PROBATION
OFFICER (SPANISH SPEAKING) 6508
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE
CLASS
This is the entry-level
professional position in the Probation Department responsible for the control,
supervision and care of adults and juveniles subject to probation supervision,
investigation or intake services which require them to meet certain standards
of conduct and whose primary language is the Spanish language thereby requiring
the probation investigation, supervision or intake services to be conducted in
Spanish. Incumbents are required to communicate with clients, probationers and
their families in Spanish and proficiency is required in both Spanish and
English. A Probation Officer (Spanish Speaking) performs all the duties and
exercises all the responsibilities of a Probation Officer; however he/she does
so in Spanish. The incumbent uses sound professional judgment and applies
investigative techniques to evaluate the conduct of those subject to court
ordered investigation, analyzes data, and makes recommendations regarding court
dispositions. The incumbent counsels and coaches probationers and others
receiving probation services to change patterns of thinking and behavior to
help promote and sustain law-abiding relationships with society and to reduce
the likelihood of becoming re-involved in criminal or delinquent behavior. The
employee may arrange for medical, mental health or substance abuse treatment
services. The employee may be assigned to a specialty unit as an assistant to a
Senior Probation Officer, handling less complex assignments within the unit.
Supervision is not a characteristic of this position. The incumbent is
supervised by a higher-ranking probation professional. A Probation Officer is a
Peace Officer pursuant to Criminal Procedure Law Section 2.10 and may be
authorized to carry a firearm in the performance of his/her duties. Does
related work as required.
TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES
All probation casework supervision, investigation and
intake work may be conducted in Spanish or English and translation services may
be provided as needed upon request;
Gathers, verifies, reviews and analyzes social, medical,
mental health, substance abuse, sex offender, legal and other documentation and
interviews defendants/respondents, victims, law enforcement personnel and other
case related individuals to conduct pre-plea/pre-sentence/pre-disposition
investigations;
Prepares reports and/or testifies in court regarding
persons awaiting disposition of the courts in regard to the seriousness of the
crime committed, the individual’s circumstances and risk to self and society
and the legally permissible dispositional options and makes recommendations to
court, as appropriate, for or against
detention, residential placement or incarceration, as well as the length
and conditions of probation;
Prepares case/supervision plans and interprets conditions
of probation to probationers;
Supervises and monitors probationers assigned by the court
and assists in their rehabilitation;
Conducts risk and need assessments and evaluates results
for pre-trial, investigation, and supervision purposes;
Meets with probationers, family members, school officials,
service providers and others having contact with probations to help ensure
probationers are meeting terms and conditions of probation, including school
attendance and participation in treatment programs;
Interviews and screens clients to try to effect a
satisfactory adjustment of family-related problems without resorting to court
action;
Counsels respondents and probationers in an effort to
discover and resolve problems; writes reports and recommendations to superiors
regarding the status of such counseling;
Prepares violation reports on probationers and testifies at
violation hearings;
Establishes and maintains contact with other social and law
enforcement agencies and cooperates with them in matters of mutual interest;
Helps to maintain a variety of records used by Probation
Officers;
May assist Senior Probation Officers in a specialty unit by
handling less complex cases;
May execute arrest warrants, conduct warrantless searches
and/or warrantless arrests;
May use a firearm in performing duties while exercising
authority pursuant to departmental policy.
FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES,
SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Good knowledge of the
principles and practices of probation casework, including interviewing,
investigation, counseling, case supervision, record keeping and reporting; good
knowledge of the laws and rules pertaining to probation work and the functions
and procedures of family and criminal courts; good knowledge of special
offender populations such as domestic violence offenders, DWI offenders, sex
offenders, youthful offenders, and others; good knowledge of risk and needs
assessment instruments; working knowledge of social sciences, including
sociology, psychology and demography; working knowledge of the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations and policies relating to
confidentiality of case record information; ability to analyze data gathered
through investigation of probationers; good knowledge of community resources;
good knowledge of the factors related to the causes of crime and delinquency;
ability to analyze data gathered through investigation of probationers; ability
to conduct effective case planning and management; ability to counsel
probationers regarding social, emotional and vocational problems; ability to deal
effectively with people who may be under emotional strain; ability to express
oneself clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; good judgment;
physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
OPEN COMPETITIVE
One (1) year of permanent competitive status as a Probation
Officer Trainee (Spanish Speaking) without further testing.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT
At the time of appointment and
during employment in this title employees must possess a valid license to
operate a motor vehicle in New York State.
R05/28/19
SUFFOLK COUNTY
Competitive