Dover juvenile probation operations are run out of the Kent Community Services Office on Silver Lake Boulevard. It is here where the city’s juvenile probation officers, also known as Family Service Specialists, conduct their office work before going out into the field to continue their duties with youths in trouble.
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Officers spend their careers working to educate teens on the dangers of criminality and the merits of responsibility and justice. While officers monitor young offenders for their compliance with probationary terms, they also work with delinquents and their families to build and create a lasting support network that is proven to reduce the rate of juvenile recidivism.
Having the Right Education for Probation Officer Jobs in Dover
The Delaware Services for Children, Youth and Their Families (DSCYF) is responsible for the Community Services, Probation and Aftercare Program under the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services. DSCYF has determined that the juvenile probation officer position should have an education requirement for applicants who would be working closely with teens in sensitive and complex situations, and has stipulated that candidates must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in the social or behavioral sciences.
Candidates for juvenile probation officer jobs in Dover must also have knowledge or experience with the following:
- Conducting interviews to obtain facts, identify courses of action, and explore issues
- Case management that includes awareness of community resources available for referral
- Health and human services rehabilitative programs
Becoming a Juvenile Probation Officer in Dover
Becoming a juvenile probation officer in Dover begins with the submission of an application. Candidates can monitor the both the state’s main jobs website and the DSCYF’s employment postings for a juvenile probation officer position listed as Family Service Specialist. If there are no postings candidates can sign up to be notified when vacancies become available. Applications are made online by following the instructions provided in the job announcement.
If applicants make it through the hiring process that includes an interview, background check, and drug screening, they will be hired into their new careers and be ready to start training. This will instruct new officers on all the fundamental skills they will need to start their jobs on a good foot. Training includes:
- Juvenile intake interviews and risk assessments
- Compiling court reports and conducting pre-trial investigations
- Local community resources in Dover
- Restraint and defensive techniques
- Emergency medical aid
Juvenile Probation Officers and the Dover Family Court
The Delaware Family Court Program in Dover provides youths in the juvenile justice system, as well as their judges, with an alternative judicial paradigm. Family Court is an example of a creative approach to juvenile delinquency in which probation officers can participate. It sees the juvenile offender not as a criminal – provided he or she has not committed certain crimes – but instead as a youth in need of help and direction, manifesting stresses caused by mental illness, a troubled home environment, or other external factors beyond the individual’s control.
Juvenile probation officers involved with this program work with the youth, their family, and other community resources to develop a plan for future success. The program has been proven over time to reduce recidivism.