Title: Assistant Chief Probation Officer - Warrant Management

Pay Grade: Assistant Chief Probation Officers

Starting Pay: $95,528.06

Departmental Mission Statement: The Massachusetts Probation Service's mission is to increase community safety, reduce recidivism, contribute to the fair and equitable administration of justice, support victims and survivors, and assist individuals and families in achieving long term positive change.

Organizational Profile:

https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-probation-service

Notes:

• The work shift for this position is: 8:30am - 4:30pm Thursday - Monday ;(Tuesday/Wednesday OFF); Holidays Included.
• Candidates must have passed the December 2023 Assistant Chief Probation Officer (ACPO) promotional exam, or be a current ACPO, in order to be eligible to apply.
• You must upload a current resume to your profile during the application process.
• This position is part of the NAGE bargaining unit.

Position Summary: The Assistant Chief Probation Officer serves as a member of the probation management team under the direction of the Chief Probation Officer and where applicable, the First Assistant Chief Probation Officer. It is their responsibility to supervise probation staff and to ensure the implementation of best practices, compliance with the standards and policies of the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, the personnel policies and procedures promulgated by the Office of Court Management, collective bargaining agreements, and local office policies and procedures. The Assistant Chief is also responsible for delegating specific responsibilities to the probation staff, monitoring their work, and regularly updating the Chief Probation Officer on operational conditions and needs of the probation office. The Assistant Chief Probation Officer collaborates with First Justices, Departmental Chief Justices, and Deputy Court Administrators as necessary, and may serve as the department head as required in the absence of the Chief Probation Officer.

Assistant Chief Probation Officers, through consistent and effective supervision, and communicating both orally and in writing, positively contribute to probation officers efforts to reduce future client re-offending and increase positive outcomes in the dispute intervention process; providing their staff with feedback, support, training, and coaching on staff activities that have been correlated with achieving positive behavioral change

Supervision Received: Receives assignments and general direction from the Chief Probation Officer.

Duties: Under the direction of the Chief Probation Officer, the Assistant Chief Probation Officer is responsible for the following:

Case Work & Supervision

• Ensures that duties relating to the assignment and scheduling of cases are met;
• Assists as needed in courtroom procedure during court sessions;
• Ensures all orders handed down by the court are enforced;
• Reviews and approves case management work including initial risk need assessments and all subsequent reviews to ensure compliance with conditions of probation;
• Provides initial and ongoing instructions and guidance on investigation referrals;
• Identifies potentially problematic areas, enforcement of stay away orders, and any areas requiring additional specialized attention;
• Plans and oversees the implementation of probation activities by the probation staff;
• Manages the scheduling of court coverage, administrative hearings, violation of probation proceedings, and requests for warrants;
• Resolves problematic case management issues identified by Probation Officers;
• Meets with Probation Officers under their charge at intervals consistent with the standards;
• Ensures that all required documentation of supervision activities are documented in MassCourts;
• Updates Chief Probation Officer on a routine basis;

Management

• Reviews case records and their content to monitor quality of work being performed;
• Issues written warnings to Probation Officers and Associate Probation Officers as necessary in consultation with the Chief Probation Officer for conduct violations;
• Familiarizes probation officers with statutes related to their work and changes pertaining to probation activities;
• Reviews all violation of probation proceedings for the appropriate recommendation and level of supervision;
• Consults with Probation Officers under their supervision on corrective action as needed for probationers/litigants/offenders;
• Maintains full knowledge of available services in the community and ensures referrals are made to appropriate agencies;
• Supervises and trains interns/volunteers accepted by the court from various local institutions and the community;
• Assigns duties and responsibilities to members of the probation staff as directed by the Chief Probation Officer;
• Monitors the work among Associate Probation Officers, Administrative Support Staff and Probation Officers to ensure an efficient and effective operation;
• Issues written warnings to Probation Officers and Associate Probation Officers as necessary in consultation with the Chief Probation Officer for conduct violations;
• Familiarizes oneself with the Trial Court's Policy on Substance Abuse and the Workplace and reports any questionable activity to the Chief Probation Officer for investigation;
• Stablishes schedules, programs, relating to the staff whenever the need arises;

