Probation Program Assistant

Montana Youth Probation Department Position

This is initial assessment, community service, probation compliance tracking, restitution monitoring, or youth education work in support of the probation program in a youth probation department.

Work includes performing initial assessments of youth offenders after normal working hours and determines the seriousness of the situation; providing assistance to youth probation officers by following through on probationers who are assigned to community service projects by obtaining sponsors, assigning probationers to projects, and tracking compliance; monitoring and recording the dispositions assigned to youth; monitoring, collecting, and recording restitution owed and paid;

providing educational assistance as a mentor or tutor; facilitates or presents drug/alcohol programs, and/or recruits, screens, trains, and works with members of a community task force.

Work involves considerable contact with probationers either in person, over the phone, or by mail. Guidelines include district court rules, placement committee guidelines, probation department policies and procedures, school policies and procedures, teacher guides and instructions of certified teachers or administrators, and provisions of the Montana Youth Court Act. Work is evaluated, through discussions and review of reports, for accuracy and completeness of work, adherence to policies and procedures, and effectiveness of program goals.

Job Duties:

Essential Functions:

Any one position may not include all of the duties listed, nor do the examples cover all the duties which may be performed.

• Performs initial assessment of offenders taken into custody after normal working hours; determines the seriousness of the situation and contacts appropriate individuals if necessary; tracks juvenile offenders on house arrest or curfew.
• Develops new community service work sites for individual placement by calling or visiting organizations in the community; organizes and schedules community service projects for those on probation; explains community service requirements to probationers in conjunction with other staff members.
• Provides direct supervision to those completing community service commitments; maintains records of hours worked; provides activity reports and other information to the probation officer or supervisor.
• Provides onsite supervision for youth during working hours
• Facilitates or presents programs for youth such as an alcohol awareness program; research topic of discussion and additional resources in order to personalize training to each group; maintains records and databases pertaining to program(s) presented.
• Provides liaison contact with Compliance Tracker.
• Recruits, screens, and trains members of the community who serve on task forces; investigates, implements, and evaluates community youth task force and, with the assistance of the community youth task force, identifies appropriate subcommittees.
• Initiates contact with victims to determine the amount of restitution to be paid; sets up payment schedules with probationer; tracks the amount of restitution owed and paid; contacts probationers about payment problems; initiates the paperwork needed to pay victims.
• Transports probationers to and from work sites or other facilities.
• Monitors and records dispositions assigned to youth; contacts youth to urge compliance with provisions of probation; tracks and records compliance or non-compliance; prepares reports on status of compliance and submits to probation officer or supervisor.
• Provides instruction to youths in a classroom setting to youth on probation in accordance with lesson plans developed by certified teachers; evaluates student progress based on work output, test scores, and classroom observations and behavior; maintains order in the classroom; provides feedback to parents and guardians; prepares reports, educational records and other records required by supervisor.
• Assists a probation officer with the development of a case plan for youths; provides after-school tutoring to youth and tracks progress.
• Maintains database dealing with program and/or financial aspects of the assigned program.
• May provide courtroom testimony when requested.
• May also prepare legal documents such as petitions, orders, and summons as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Behaviors):

• Knowledge of the general principles of youth probation work and related court procedures.
• Knowledge of youth behavior and family dynamics.
• Some knowledge of the operation of a personal computer with a word processing application.
• Some knowledge of the provisions of the Montana Youth Court Act dealing with probation programs such as community service and restitution.
• Ability to read, understand, and apply department probation policies and procedures and provisions of the Montana Youth Court Act pertaining to the job.
• Ability to establish and maintain records systems and databases used to track compliance with probation requirements, restitution payments, and other data…