THIS IS A CITYWIDE EXAM

MULTIPLE POSITIONS ARE INTENDED TO BE FILLED FROM THE RESULTING ELIGIBLE LIST

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 6, 2026
• Applications Close: no earlier than 11:59pm on Sunday, July 19, 2026
• Salary range for 8566/8318 position: $103,376 to $125,606 
• Recruitment ID: CBT-8566/8318-166229

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 and young adults? 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, young adults 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.

Juvenile Hall Counselor IIs are peace officers as defined by section 830.5 (b) of the Penal Code. Under general direction, the Counselor II leads subordinate personnel engaged in the counseling and control of detained youth and young adults at the Juvenile Justice Center (which includes our Juvenile Hall and our Secure Youth Treatment Facility) and oversees various activities in the secured detention facility.

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 II may be assigned to work day, swing and graveyard shifts, holiday and weekends.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

1.        Leads the day-to-day operations and positive behavior development program of an assigned living unit or other areas of the facility; provides continuity of operating policies and procedures from shift to shift; interprets departmental policies; explains and interprets subordinate staff difficulties to superiors; oversees food service, daily recreation, and housekeeping activities; operates the central control station and has shift responsibility for the use of the telephone, public address system and the alarm procedure.

2.        Provides training and mentoring to new counselors and subordinate personnel; ensures that established operating procedures are carried out effectively and efficiently; instructs counselors in communications with parents, probation officers, and others for the purpose of obtaining information; expedites decisions regarding the discipline and control of detained youth and young adults.

3.        Receives newly admitted delinquent youth and young adults; coordinates counseling and orientation sessions for new youth and  young adults; provides group and individual counseling; consults with supervisors regarding behavioral problems; collaborates with department personnel, school teachers, and medical and behavioral health clinicians in reference to the personal conduct and welfare of youth and young adults in custody; submits verbal behavior progress reports; advises parents of their children’s conduct and welfare; administers first aid and locates medical personnel when necessary.

4.        Establishes procedures regarding security matters including the search for contraband; ensures that all materials and supplies that may be used as a weapon, are accounted for; supervises security procedures; supervising the movement and transportation of youth and  young adults; handles hostile youth and young adults; directs shakedowns of individuals in units; inspects and maintains the cleanliness and repair of living units; orders supplies needed for unit operations and supervises the economic use thereof.

5.        Oversees the preparation and maintenance of departmental records and individual case reports; prepares or reviews log entries, discipline reports, incident forms and interoffice memos. Maintains and updates databases and case management systems.

Education:
Possession of a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience:
One (1) year of experience in counseling, disciplining, and care for delinquent or dependent children.

License and Certification:

1.        Possession of a valid California driver's license.

2.        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.

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.

This is a Class-Based Test conducted in accordance with Civil Service Rule 111A.

Desirable Qualifications:
The stated desirable qualifications may be considered at the end of the selection process when candidates are referred for hiring 

Knowledge of:

• Adolescent and young adult growth, development needs, and problems of justice involved youth and young adults
• Individual and group counseling techniques as applied to adolescents; 
• The laws and codes governing the care and custody of youth and young adults confined to a detention facility
• The policies and procedures regarding the operation of living facilities.

Ability and Skill to:

• Apply counseling principles and practices in the care, custody, and treatment of justice and child welfare system-involved youth and young adults;
• Assist in the training and supervision of subordinate employees
• Supervise the operations of a secure living unit as well as use sound judgement in a variety of routine and special situations
• Act calmly when emergencies arise
• Sense, evaluate, and handle tense group situations as they develop
• Accept responsibility for on the spot decisions when appropriate
• Prepare accurate and concise reports. 

POST Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training

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 12 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:

• Information on the Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

How To Apply:

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit SF-Careers 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.

Exam Analyst Information: If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst Joanna Luong at [email protected]

                                                                       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 Exam: Weight - (Pass/Fail)

The California Board of State and Community Corrections Exam (BSCC) will be scheduled when it has been determined which candidates meet the minimum qualifications. This exam will measure a candidate’s ability to read, understand, and recall written information, basic arithmetic skills, and other characteristics found to be important components of successful performance as an 8318/8566 Counselor II for Juvenile Hall. Applicants who have successfully demonstrated that they meet the minimum qualifications will be notified of the date, time, and location of the Juvenile Corrections Officer Examination.

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

Written Exam: Weight - 100%

Candidates who have a passing score on the BSCC exam will be invited to participate in a written examination designed to measure the knowledge, skills and abilities in job-related areas as described in this announcement. Candidates much achieve a passing score on the written examination 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: August 2026 – in person at 375 Woodside Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122 subject to change pending candidate pool 

Written Exam – September 2026

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.