Juvenile Justice Counselor

Job Description

**THE RECRUITMENT PERIOD FOR THIS VACANCY HAS BEEN EXTENDED**

Effective July 1, 2026 the wage for this position increased by 3%. The wage listed in this job posting reflects the increase.

This position is open to Alaska Residents Only.

This position will be filled at either the 1 or 2 level depending on the applicant’s qualifications and job experience.  It is recommended that you apply for all levels if you are qualified.

The Division of Juvenile Justice is recruiting to fill multiple Juvenile Justice Counselor 1/2 positions in Juneau at the Johnson Youth Facility Treatment/Detention Units.

What You Will Be Doing:

As a Juvenile Justice Counselor, you will be part of a team that is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of Alaskan youth. You will influence, inspire, and transform the lives of juvenile offenders and their families through therapeutic programs that incorporate a restorative justice approach to community protection, and drives the youth’s accountability and development. The meaningful relationships you build with the youth will allow you to contribute to delivering skills and knowledge in navigating life skills, anger management, drug and alcohol education, and more.

Our Organization, Mission, and Culture:

The Division of Juvenile Justice’s mission is to hold juvenile offenders accountable for their behavior; promote the safety and restoration of victims and communities; and assist offenders and their families in developing the skills to prevent crime. As a Juvenile Justice Counselor, you will support this mission by working with the youth on their individual needs and maintaining the security and safety of residents, visitors, staff, and facility buildings.

You will be part of a team that takes pride in creating a positive environment for both team members and juveniles. In this role, you will be contributing to building a stronger community by supporting our youth, guiding them to be successful and happy.

Our core values include:

Prioritizing Safety

– of our youth, staff, families, and communities

Responsiveness

– providing timely response to youth, families, victims, staff, and justice partners.

Professional Relationships

– recognizing that successful treatment services provided to our clients, coworkers, victims, and others rely on positive, respectful, and collaborative relationships and a spirit of inclusiveness.

Dedication

– doing the right things for the right reasons and modeling relentless integrity and leadership.

Respect

– for the inherent value of each person's unique strengths and individual differences.

The Benefits of Joining Our Team:

Advance your career while shaping a brighter future for youth across Alaska.

At the Division of Juvenile Justice, we invest in our workforce by providing robust professional development and diverse career trajectories. We operate under a strict framework of integrity, trust, and respect, fostering a collaborative environment where every team member contributes to systemic success. Join a dedicated network of professionals committed to making a measurable, positive impact on youth outcomes, one life at a time.

The Working Environment You Can Expect:

This position is in the Johnson Youth Center on Hospital Drive in Juneau.  As a member of our Team, you will work inside a 24-hour secure facility, where shiftwork, holidays, weekends and occasional overtime are required.

Who We Are Looking For:

In addition to the Minimum Qualifications below, we are looking for a candidate with the following competencies:

Conscientiousness:

Displays a high level of effort and commitment towards performing work; demonstrates responsible behavior.

Integrity/Honesty:

Contributes to maintaining the integrity of the organization; displays high standards of ethical conduct and understands the impact of violating these standards on an organization, self, and others; is trustworthy.

Interpersonal Skills

: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Stress Tolerance:

Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).

If this sounds like your skill set, or one you would like to develop, please apply through Workplace Alaska.

To view the general description and example of duties for Juvenile Justice Counselor 1/2 please go to the following link:

https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/alaska/classspecs?keywords=juvenile%20justice%20counselor

Minimum Qualifications

Juvenile Justice Counselor 1:

A high school diploma or GED.

AND

Must be 20 years of age or older.

Special Note:

Prior to initial appointment, successful candidates for the Juvenile Justice Counselor series and Juvenile Justice Unit Supervisor positions are subject to a background investigation, criminal record check, and medical examination to determine the essential duties of the position can be safely performed.

A valid driver’s license is required at the time of appointment.

Juvenile Justice Counselor 2:

A high school diploma or GED.

AND

Six months of paid or volunteer experience teaching or coaching group activities for youth.

AND

Must be 20 years of age or older.

OR

Six months of experience as a Juvenile Justice Counselor 1 with the State of Alaska, or equivalent elsewhere.

AND

Demonstrated achievement of department approved performance standards.

OR

Six months of experience administering, advising on, performing, or supervising adult or juvenile corrections, law enforcement, parole, probation, residential treatment casework, or social casework.

Substitutions:

Completed coursework from an accredited college may substitute for the required work experience (3 semester or 4 quarter hours of post-secondary education are equal to one month of work experience).

AND/OR

Military experience may substitute for the required work experience on a month-for-month basis.

Special Note:

Prior to initial appointment, successful candidates for the Juvenile Justice Counselor series and Juvenile Justice Unit Supervisor positions are subject to a background investigation, criminal record check, and medical examination to determine the essential duties of the position can be safely performed.

A valid driver’s license is required at the time of appointment.

Additional Required Information

At time of interview applicant must submit

:

Copy of transcripts if using to meet MQs (unofficial are okay, please ensure that the institution name/URL is listed on the transcripts).

Three (3) names & phone numbers of professional references.

Two (2) performance evaluations from previous employers, if available.

At the time of appointment, selected candidate must submit:

Copy of current driver’s license

Please read the below information carefully. This applies to your application submission.

BACKGROUND CHECK

The successful candidate must pass a comprehensive background investigation, which includes a state and FBI fingerprint-based background check.

LEGAL EMPLOYMENT

The State’s online recruitment system, Workplace Alaska, requires applicants to certify that they have a legal right to accept employment in the United States. It is the responsibility of the employee to maintain the appropriate documentation to accept or continue legal employment. The State of Alaska does not function in the role of an employer sponsor.

FLEXIBLY STAFFED

This position is flexibly staffed.  This vacancy may be filled at either the 1 or 2 level, depending on the applicant's training and/or experience.  The full range of salaries is listed above.  Starting salary will be determined by the level of the position. If filled at Level