication and documentation
  • Write correspondences, infractions, and incident reports.
  • Provide clear, concise, and consistent communication with staff, incarcerated individuals, and stakeholders.
Navigate and maintain multiple electronic technologies and hard copy files.
  • Record, access, update, and retrieve incarcerated individual-related information from agency database.
  • Maintain electronic and hard copy incarcerated individual file to accurately reflect current incarcerated individual status.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and one year of social service or corrections experience.* A Master's degree in sociology, psychology, social work, criminology, or closely related field will substitute for the year of required experience.

OR

Satisfactory completion of two years of college (60 semester or 90 quarter credits) and three years of experience in adult corrections, juvenile corrections, rehabilitation or social casework.

OR

One year as a Classification Counselor 1 in Washington State service to include, at a minimum satisfactory completion of two years of college (60 semester or 90 quarter credits).

OR

Five (5) years of social service or corrections experience.

*Note: Corrections experience is defined as the focus of work dealing directly with incarcerated individuals a majority of the time.

  • In addition to at least one of the above, this position requires:

    Ability to:
  • Write clearly, factually, and concisely.
  • Analyze and interpret data, weigh the risks, and make decisions or recommendations to address staff and incarcerated individual needs.
  • Identify and address incarcerated individuals behaviors/needs.
  • Organize and prioritize work.
  • Apply conflict resolution skills.
Observation - Observe and strategize personal action based on environmental conditions and human behavior.

Technology - Learns and utilizes computer-based applications in the performance of job duties.

Stress Tolerance - Remains calm and rational while handling difficult situations to include, but not limited to: volatile, threatening or other crisis/emergency situations; expertly intervenes in response to threats.

Professional Standards - Knows and applies relevant law, policy, procedure and practice; adheres to established productivity standards and timelines; identifies own training needs and proactively seeks training opportunities.

Adaptability - Incorporates new information into an existing framework of understanding; accepts changes and supports the Agency through changes in law, policy and procedure.

Additional Information

Supplemental Information

Vision: Working together for safer communities.

Mission: Improving public safety by positively changing lives.

Our Commitment: To operate a safe and humane corrections system and partner with others to transform lives for a better Washington.


DOC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, honorably discharged veteran, veteran status, genetic information, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability.


IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • This recruitment may be utilized to fill more than one position.
  • Please include a minimum of three (3) professional references with your application.

    A professional reference is defined as an individual who has been paid to supervise your work and can attest to your work performance, technical skills, and job competencies.

    If you do not have any or sufficient professional references, please include non-related professionals, such as educators or other professional associates.**Please note: Phone number AND email address are required for all professional references.

  • A background check including criminal record history will be conducted prior to a new hire. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position.
  • Employees may work directly with or near incarcerated individuals in a potentially hazardous setting. Please consider this when deciding whether to apply.
  • We are committed to maintaining a drug and alcohol-free work environment, and our employees are expected to comply with all state and federal laws.

    A pre-employment drug test may be administered as part of the selection process, and applicants who test positive for any controlled substances, will be disqualified from consideration.

  • Oleoresin Capsicum (OC) is an aerosol pepper spray made available as a means of self-defense and/or de-escalation. Applicants with sensitivities or allergies are encouraged to ask about the level of exposure they could expect in this position.
  • Animal care projects are a common component of most Washington State prisons, including dog and cat programs. Applicants with animal sensitivities or allergies are encouraged to ask about the level of exposure they could expect in this position.
  • Tuberculosis (TB) is a priority health issue for DOC employees. The successful candidate may be required to provide valid proof of a baseline TB skin test within 60 days from the date of hire.

    When positive tests result, further information, testing and treatment will also be required. Employment is not contingent upon test results.

    Foreign equivalent degrees awarded outside the United States must have a credential evaluation report attached to your application.

    You may request the required evaluation/documentation from www.wes.org and www.aice-eval.org. Until this documentation is provided, you will not be selected to move forward in the hiring process.

    DOC complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements for the federal employment eligibility verification form I-9.

    The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States consistent with the requirements of that form.

    https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

  • DOC does not use E-Verify; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM-Optional Practice Training (OPT). For information, please visit www.uscis.gov.


Telework Details

This position may be allocated for telework.

Work may be performed from your home or another offsite location within the state of Washington using a reliable internet or cellular hotspot service at that time.

Employees are expected to perform assigned duties in a safe manner, to take proper care all state-issued equipment, and maintain confidentiality of all information in possession while working offsite.

Employees will be required to commute to a Department of Corrections facility or field office as business requires, to potentially include components of the onboarding process.

Some offices will have a “drop in” area available, however, a dedicated workspace within a DOC facility will not be provided.


What We Offer:

As an employee of the Department of Corrections, your work-life integration is a priority.

Washington State employees are offered one of the most inclusive and competitive benefits packages in the nation.

Besides comprehensive family insurance for medical, dental, and vision, these perks also may include:

  • Remote/telework/flexible schedules (depending on position)
  • Up to 25 paid vacations days a year
  • 8 hours of paid sick leave per month
  • 12 paid holidays a year
  • Generous retirement plan
  • Flex Spending Accounts
  • Dependent Care Assistance
  • Deferred Compensation and so much more!


PERS: State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.


For questions about this recruitment, or to request reasonable accommodation in the application process, please email Josalyn.cork@doc1.wa.gov. For TTY service, please call the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

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Posted on NEOGOV: 1/22/2026 | Added to FreshGovJobs: 1/23/2026

Source: NEOGOV | ID: neogov-washington-5208456