Probation Officer

About the role

The Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Family Court, Court Social Services Division (CSSD), is accepting applications for the position of Probation Officer. The Probation Officer works specifically with juveniles and their families and is responsible for case management and supervision activities.

This announcement will create a roster/list of names for all Superior Court Probation Officer vacancies.

What you will do

• Conducts home, school, and community visits, including curfew checks and placement visits as appropriate.
• Monitors compliance with electronic monitoring or other supervision technology as assigned and reports alerts or concerns to supervisory staff in accordance with division procedures.
• Reviews evaluations, assessments, school records, psychological reports, and other documentation to develop an understanding of each youth's risks, needs, strengths, and circumstances.
• Assists in accessing case information and contributes to the development of individualized supervision and treatment plans.
• Facilitates Family Group Conferences (FGCs) with youth and their parent or guardian to discuss supervision expectations, address barriers to compliance, review progress, and reinforce support aligned with the youth's case plan.
• Coordinates with law enforcement, service providers, and other partner agencies.
• Prepares portions of written reports, including social history information, compliance summaries, status reports, and treatment updates.
• Prepares and attends court hearings as required, providing case updates and supporting the presentation of case information under the guidance of supervisory staff.
• Documents case activities in the Court's case management system, ensuring entries are timely, accurate, and consistent with division processes and procedures.
• Maintains organized and complete case files in accordance with division documentation standards and applicable confidentiality requirements.
• Applies de-escalation techniques and TACT II training to assist in managing challenging behaviors, reduces conflict, and stabilizes high-stress situations involving youth or families while adhering to trauma-informed practices.

Requirements

• First-time appointees to positions covered under law enforcement officer retirement provisions must not have reached their 37th birthday at the time of appointment.
• Applicants 37 years or older who have previous law enforcement officer experience under the Civil Service Retirement System or the Federal Employees' Retirement System and who have either a subsequent break in service or intervening service in a non-law enforcement officer position may have their previous law enforcement officer experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement.
• Background Check Investigation: As a condition of employment, the selected candidate(s) must complete a fingerprinting background check, a Child Protection Register (CPR) check, and will be subject to an updated investigation every two (2) years thereafter.
• Retention in the position will depend upon favorable suitability determination.
• Driver's License: As a condition of employment, the selected candidate(s) must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and have no license suspensions within the past 60 months or felony/misdemeanor driving convictions.
• All new court staff must successfully complete a one (1) year probation period.

Education

At a minimum, candidates must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in a field of social science (i.e., social work), criminal justice, criminology, psychology, or sociology.

You must upload a copy of your college transcript or degree for consideration.

The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, degree conferred date, a list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.

Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at the time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: ***

How you will be evaluated

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure that you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Your resume must reflect the relevant experience and that you meet the minimum qualifications, or your application will not be considered.

If selected to move forward, you will be required to take an in-person written examination to assess your skills, abilities, and knowledge of various matters that are related to the job. You may preview the assessment questionnaire by clicking here:***

Documents you must provide

• Resume Completed Vacancy Questionnaire Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of college transcript or degree) Valid Motor Vehicle Operator's License, which is used to determine eligibility for the maximum age requirement Three (3) professional references SF-50 (required if seeking substitution to determine whether you meet the maximum age requirement)

Benefits

The DC Courts is an independent branch of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council.

DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation.

Please click on the following for more information about these benefits: *** DC Courts leave policy is as follows: Annual Leave: New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly.

After three years of service this increases to six (6)hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight(8)hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year.

Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four(4)hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit.

In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.

What to expect next

Once your completed application is received, your qualifications will be evaluated to determine your rating. The qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview. A writing test is required, and qualified candidates will be notified of the date and time of their testing.

All applicants will be notified of the outcome.

Additional information

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service. Please note there is a mandatory one-year probationary period for all new court employees. All required documents must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date.

The Court Social Services Division (CSSD) operates a non-weaponized probation system-staff do not carry weapons. Staff prioritize safety through effective communication, de-escalation strategies, relationship-building, and nonviolent approaches to juvenile supervision.

CSSD is committed to protecting the safety of its staff and youth by investing in ongoing training, including Tactical and Communication Techniques (TACT) Level II, which equips staff with advanced skills for managing high-risk situations without the use of force.