Juvenile Probation Department - Special Programs – Juvenile Probation Officer Level IV

County of El Paso • Tx 79905, TX

1d • $71,935 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Juvenile Probation Officer (Level IV) oversees, mentors, and monitors moderate to high-risk juvenile offenders under intensive supervision which may include youth adjudicated of a sex offense, habitual offending patterns, gang affiliated and/or with extensive mental health and/or substance abuse issues. The Probation Officer works collaboratively with local law enforcement agencies in deploying supervision and suppression strategies with habitual offending youth and youth who may be deemed gang affiliated and have committed serious delinquent acts. The Probation Officer also provides coordinated services and supervision while the youth is in a contracted residential facility and upon their return to the home to include collaboration with the Texas Department of Families and Protective Services. The Probation Officer represents the Department at all court related hearings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
• Two (2) years' experience in related agency work dealing with young people, law enforcement, or related area.
• In order to access into the County’s network and systems, a personal mobile smart device is required by the hire start date.
• Must have telephone and report residence.
• Must have vehicle for transportation.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Must have or obtain by date of hire a valid driver's license applicable to job responsibilities, with a driving record acceptable to the County of El Paso.
• Proof of automobile liability insurance coverage is required.
• Must become certified as a Juvenile Probation Officer within thirty (30) days of completing the department’s New Employee Orientation.
• Must maintain certification as a Juvenile Probation Officer by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).
• Must be certified in Handle with Care (HWC) or any other restraint technique adopted, and as required by the department.
• Knowledge of: Departmental policies and procedures, TJJD standards, the Texas Penal Code, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 61.02, and Texas Family Code in order to explain detention/probation/court orders and conditions to juveniles and family members; community providers and resources; case management practices; support service programs and eligibility requirements; mediation and behavior modification techniques; graduated sanctions; issues affecting maladjusted youth; social services delivery network; of TJJD and residential placement facilities; registration requirements for adjudicated sex offenders; juvenile law, Texas Juvenile Justice Code, and Texas Family Code; DSM-V terminology, Juvenile Drug Treatment Courts and familiarity with common street drugs and their physiological and behavioral effects and court procedures; English usage, grammar, punctuation and spelling; techniques for effective interpersonal communications; modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment to include Windows and Microsoft based products.
• Skill/Ability to: work more than 40 hours during the work week, if required; be able to travel by land or air to fulfill duties and responsibilities; possess excellent communication skills in order to explain to juveniles and family members the conditions of supervision and consequences of failure to comply; maintain frequent communication with co-workers, other County employees, government agencies, law enforcement, outside organizations, and the general public; communicate clearly and precisely verbally and in writing with all levels of individuals to include families, maladjusted youth and the Juvenile Court; possess a high degree of responsibility coupled with a strong interest in young people; provide training regarding Level IV programming, departmental policies, procedures, court proceedings as well as TJJD standards; work positively and effectively with all types of children including severely maladjusted children and their families; to learn the deviant forms of behavior in juveniles and handle such behavior as constructively as possible; use moderate discretion and possess the initiative to complete work assignments with little oversight; possess sound decision making skills foster and maintain working relationships with contracted and community providers to create opportunities for youth to be successful; to learn current juvenile sex offender treatment theories and practices; use word processing software and other computer applications utilized by the department; communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing; communicate effectively with hostile, abusive or irrational individuals; obtain and organize information; operate a personal computer and basic office equipment; establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, County employees, outside organizations, attorneys and the general public; work closely with court officials and local law enforcement on cases; manage time effectively; interpret legal statutes; analyze reports and create strategic and tactical plans; complete the department’s pre-employment requirements; pass a Criminal Background Check.
• Demonstrate regular and reliable attendance.
• Work well with others and participate fully in a team oriented environment.
• Interface with other employees and customers in a courteous and respectful manner.
• Maintain strict confidentiality.
• Project positive support of their department and all county organizations at all times.
• Maintain and enhance the County’s commitment to customer service excellence.

