Summary

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 job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens or individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residency or authorized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service to work in the United States.

Duties

Brief Description of Duties:

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 attend court hearings as required, providing case updates and supporting the presentation of case information under guidance of supervisory staff.
Documents case activities in the Court's case management system, ensuring entries are timely, accurate and consistent with divisions 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, reduce conflict and stabilize high-stress situations involving youth or families while adhering to trauma-informed practices.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

A probationary period of one (1) year must be successfully completed.
Fingerprinting Background and Child Protection Registry Check is required

Maximum Age Requirement:

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 over 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 and Driving Record:

This position involves the operation of Court vehicles and therefore requires the procession of a valid driver’s license, maintaining an acceptable driving record, and having no license suspensions within the past 60 months or felony/misdemeanor driving convictions. Failure to maintain a valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record may impact the incumbents’ continued employment with the Court.

Qualifications

Required Education & Experience: Completion of 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, and possess at least two (2) years of specialized experience working with youth and families providing case planning, supervision, and service coordination. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience, and that you meet the basic qualifications, or you will not be determined qualified for this position.

Maximum Entry Age: 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 of age or over 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 experience subtracted from their age to determine whether they meet the maximum age requirement and complete the remaining service before the mandatory retirement age of 57. Applicants with no creditable previous federal law enforcement officer experience who have reached their 37th birthday are not eligible to apply.

Driver's License and Driving Record: The procession of a valid driver’s license and having no license suspensions within the past 60 months or felony/misdemeanor driving convictions.

The incumbent should be an enthusiastic and engaged professional who enjoys working with a diverse group of Court personnel and customers and lives the DC Courts’ values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Transparency.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal 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: http://www.opm.gov/Insure/health/enrollment/new_employees.asp

The 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.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure that you meet the basic qualification requirements. Answers submitted in the questionnaire must be supported on your resume. 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 examiniation to assess your skills, abilties and knowledge of various matters that re related to the job.

You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Required Documents

The following documents must be submitted with your application:

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 elgibility of maximum age requirement
Three (3) professional references
SF-50 (if seeking substitution to determine whether you meet the maximum age requirement)

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

To begin the process, click the Apply Online button to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the vacancy questionnaire. Afterward, click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.

Agency contact information

C. Adams

Phone: 202-879-4223
Email: jobs@dcsc.gov

Address: District of Columbia Courts
Moultrie Building
500 Indiana Avenue, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20001
United States

Next steps

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.

Probation Officer Job in Washington, DC