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Probation Department
The Probation Department is involved with youth who
are adjudicated delinquent or unruly and need services beyond the intake
and preliminary hearing levels.
Currently, Juvenile Probation Counselors are employing case management
techniques to bring a balanced approach in dealing with juvenile
accountability, competency development and individualized assessment and
treatment toward the goal of rehabilitation of the youth.
In addition, the Probation Counselors emphasize parental
accountability and responsibility.
Some of the current responsibilities of Juvenile Probation Counselors
are as follows:
- Employment of graduated community sanctions.
- Re-evaluate case plans every 90 days.
- Discharge planning for youth as released from
the Erie County Detention Center.
- Referrals to out of home placement based on
needs matched to services and accompany youth for pre-placement
interviews.
- Monitor progress monthly for youth in out of
home placements.
- Discharge planning from out of home
placements for return to the community.
- The Probation Counselor provides close
supervision and coordination by direct contact with the treatment
professionals.
- Collaborative efforts with Sandusky City
Schools led to the development of Alternative Education Programs.
First, the Evening School Program was developed to assist
those young people under the Court's supervision who have difficulty
gaining academic credit due to poor attendance, behavior or
performance. In August
1999, another program started as a result of collaboration between
Family Court, Sandusky City Schools and Firelands Counseling and
Recovery Services. The
alternative program has three levels and focuses on the strengths
and skills of the child and family to promote academic success.
- In 1999, the Probation Department developed a
program through a grant from the Juvenile Accountability Incentive
Block Grant Program for youthful violent offenders who enter the
Detention Center. A
mental health therapist sees the child and family at the Detention
Center and does a risk assessment, safety plan and provides
immediate and follow-up interventions.
A Probation Counselor completes a Youth Level of Service
Inventory to evaluate the youth's risk level and supervision needs.
Often the youth are released from the initial detention
hearing with services and a safety plan in place.
- In 2000, the Probation Department developed
the position of a school based Probation Counselor.
This is a probation supervision model in which the counselor
has an office in the school rather than within the Court.
This model has proven to increase the amount of time in
direct client contact, which increases probation compliance and
improves the client's relationship with the school personnel.
- In 2001, a gender specific caseload for
females was developed.
The Probation Counselor networks in the community for services and
opportunities for the female probationer.
In this model of supervision more work is done in a group
format than with the traditional caseload.
Effective January 1, 1998,
because of changes in the law, there was an addition of Adult Charges
for Contributing to the Delinquency/Unruliness of a Minor being routed
through the Court and thus directed to the Probation Department.
Dispositions for the adult cases were designed to assure that no
similar offenses occurred in order to protect the youth of Erie County.
Dispositions included jail sentences, fines and court costs,
drug/alcohol assessments and treatment, individual and family
counseling, sex specific evaluation and recommendations, medication
compliance, parenting classes, participation in Family and Child First
Wrap Around Teams, Adult Thinking Errors class, restitution, letters of
apology to the victim and the victim's family, and orders of no contact
with minors.
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