Nice To Haves

• Case management experience is preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provides intensive supervision and mentoring of juveniles, monitoring a caseload with moderate to high-risk youth to include conducting home, school, field, office and community visits.
• Complies with visits and/or contacts as required by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and the Juvenile Probation Department supervision matrix and/or program(s) design.
• Conducts interviews/assessments; prepares social history investigations; develops individual supervision case plans for juveniles and oversees participation of juvenile’s court ordered programs.
• Participates in school, therapeutic and/or other related meetings to ensure court compliances and/or service delivery.
• Oversees behavior of juveniles and ensures the juveniles follow Court Orders.
• Prepares chronological reports to document progress for court proceedings and treatment purposes.
• Refers youth and families to community-based services; building community capacity to provide opportunities for youth to be successful.
• Coordinates community resources required by the case plan and/or court order.
• Ensures coordination with other team members (if applicable).
• Is responsible for making decisions regarding detention of juveniles and release of juveniles, modification of probationary status; makes recommendations to the Court regarding the disposition of juveniles’ cases.
• Attends mandatory and scheduled meetings and training sessions.
• Testifies before the Juvenile Court as required and makes recommendations to the Court on supervision strategies and treatment plans for the juvenile.
• Prepares and files court papers such as requests for petitions, motions to modify dispositions, and affidavits requesting a Directive to Apprehend, as well as Review Reports and Memorandums to the Court.
• Administers and completes risk assessments.
• Implements Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) amongst other evidence-based and/or promising practices as deemed appropriate by the Juvenile Probation Department.
• Mentors and trains new employees; provides on-the-job training to new Probation Officers and cross-training to other Department Unit staff/employees.
• Assists with unit caseloads as necessary.
• Is responsible for compliance with program policies and requirements to include the Juvenile Justice Professional Code of Ethics.
• Substitutes, if assigned, during temporary absences by performing delegated duties sufficient to maintain continuity of normal operations.
• Commits self to providing excellent customer service and demonstrate commitment through cooperative team and individual efforts.
• Creates a high-quality work culture through participation in and emphasis on training and mentoring to develop leadership, management, and technical skills in self and all employees, including safety related training and skills.
• Recommending a disposition in formal court proceedings.
• Providing final approval of written social history reports.
• Acting as the primary supervising officer for court-ordered and pre-adjudicated cases.
• Acting as the primary supervising officer in a collaborative supervision agreement under Family Code §51.075.
• Serving as the designated inter-county transfer officer and performing the duties required by Family Code §51.072.
• Developing and implementing case plans in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code 341.506 under Subchapter E.
• Conducting intake interviews and preliminary investigations and making release decisions under Family Code §53.01 unless another staff member is designated to do so by the juvenile board.
• Taking a child into custody as authorized by Family Code §§52.01(a)(4), 52.01(a)(6), or 52.015.
• Referring a child to a local mental health authority as required by Family Code §54.0408.
• Providing to the juvenile and to the juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian a written explanation of the process of sealing juvenile records and a copy of Family Code Chapter 58, Subchapter C-1.
• Responsible for obtaining and mailing of a Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) specimen for submission to the Texas Department of Public Safety for the purpose of creating a DNA record pursuant to 54.0405(a)(2)(B) of the Texas Family Code and for all juveniles disposed of conduct constituting the commission of a felony as listed in Article 42A.054(a) Code of the Criminal Procedure.
• Oversees and monitors a caseload with a higher level of supervision to juveniles with moderate to high need for services and supervision due to the presence of emotional, behavioral, substance, use and/or psychological needs (Intensive Supervised Probation - ISP).
• Works collaboratively with local law enforcement agencies in deploying supervision and suppression strategies with habitual offending juvenile and juvenile who may be deemed gang affiliated and have committed serious delinquent acts (Serious Habitual Offenders Comprehensive Action Program - SHOCAP).
• Oversees and monitors a caseload of moderate to high-risk juvenile offenders which includes juvenile and family affiliated with gangs (SHOCAP).
• Attends monthly SHOCAP TASK FORCE meetings with local Law Enforcement Agency’s (LEAs) and stakeholders (SHOCAP).
• Works in conjunction with TJJD parole officer assigned to identify SHOCAP offenders paroled from TJJD (SHOCAP).
• Identifies and documents gang affiliated juveniles (SHOCAP).
• Oversees and monitors a caseload of youth with a diagnosis of substance abuse disorder based on the current Diagnostic & Statistical Manuel (DSM) V diagnosis of substance abuse disorder of mild to severe (Juvenile Drug Treatment Court - JDTC).
• Attends weekly Court staffing and hearings (JDTC).
• Conducts in-home drug test as indicated by the drug test randomizer (JDTC).
• Maintains compliance with grant-funded requirements (JDTC).
