Job Description

Position Description

The Superior Court of California, County of Butte

is now accepting applications for:

Mediator - Child Custody Recommending Counselor

**Application Deadline: July 4, 2023 - 11:59 PM** About the Community:
Butte County Superior Court is located in beautiful Northern California, where the valley floor meets the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountains, approximately 1.5 hours north of Sacramento. At over 1,600 square miles and with a population of approximately 225,000, Butte County is full of natural beauty and provides endless recreational opportunities. It is home to one of the largest municipal parks in the country, Bidwell Park, which boasts over 3,600 acres of hiking and mountain bike trails, swimming holes, picnic areas, golf and disc golf courses, and more! Outdoor adventures also await in places like Lake Oroville, Feather Falls, Table Mountain, and Lassen and Plumas National Forests which border the county to the east. In the county\'s urban center of Chico, you\'ll find a vibrant downtown, art, culture, unique restaurants, music, and weekly farmers\' markets. Right in the center of it all is the CSU, Chico campus, which provides a stunning backdrop and a variety of events and activities throughout the year.

About the Court:
Butte County Superior Court is a unified superior court operating two facilities, one courthouse in Chico, and another courthouse in the county seat of Oroville. All legal, operational, and administrative functions of the court are governed by the Presiding Judge and the Court Executive Officer. The court has thirteen judicial officers, or eleven judges and two commissioners, and approximately 135 support staff. Despite its size, Butte is recognized throughout the state as a leader in many court collaborations, including self-help services, case management system consortiums, our highly acclaimed and model civic outreach program, and numerous multi-court employee education events. Butte County is home to a community with diverse needs, and the court continually adapts to provide effective and reliable access to justice.

The Position:
The Mediator - Child Custody Recommending Counselor classification performs mediations; conducts investigations; makes child custody/visitation recommendations to the Judicial Officers of the Superior Court; and performs related duties as assigned.

Essential Job Functions

The following duties are typical of those performed by the incumbent in this classification; however, other duties may also be required.

• Conducts mediation sessions related to child custody and visitation disputes.
• Interviews parents, children, collateral sources and various agencies to develop information regarding domestic, martial, and other aspects of parental responsibilities which directly relate to appropriate recommendations.
• Evaluates and assesses families for referral to appropriate community resources.
• Prepares written stipulations of agreements, recommendations and evaluations to the Court in child custody and visitation cases.
• May conduct pre-marital underage minor evaluations and recommendations to the Court.
• Provides court testimony regarding recommendations.
• Prepares and maintains case files, compiles statistics and keeps records at the request of the Court.
• Conducts mediation or parent orientation classes, as required.
• Provides instruction, seminars and presentations on divorce, dispute resolution, child development or other relevant topics, as directed.
• Attends training sessions, staff meetings, and case consultations and maintains up-to-date information concerning family assessment, family dynamics, mediation and family law.
• Abides by professional and ethical standards as mandated and prescribed in the California Family Code, Rules of Court and Mediation Standards.
• Assists in the coordination of various court-based service programs and multi-agency collaborative efforts.
• Collects and maintain statistical information pertaining to division operations.

Knowledge of:

• California Court system, Civil Code, Family Law policies and procedures and case and statutory law
• Code of Ethics for California Court Employees
• Principles of interviewing, counseling, investigation, and casework; negotiation theory; court mediation theory and paradigms; reality focused settlement techniques
• Adult and child psychopathology and the psychology of families
• Child development; clinical issues relating to children; the effects of divorce and domestic violence on children; and child custody research sufficient to enable a counselor to assess the mental health needs of children
• Appropriate parenting arrangements for children of various ages
• Domestic violence issues and crisis intervention techniques
• Behavioral disorders such as character and mental disorders; substance abuse; domestic violence; child abuse and molestation
• Available local community resources
• Legal requirements for recommendations to the Court and stipulated agreements
• Legal terminology
• Business English, including vocabulary, correct grammatical usage, spelling and punctuation

Ability to:

