Job Announcement

In the Probation Services Division under the supervision of the Unit Director, Assessment Services, responsible for assessing clients adjudicated delinquent of criminal offenses utilizing the Youth Assessment Screening Instrument (YASI) and other evidence-based tools with a high degree of accuracy. Communicates with other agencies and service providers to obtain collateral sources of information. Writes pre-dispositional reports. Testifies in court and makes recommendations for disposition. Convenes and participates in interdisciplinary and multi-agency team meetings. Makes referrals for placements or services. Provides supervision of clients who are being held pre-dispositionally in the Juvenile Detention Center, Shelter Care facility or other out-of-home placements prior to court. Educates clients and families on juvenile court processes. Facilitates case staffing with probation officers for youth court-ordered on probation to ensure continuity. May be required to provide short-term case management of juvenile probation cases as well as other duties as assigned by the Unit Director, Assessment Services.

Responsible for assessing clients utilizing the Youth Assessment Screening Instrument (YASI) or other evidence-based tools, writing and completing pre-dispositional reports. As ordered by the court, investigates new cases brought before the court to assist judges in making a final disposition. Interviews clients, parents, school officials and other collateral contacts to complete the evidence-based assessment and prepares a detailed social history report based on those findings. Makes recommendations for appropriate disposition congruent to the risk and needs of the client considering community safety, personal accountability and competency development. Reports are written in compliance with DJJ standards. Document all contacts in the designated DJJ database.

Illustrative Duties

(The illustrative duties listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list. A complete list of position duties and unique physical requirements can be found in the position description.)

Counseling and Treatment Services
Conducts intake interviews and supervises offenders/defendants through office and home visits to verify compliance with court-orders;
Formulates treatment or rehabilitation plans for and presents written or oral recommendations for adjustment of behavior;
Interviews juvenile or adult offenders, their families and related persons to determine the nature of the adjustment difficulty;
Refers offenders/defendants to other agencies or facilities as needed and maintains liaison with service providers to coordinate evaluations;
Conducts field investigations;
Testifies in court and provides required written reports on adjustment and compliance to courts;
Documents and maintains prescribed records of casework services and periodically compiles related statistics:
Arranges for the court appearance of the client and family;
Informs clients of available community resources;
Arranges appointments for medical examinations and psychological testing;
Cooperates with representatives from State and local social service and law enforcement agencies in cases of mutual interest;
Composes and dictates case records, petitions and correspondence;

Provides training to departmental staff, commonwealth attorneys, judicial staff, and other relevant community organizations.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

Knowledge of casework supervision practices and procedures;
Knowledge of the principles of psychology and sociology;
Knowledge of current social and economic conditions;
Ability to use technology to enter and retrieve information;
Ability to interpret laws, rules, and regulations related to probation work and victim services;
Ability to interview and counsel clients;
Ability to prepare complete case records and reports;
Ability to develop effective working relationships with a variety of individuals.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor's degree in social/behavioral sciences, criminal justice, or education plus two years of professional experience in probation work, social work, criminal justice, juvenile justice, education, or counseling. A master's degree in the disciplines above may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Valid Driver's License (Required at the time of application)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to the position will be required to complete the following to the satisfaction of the employer:

• Criminal Background Investigation
• Child Protective Services Registry Check
• Driving Record Check

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Three years of experience in the use of evidence-based tools to assess needs of clients and their families.
• Three years of experience in interviewing families and collecting collateral information in order to write pre-dispositional reports and to make recommendations to a Judge in a courtroom setting.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, and the ability to work with a diverse clientele of different ethnicities and socio-economic statuses.
• Ability to work and make decisions independently with minimal supervision.
• Three years of experience with cross-agency collaboration and working with other service providers.
• Knowledge of local community-based resources for youth and families, and experience accessing services through the Comprehensive Services Act.
• Knowledge of the Code of Virginia, Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) standards, and local court service unit policy and procedures.
• Fully proficient in the use of DJJ's Balance Approach Data Gathering Environment (BADGE), and the Supreme Court of Virginia's JSVS computer programs.
• Beginner ability to work in Microsoft programs including Word, Outlook, Excel.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to access clients' homes and other locations (i.e. worksites) as necessary to conduct background interviews and supervision meetings.
• Duties may require transporting clients for placement interviews and occasional medical appointments.
• Ability to manually enter data on computer for reports and records.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a written exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.

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Requisition 23-02779