Specialist - Community Service Restitution

Meets with juvenile and family to exchange information and to sign appropriate documentation; assists with the coordination of activities and supervises juveniles participating in work crews and in enrichment activities; contacts local organizations to offer and arrange services of and/or for juveniles; transports juveniles as necessary and is responsible for care and maintenance of department vehicles; conducts orientation and informal individual and/or group discussions with individual or small groups; updates case files and prepares necessary documentation; prepares and distributes progress reports or non-compliance documentation to appropriate staff and/or juveniles or families and assists in the collection of information for periodic statistical reports..

• Meets with juvenile and family to exchange information and to sign appropriate documentation, reviewing referral forms and court orders;
• Assists with the coordination of activities and supervises juveniles participating in work crews.
• Monitors juveniles participating in enrichment activities including equine and wilderness programs
• Administers case plan activities specific to the unit;
• Contacts local organizations to offer and arrange services of and/or for juveniles;
• Transports juveniles as necessary and is responsible for the care and maintenance of department vehicles while transporting juveniles.
• Responsible for care and maintenance of department vehicles while transporting juveniles;
• May assist in the training and oversight of volunteers;
• Conducts orientation and informal individual and/or group discussions with individual or small groups;
• Updates case files and prepares necessary documentation; 
• Assists in the collection of information for periodic statistical reports;
•  Prepares and distributes progress reports or non-compliance documentation to appropriate staff and/or juveniles or families  

Minimum Education and Experience. Graduation from High School or a General Education Development (GED) certificate supplemented by college coursework in Social/Behavioral Sciences, Education, Criminal Justice or closely related field, and one year working with children or criminal justice experience; or any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Special Requirements.  Must secure and maintain certification as a Community Activity Officer by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).  Must secure and maintain a favorable background investigation and must complete a pre-employment physical and a pre-employment drug screen test.  Must have a valid driver’s license.  Must clear psychological assessment.  Must be certified to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) within six months of employment.  May be required to work more than 40 hours during the workweek.  Weekend work will be required. 

Knowledge.  Must have knowledge of department policies and procedures; knowledge of mediation and behavior modification techniques; knowledge of issues affecting troubled adolescents; and knowledge of word processing software and other computer applications utilized by the department.
Skills.  Must have organizational skills; skill in dealing with hostile or violent individuals; skill in operating a personal computer and basic office equipment; interpersonal skills to interact effectively with troubled juveniles, employees, and the general public; and skill in dealing with juveniles and families in crisis.
Abilities. Must be able to facilitate one-on-one group training; ability to communicate effectively with hostile, abusive or irrational individuals; ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing; ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups of individuals; ability to maintain records; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, County employees, outside organizations, juveniles, their families and the general public.

Supervisory Responsibility.  Employee receives general supervision when performing the essential functions.  Well-defined procedures are used when completing work assignments. Job has significant impact on program operations and public image.  Supervision of other employees is not required.

Judgment, Initiative and Decision-Making.  Judgment is required to place and monitor juveniles in community service work programs.  Uses limited discretion to complete case assignments.  Initiative is frequently required to complete case assignments.  Conflicting or incomplete data is occasionally encountered in decision-making.  Decisions are made regarding project planning, group work scheduling and individual work priorities.

Contacts.  Constant contact with juveniles.  Frequent contact with outside organizations, co-workers, other County employees, families of involved juveniles, and the general public.  Communication is primarily in person, via telephone and through written correspondence.

Working Conditions.  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Working conditions are in an office environment with frequent outside activities.  The employee frequently faces difficult and stressful situations.  The employee has frequent contact with other employees both within and outside of the assigned division, and juveniles and their families.  Interactions often involve sensitive or difficult issues that require persuasion and negotiation. The employee is required to change tasks frequently and to perform tedious, exacting work. The employee frequently is required to work under time pressures to meet deadlines, to perform multiple tasks simultaneously, and to work closely with others as part of and/or a leader of a team. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate, but may be noisy and distracting.

Physical Demands.  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to sit, use hands to operate office equipment, including telephone and computer keyboard, reach with hands and arms, and talk and hear.  The employee may be required to perform manual labor outdoors.  The employee frequently is required to stand and walk; and the employee may be required to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. 

Department Job Requirements: Staff members may work in any of the units identified below. 
The Community Service Restitution Unit is responsible for arranging work sites and coordinates work crew opportunities for offenders on probation or deferred prosecution. Program Specialists in this unit must have knowledge of basic home repairs, landscaping and wood-making techniques and will be required to frequently perform manual labor outdoors.

The Enrichment Unit is a support unit responsible for providing pro-social leisure activities to children under the supervision of Juvenile Probation. Our unit provides children the opportunity to engage in structured activities to expose them to new concepts and experiences with the goal of identifying interests and passions. Program specialists in this unit must have knowledge in leading small groups, researching evidence based practices and curriculums and specialists must be willing to be outdoors in most weather conditions. 

Salary : $3,465