• Understand and apply statutes, rules and case law affecting the Family Court Services Division
• Obtain and interpret social data from various sources
• Effectively interview children and adults in a non-confrontational manner; skillfully assess normal and dysfunctional interaction of family members; assess the needs of family members for appropriate outside agency assistance or for further investigative process
• Deal with small group dynamics involving coalition, hidden agendas, transference and counter-transference; provide assertive intervention in delineating common goals of the parties
• Provide feedback on findings and actively explore alternative solutions with clients
• Effectively utilize crisis intervention techniques
• Negotiate via cognitive and communicative problem solving
• Deal tactfully and interact effectively in situations requiring instructing, persuading, consulting, counseling and motivating people
• Establish rapport and effective working relationships with clients of different social, economic, and ethnic backgrounds, some of whom may be emotional or uncooperative
• Reach logical conclusions and exercise sound judgment based on the evaluation of facts and conflicting information
• Prepare concise reports and records
• Testify in court
• Prioritize work and manage time effectively to work within time limits
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Work cooperatively, tactfully and courteously with those contacted in the course of work
• Follow oral and written directions and instruction and accept direction and feedback
• Safeguard sensitive information and maintain confidentiality
• Use good judgment
• Work in a fast-paced, sometimes stressful, environment
• Utilize computer technology including desktop computer, word processing, and spreadsheet applications
• Travel between Court facilities when required

Typical Qualifications

Any combination of education, training and experience that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience: At least two years of experience in social work, counseling / psychotherapy, or both, preferably in a setting related to the areas of responsibility of the family conciliation court and with the population to be served. Additional work experience may be evaluated for substitution purposes for the required education.

Education: A Master\'s Degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, social work, marriage, family and child counseling or other behavioral science substantially related to marriage and family interpersonal relationships.

Licenses and Certifications: May be required to possess, or obtain by appointment date, a valid California Class C Driver\'s license issued by the State Department of Motor Vehicles.

A 10% salary differential is paid for an employee who possesses one of the following licenses:

• Marriage and Family Therapist
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• Psychologist

Special Requirements: None

Supplemental Information

Additional Information

Criminal History Requirement: Candidates are required to pass a criminal history background check.

License Requirement: Possession of a valid California Class C driver\'s license may be required or the ability to provide alternate transportation that meets job requirements.

Physical Requirements: The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this classification. Reasonable accommodations may be available to a qualified individual with a disability that will enable him/her to perform the essential functions of the Mediator - Child Custody Recommending Counselor classification.

Ability to sit for extended periods of time; dexterity and coordination to handle files and single pieces of paper; frequent lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling of objects weighing up to 50 pounds; strength, dexterity and coordination and/or ability to use a computer keyboard and read a video display terminal on a daily basis; vision which can be corrected to a level sufficient to read handwritten, typed and computer generated information and data; hearing and speech ability sufficient to enable communication by telephone and in-person; ability to frequently reach for and/or twist for items above and below desk level, sometimes with the assistance of a ladder or stepstool; frequently moves from place to place within the office; frequently walks short distances; and vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and the ability to adjust focus to enable incumbent to decipher color coded files, forms, complete data entry and read operating instructions and procedures.

Work Environment: While performing the responsibilities of the Mediator - Child Custody Recommending Counselo , these work environment characteristics are representative of the environment an employee will encounter. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Work is performed in an office environment with little exposure to outdoor temperatures, dirt, or dust. The incumbent\'s working conditions are typically quiet, but may be loud at times at some locations. The noise level and traffic level in the work environment are similar to a busy office. This role routinely uses standard office equipment. Travel to visit other branches within the county and travel to attend professional meetings and trainings in and outside of the county may be required on a frequent basis.

Normal court business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This position may require occasional long hours or weekend work, however. Alternate work shifts may occur.

Disclaimer: This document is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an incumbent assigned to this job classification. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of incumbents so classified.

Application Process

Please submit a complete online application, including responses to the required supplemental questions, at . Applications will not be accepted by other means.

Applications are due by 11:59 PM on July 4, 2023. The best-qualified candidates will be selected to advance to an interview.

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