The new Yuma County Juvenile Justice Center was completed in Yuma in 2002 on a $12 million budget. The facility is 70,000 square feet and supports juvenile probation officer jobs for a staff of 140. Juvenile probation officers in Yuma County primarily work in the city of Yuma and provide their adept services in critical areas such as:
Sponsored School(s)
- Public safety
- Victim needs
- Juvenile and family relations
- Community rebuilding and strengthening through supervision
Officers carry out their duties directly through the probation services they provide in the Juvenile Drug Court, Intensive Probation Program, and through standard probation supervision.
Education and Experience for Careers in Juvenile Probation
Yuma County Juvenile Probations requires its officers to have at minimum a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a field that is directly relevant to juvenile probations. Previous jobs and experience in casework, social work, counseling, or juvenile programs can be beneficial, and candidates must additionally have the legal right to work in the United States and an Arizona driver’s license. Once the selective application process has been traversed and candidates are determined to be at the top of the applicant pool, conditional offers of employment may be issued allowing candidates to begin training along with their new careers as juvenile probation officers.
Training Classes and Academy
New officers start their training with an eight-hour Officer Safety Course, followed by 80 hours at the Probation Officer Academy. It is here where new officers will learn the basics of how to become effective, responsible, and qualified juvenile probation officers in Yuma County. Training includes:
- Juvenile assessment techniques for behavioral, psychological, and substance addiction issues
- Report compilation structure and process, including interviewing, records research, and presentation
- Self-defense, defensive tactics, and measures of restraint
- Counseling and persuasive strategies
- Juvenile psychology/sociology
Officers will need to complete 80 hours of continuing training and education courses annually after their first year on the job.
Application Process in Yuma County
Candidates applying to Yuma County will go through a multi-step process to make it through an initial county firewall before their names are passed on to the Juvenile Probation’s hiring team, where they will go through an additional screening. Online job applications can be made through juvenile probation officer vacancy announcements posted on the county’s employment listings webpage. Candidates can begin by ensuring they have completed the following documents for their application, with mailed or dropped off submissions accepted at the Human Resources Department located on Main Street in Yuma:
- Yuma County Employment Application
- IRS Form I-9 for employment verification
- DD 214 if claiming a veteran’s preference
County Application Process:
- Interview questions and basic-skills exam
- Application and resume checklist
- County personnel interview and/or evaluation of minimum qualifications
- Urinalysis drug test
Juvenile Probation Department Process:
- Initial interview
- Background examination and reference checks
- Departmental review
- Medical and psychological evaluation