• Works as part of treatment/intervention team which includes intensive services provided by contracted service provider(s); officer must coordinate activities with the treatment team and the assigned Juvenile Court Referee/District Court Judge to assist in the rehabilitation while the juvenile is on probation (JDTC).
• Works as part of treatment/intervention team which includes intensive in-home services provided by contracted service provider; officer must coordinate activities with the treatment team and the assigned Juvenile Court Referee to assist in the rehabilitation of mental health cases while the juvenile is on probation (Special Needs Diversionary Program - SNDP).
• Maintains compliance with grant funded and TJJD requirements/standards (SNDP).
• Works closely with the local mental health authority team members by attending weekly staffing, participating in treatment planning and monthly treatment plan reviews, and coordinating weekly visits in order to meet program standards (SNDP).
• Assists in the facilitation and effective coordination of supervision and services for those youth under the Texas Department of Protective Services (DFPS) permanent or temporary managing conservatorship that has been placed on probation and/or placed in a DFPS or JPD contracted facility (Dual Status Youth Program - DSYP).
• Coordinates information sharing and fiscal resources for the care of a dual system youth between DFPS, JPD, and community stakeholders (DSYP).
• Attends monthly staffing between DFPS and JPD (DSYP).
• Testifies at the juvenile’s Sex Offender Registration Hearing (Sex Offender Program - SOP).
• Follows the Juvenile Probation Department’s requirement that all juveniles adjudicated of a reportable sex offense be registered as a Sex Offender; which includes scheduling juveniles with the appropriate law enforcement agency for juveniles to register in accordance with the Sex Offender laws (SOP).
• Provides the Texas Juvenile Sex Offender Risk Assessment Instrument -2 (TJSORAI) results to the Juvenile Court Referee/District Court Judge for review, and determination of the juvenile’s risk level (SOP).
• Enters the juveniles risk level as determined by the Juvenile Court Referee/District Court Judge for electronic submission to the TJJD database (SOP).
• Provides the required court documents to the appropriate law enforcement agencies (SOP).
• Complies with any data collection and reporting requirements needed for monitoring programmatic outcomes (SOP).
• Works closely with sex offender treatment provider to monitor clinical progress and ensure timely compliance with the treatment components of sex offender therapy (SOP).
• Works in conjunction with assigned case manager and contracted facility personnel to ensure continuity of services for the youth and family when assigned in a contracted residential placement facility (SOP).
• Complies with TAC 343 standards with regards to post-adjudicate facilities (Aftercare - Residential Treatment Center - RTC and Challenge Academy).
• Complies with the frequency of visits required by TJJD, the courts and the Challenge Academy (Aftercare).
• Participates in case staffing in the preparation of the case plan as well as completion of the Residential Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT) risk assessment (Aftercare).
• Participates in phase assessments, phase reviews, school and/or other related meetings to ensure court compliances and/or service delivery (Aftercare).
• Works in conjunction with clinicians assigned to facility juvenile treatment team (Aftercare).
• Is responsible for collaborating with the Challenge clinical team to develop a community-based case plan (Aftercare).
• Complies with TAC 343 standards with regards to post-adjudicate facilities (Aftercare).
• Works to ensure that Aftercare juveniles and family needs are identified early and coordinated in an effort for community referrals to be made to address those issues while the youth is in a contracted facility as well as upon reentry into the community (Aftercare).
• Assists with program networking and collaboration with outside agencies to enhance the service delivery for the juvenile and families involved with the Aftercare Program (Aftercare).
• Identifies specific service needs based on the recommendations of the risk and needs assessment conducted by the Department and those identified by the placement treatment team (Aftercare).
• Refers juvenile and family to community-based providers and monitors service engagement (Aftercare).
• Provides supportive skill building to youth and families (Aftercare).
• Monitors quality and efficacy of services in gaining progress toward stated goals (Aftercare).
• Maintains effective and timely communication with team members to facilitate service implementation (Aftercare).
• Coordinates and participates in monthly case reviews (Aftercare).
• Completes document review, data collection and evaluation activities in a timely manner (Aftercare).
• Works as an integral member of the Aftercare team (Aftercare).
• Works to maintain effective channels of communication with internal and external associates through participation in meetings and functions that advance the goals of the program (Aftercare).
• Performs such other related duties as may be assigned.
• Must be available to work non-traditional hours and be on call as necessary on official business.
• Maintains a safe and healthy workplace environment.
• Maintains a professional caliber of attire and decorum at all times.
• May be called on to perform temporary duty assignments and cross-training.
• As members of the County of El Paso Emergency Response System, all El Paso County employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers during a proclaimed emergency and may be required to train on emergency response and/or perform certain emergency services at the direction of their supervisor.

Benefits

• Certified paid position which pays $71,934.86 gross annual salary and is subject to the non-certified general services pay dependent on state funding every biennium.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level