Administrative

• Performs various community relations activities, such as addressing neighborhood groups, participating in committee, conferences, panels and other approved community planning involving service delivery to the court;
• Serves as the local administrator for Intrastate and Interstate matters;
• Informs the Chief Probation Officer, First Assistant Chief Probation Officer, or First Justice as necessary of any problems observed or reported by the staff in their ability to carry out directives;
• Familiarizes probation officers with statutes related to their work and changes pertaining to probation activities;
• Assesses the need for training and professional development of staff in the court, and assists the Chief Probation Officer in addressing these needs;
• Monitors and enforces the collection of court ordered payments such as fines, fees, restitution, etc.;
• Provides statistical data as directed by the Office of the Commissioner of Probation;
• Assists as necessary in the maintenance of accurate time and attendance records and field logs, and reconciles with SSTA and the HRCMS time log with the Office of the Commissioner of Probation records;
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Chief Probation Officer, or issued by the Office of the Commissioner of Probation in accordance with the guidelines, policies and standards of the Massachusetts Probation Service, including Probation Officer duties as needed.

Job Competencies: All applicants must be able, through the interview process, prove proficiency in the following competencies:

Ethics and Values Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of Probation Service and the Trial Court;

Mission and Vision Understands, upholds, and communicates the stated organizational mission and understands the role of an Assistant Chief Probation Officer within the Probation Service and the Trial Court;

Self-Awareness Understands the need for professional development and is willing to adapt and advance professionally;

Team Building (Motivating Others) Fosters a sense of shared goals and accountabilities through the development of positive relationships in order to promote a healthy work environment;

Collaboration Demonstrates flexibility and openness to modifications and adaptations suitable to the situation; Receptive to diverse ideas while respecting other's opinions and roles;

Creative Thinking and Problem Solving Ability to accurately identify problems and to use available resources to find a solution or to take corrective action;

Performance Measurement (Individual and EBP) Understands the value and importance of performance measures as a basis for both individual and departmental assessments;

Decision Making Ability to apply both reasoning and sound judgment while weighing options; arriving at a course of action, and committing to the decision with conviction;

Leadership Ability to influence and provide direction to others; engendering confidence and trust from others under challenging circumstances;

Continuous Learning Is actively committed to and actively works to continuously improve himself/herself.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position of Assistant Chief Probation Officer:

Education and Experience:

Passage of the Probation Promotional Exam for the position of Assistant Chief Probation Officer in December 2023, or be a current Assistant Chief Probation Officer (ACPO);

A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation is required; Graduate degree in the behavioral sciences, education, administration, management, criminal justice, or law is preferred;

Minimum of years 3 (Three) years work experience as a Probation Officer or Senior Community Corrections Probation Officer.

Skills and Knowledge

Applies for all ACPOs:

Ability to review various assessments, reports, and investigations to ensure compliance with Trial Court and Massachusetts Probation Services standards, policies, and procedures.

Ability to apply knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement as it relates to probation officers;

Understands and applies the Trial Court's Rules and Discipline Policies in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement and in consultation with the Chief Probation Officer;

Ability to use data to diagnose problems and drive enhancements and efficiencies in departmental operations;

Proficiency using personal computers and related software to develop data bases and systems to record and track projects;

Must have a background that demonstrates a history of regular professional development.

Department Specific Skills and Knowledge:

Note: Depending on the Department that a candidate is applying for, proficiency in the following skills and knowledge will be considered when evaluating applicants.

Criminal Casework:

Ability to review and approve probation officer case management work as applicable including:
     • Application of Risk Need standards, forms, classification procedures;
     • Administrative supervision standards for all case types;
     • Probationer Assessments and related processes;
     • Probationer Individual Change Agreements (PICA);
     • Probationer program referrals;

Oversees case reassessments and case management activities as applicable including:
     • Community Supervision Tool (ORAS);
     • Community Service obligations and payment scheduling;
     • Applicable entries in MassCourts Case Management System.

Juvenile Casework:

Ability to review and approve probation officer case management work as applicable including:
     • Application of Risk Need standards, forms, classification procedures;
     • Administrative supervision standards for all case types;
     • Probationer Assessments and related processes;
     • Probationer Individual Change Agreements (JPICA);
     • Probationer program referrals;

Oversees case reassessments and case management activities as applicable including:
     • Community Supervision Tool (OYAS);
     • Counseling interviews for assigned cases;
     • Community supervision and rehabilitation programs;
     • Applicable entries in MassCourts Case Management System; Probate and Family Casework:

Probate and Family Casework:

Ability to review and approve probation officer case management work as applicable including:
     • Negotiations in contested domestic relations issues;
     • Investigations of families and children and the review of written reports;
     • Applicable entries in MassCourts Case Management System