Juvenile Probation Officer

Westmoreland County (PA)
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Full Time

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Position Summary

A Juvenile Probation Officer performs duties and responsibilities consistent with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Act, Rules of Juvenile Court Procedure, Principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice, and Juvenile Justice Evidence-Based Practices. The mission and purpose of the Juvenile Act mandates that youth who commit delinquent acts be provided "programs of supervision, care and rehabilitation which provide balanced attention to the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed and the development of competencies to enable children to become responsible and productive members of the community," which fully embrace the principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice. Evidence-based Practices employ assessments, interventions, and treatment approaches that have been demonstrated by sound research to work most effectively to reduce recidivism with juvenile offenders, and enables Pennsylvania's Juvenile Justice System to fulfill its mission and purpose. In order to adequately perform these duties and responsibilities, a juvenile probation officer needs to possess, develop, and continually refine the following knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Starting Salary: $21.33 Hourly / $41,593.50 Annually

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Department Standards and Policies

Work and Conduct Supports Mission and Goals of the Department/Judiciary
Demonstrates personal integrity and abides by the Code of Ethics
Follows judicial polices/directives
Follows departmental polices
Demonstrates a willingness to employ Evidence Based Practices to reach departmental goals.
Attentive to Departmental Safety Regulations/Policies
Follows departmental safety regulations/polices
Completes required training and properly uses methods for managing angry or physically assaultive individuals

Professional Alliance and Growth

Communicates Effectively with Departmental Employees, Juvenile Court Personnel, Victims, and all External Stakeholders.
Is authentic, attentive, and articulates effectively when communicating with others
Is confident, respectful, and professional in all interactions
Written and verbal communications are purposeful and timely
Accepts responsibility, is responsive to suggestions and demonstrates the ability to be flexible, making appropriate adjustments when necessary
Works Collaboratively with Workgroups/Teams/Committees
Works collaboratively with others to prevent or resolve conflicts by gathering relevant information and evaluating alternatives, before making a decision
Willing to accept new duties
Volunteers and actively participates in committees/workgroups
Seeks Opportunities for Professional Development
Completes required training hours
Willingly participates in training to address needs identified through audits/formal observations, supervisor feedback, and personnel evaluations
Keeps informed of best practices and issues in the field

Case Management and Supervision

Risk Reduction
Makes appropriate referrals for juveniles and families based on the principles of risk, need and responsivity
Provides appropriate information, per departmental policy, to the treatment/referral agency and obtains required documents from the treatment/referral agency
Communicates with service providers to support the achievement of identified goals
Accountability Measures
Makes referrals to restorative programs, as appropriate
Monitors payments of restitution and reports arrears in accordance with department policy and court requirements
Makes timely referrals and oversees completion of community service
Screening/Assessment Tools
Utilizes effective information gathering techniques
Completes the screening/assessment tool in a detailed and timely manner
Scoring of the screening/assessment tool is reliable and valid
Level of supervision and risk assessment overrides are explained and documented per departmental policy
Case Planning
Prepares for development of initial case plan by identifying criminogenic needs and considers strategies for engaging juveniles in setting goals related to increased competencies
Strengths are identified and included in the case planning process
Collaborates with juvenile and family in developing and prioritizing goals to be incorporated into the case plan
Develops a case plan which incorporates specific action steps while addressing responsivity needs
When appropriate, case plans include linkage to agency involvement and treatment plans
Motivational Interviewing
Demonstrates the use of Motivational Interviewing skills during daily interactions
Employs Motivational Interviewing skills to enhance the quality of case management focusing on positive behavior change
Listens effectively and encourages others to speak candidly; Participates in ongoing practice through the completion of recordings and/or direct observations per departmental policy
Utilizes effective Motivational Interviewing to assist the juvenile in strengthening motivation and adherence to probation requirements
Day-to-Day Supervision
Meets contact standards as required by departmental policy
Makes contact with family, schools, placements, and community
Monitors compliance with court requirements and laws
Utilizes assessment results, case plan, skill building and structured sessions to focus discussions with juveniles around behavior change
Monitors progress, identifies barriers and assists juveniles in solving problems to promote behavior change by utilizing client-centered skill building activities
Graduated Responses
Attentive to positive behavior and achievements and utilizes incentives to reinforce behavior change
Recommends graduated sanctions for non-compliance in accordance with departmental policy/court directives
Documentation
Case notes are objective, timely, concise, and thorough
Case notes adequately summarize significant events or non-compliance
Case notes routinely summarize progress on supervision plan goals
Data entry into JCMS and other data sources is timely, accurate, and complete
Reports are factual, grammatically correct, and filed in a timely manner
Court Duties/Recommendations
Timely and complete preparation of all court documents
Concise and clear recommendations to the courts based on a thorough analysis and summary of the case, including risk-level and identified needs (both criminogenic and special)
Prepared and on time for all court related meetings
Professional courtroom demeanor

Examples of Work Performed

Receives, reviews, and evaluates delinquent allegations of youth
Conducts interviews and investigations with youth, family, victims and other relevant individuals/entities, in the field or office.
Administers and interprets screening and/or assessments instruments, including the Youth Level of Service (YLS), Pennsylvania Detention Risk Assessment Instrument (PaDRAI), and other instruments
Prepares reports and makes recommendations to the Juvenile Court based on interviews, investigations, and results of screening and/or assessments instruments
Prepares a case plan to address criminogenic risk/need domains consistent with the principles of Balanced and Restorative Justice to ensure that balanced attention is provided to the needs of the community, the victim, and the offender
Provides supervision and interventions based upon case plan, conditions of probation, and Orders of the Court, in the field or in the office.
Assures adherence to victims' rights in accordance with the Pennsylvania Crime Victims' Bill of Rights
Establishes a plan for collection of restitution ordered by the Juvenile Court and/or other reparations to the victim so ordered by the Court
Collaborates with the youth's family and community resources based on case plan
Provides directly and/or facilitates individual and/or group cognitive behavioral and skill building interventions for youth based on training and expertise to address identified criminogenic risk/needs
Makes referrals for community-based services for youth based on case plan and monitors and assesses progress
Employs graduated response systems to encourage and support desired behaviors and discourage and hold youth accountable for undesired behaviors
Takes into custody and places in an alternative to detention program or detains in secure detention facility based on risk to appear for hearings and/or commit additional delinquent acts while pending a hearing before the Juvenile Court Judge
Makes referral to residential services and monitors progress based on the criminogenic risk/needs identified in the case plan
Maintains detailed and accurate records of the youth's progress and compliance with the requirements of the case plan and conditions of probation
Evaluates and makes recommendations for discharge of the youth from Juvenile Court supervision
Other duties, as required

Education, Experience, Certifications, and Professional Development

Minimum requirement for employment as a juvenile probation officer is a bachelor's degree, with a background of at least 18 credits in the behavioral or social sciences from an accredited college or university.
Prior to employment will be required to obtain Child Abuse Clearance, and Pennsylvania State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Background Checks
Required to maintain a valid Pennsylvania driver's license
Upon employment complete a minimum of 40 hours of annual professional development as recommended by the Juvenile Court Judge's Commission/Center for Juvenile Justice Training & Research Training Policy.

Westmoreland County Full-Time Employee Benefits: