Deputy Probation Officer I

This is a new, assembled examination. The hiring list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may be valid for approximately one year, but can be extended.

Applications must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing (Friday, August 21, 2015). Applications will only be accepted online.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application.  Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing (Friday, August 21, 2015). Failure to submit the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification.

Notice: Alameda County Human Resource Services and The Alameda County Probation Department invite you to join us for community meetings about the Deputy Probation Officer I position. The hour-long meeting will include presentations from Deputy Probation Officers and from Human Resource Services. We will discuss various topics of interest such as:

• Information about The Alameda County Probation Department
• Deputy Probation Officer I responsibilities and duties
• Why the Deputy Probation Officer I is an excellent job choice
• How to apply for the position
• An overview of the examination process
• Information on behavior-based interviewing

Dates, times and locations are as follows:

Date	Time	Library Branch	Address
Monday, August 3	4:30-5:30pm	Union City Library (Meeting Room)	34007 Alvarado-Niles Rd., Union City, CA  94587
Wednesday, August 5	4:45-5:45pm	Fremont Main Library (Fukaya Room A)	2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, CA  94538
Thursday, August 6	4:30-5:30pm	Albany Library (Edith Stone Room)	1247 Marin Avenue, Albany, CA  94706
Wednesday, August 12	4:45-5:45pm	Castro Valley Library  (Chabot Room)	3600 Norbridge Avenue, Castro Valley, CA  94546
Tuesday, August 18	6:00-7:00pm	Cesar E .Chavez Library     (Meeting Room)	(Second Floor) 3301 E 12th Street, Oakland, CA  94601

Mission Statement
The mission of the Alameda County Probation Department is to protect the public safety by providing supervision, services, support and opportunities to our clients on behalf of the people of Alameda County through quality supervision, leadership, services and effective partnerships.

 

THE AGENCY

The Alameda County Probation Department is an essential element of the County’s system of public protection and human services. The Department’s role is to reduce the impact of crime in the community by providing accurate, comprehensive and timely information and recommendations to the Courts, providing community-based sanctions and treatment for offenders, and working cooperatively with law enforcement agencies and community organizations with similar objectives. The Department provides a wide range of mandated and discretionary investigative, advisory, and supervisory services to adult and juvenile probationers pursuant to State law and the County Charter.

The Adult Division is responsible for supervision of Adult offenders placed on probation, Mandatory Supervision, and Post Release Community Supervision. Adult Services provides a wide range of services and supports to its clients, partnering agencies, and to the community. Primary responsibilities include, effective, consistent enforcement of court orders, rehabilitation and treatment opportunities to offenders, accurate and timely services to the courts and resources to victims of crimes.

Alameda County places a strong emphasis on juvenile delinquency prevention services. The Department operates in collaboration with schools, community organizations and County agencies. The Juvenile Division in the department places an emphasis on youth and family engagement and the use of risk and need assessments with the goal of reducing recidivism. The division focuses on a Positive Youth Development approach and seeks to be trauma informed in its practices.

The Department operates a 24-hour Juvenile Hall detention facility in San Leandro with a rated capacity of 360 juveniles with current staffing for 300 youth. Juvenile Hall provides alternatives to detention with Home Supervision, Electronic Monitoring, GPS, and Weekend Training Academy programs. The Department also runs Camp Wilmont Sweeney, a community placement facility. The camp is a 24-hour open setting residential treatment program. In Fiscal Year 2013-14, the Department supervised an average of 1,818 cases per month and had an average of 166 minors in placement.

 

THE POSITION

Under close supervision, Deputy Probation Officer I's investigate and supervise adult or juvenile defendants or court wards; assist the courts in making detention and sentencing decisions; aid in the social rehabilitation of wards and defendants, including compliance with court orders; conduct fact finding investigations of pre-employment and employee misconduct cases; represent the Probation Department in court, institutions, foster homes, and community agencies; act as a substitute for a full-time Court Officer, and in Juvenile and Adult Divisions, covers additional court calendars as directed on a part-time basis; perform intensive casework counseling, and related work as required.

 

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications listed below, the ideal candidate will have:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Superb organizational skills with a keen ability to manage time and multitask
• A history of building positive rapport with people
• A demonstrated ability to act with integrity at all times
• A track record of using analytical thought to make informed decisions
• The possession of initiative and self-motivation with a drive to help our community
• The ability to deal with stress and remain calm and focused in stressful situations
• The ability to accept constructive criticism with a desire to learn and grow within the field of Probation

For a detailed listing of the position of Deputy Probation Officer duties, please see the complete job description at the following link: Deputy Probation Officer I Job Specification.

Education:

Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

License (All levels):

All candidates must possess a valid California Class "C" Motor Vehicle Operator's license. Good driving record according to DMV negligent operator guidelines and qualifications for automotive insurance.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

All applicants must meet all minimum standards for Peace Officer under Section 1031 of the Government Code which includes: Must be at least 21 years of age at the time of appointment.

Persons appointed to positions in these classifications must be citizens of the United States or have applied for citizenship and must meet all other minimum requirements for Peace Officer (per Section 1031 of the Government Code).

A thorough background investigation will be made of all prospective Deputy Probation Officers. A record of any felony conviction will result in disqualification.

Fingerprinted for purposes of search of local, state and national fingerprint files to disclose any criminal record.

Found free from any physical, emotional or mental condition which might adversely affect the exercise of the powers of an armed Peace Officer, as determined by a licensed examining authority in accordance with the California Government Code.

Within the prescribed time limit after date of appointment, satisfactory completion of training for probation officers as specified by the California Board of Corrections, Peace Officer Standards and Training PC 832 and any other training required under law.

Willingness to perform work requiring irregular hours, holidays and weekends.

Must be willing to work all positions, locations and shifts.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must satisfactorily pass a thorough medical examination for Peace Officers and a psychological evaluation before job placement can take place.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications in the announcement of an examination.

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies:

NOTE: The level and scope of the following knowledge and abilities are related to duties listed under the “Examples of Duties” section of this specification.

Knowledge of:

• Usual causes of crime and delinquency.
• Elementary psychodynamics of behavior and modes of adjustment.
• Interviewing techniques and effective application of interviewing.
• Intermediate and basic math, plus fractions, decimals, and percentages.
• Principles of supervision.
• Applicable State, Federal and local statutes, ordinances, rules, policies, standard codes, and their interrelationship.
• Training and learning theory techniques, including recreational activity.
• Principles, methods, procedures and facilities used in modern progressive correctional programs, including methods of social casework.
• Cultural relativity and cultural differences.
• Understanding of minority group cultures.
• Concepts and effective techniques in facilitating socio-cultural relationships.
• Social economic and psychological factors, forces and trends relating to crime, delinquency, and social adjustment.
• Social and correctional case and group work.
• Developmental theory and social theory relating to rehabilitation.
• Counseling and guidance principles and principles of normal and abnormal psychology and personality theory.
• Theory, principles and trends of probation work.
• Principles and findings of normal and abnormal psychology.
• Principles, techniques and trends in social and correctional case and group work.
• General provisions of the law relating to the legal rights and obligations of adults and juveniles.
• Causes, extent of crime and delinquency.
• Techniques and methods of investigating and supervising adult and juvenile offenders.
• Service of public and private agencies available to probationers.
• Organization and procedures of the Alameda County Probation Department.
• Operation of Municipal and Superior Courts.
• Automated Systems and its applications.
• Information systems and personal computers.

Ability to:

• Verbally communicate, sufficient to communicate with a variety of people in various ethnic, educational and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Effectively apply interviewing skills, including listening skills.
• Speak publicly including planning and preparation of material and effective presentation, principles of group work and group dynamics.
• Proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling and typographical errors.
• Define problems, collect information, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions to formulate recommendations and solve a wide variety of intellectual and practical problems.
• Write clearly, accurately and concisely, using grammatically correct English to convey ideas in written reports, letters, memoranda, etc.
• Read and interpret complex technical and legal documents in English, such as codes, psychological and medical documents, manuals, etc.
• Organize and manage a caseload.
• Be flexible and tolerant in adjusting to changes in workload assignments and work under the stress of meeting deadlines.
• Demonstrate interpersonal techniques relating to establishing rapport, tactfulness, controlling stress, gaining confidence and dealing with emotional stress.
• Follow oral and written instructions.
• Be willing to accept and follow direction.
• Understand one's self and have self-control in relation to self and others (self-awareness).
• Establish and maintain good objective working relationships with clients to determine needs in individual situations and take an effective course of action.
• Analyze complex emotional and behavioral disorders and carry out treatment plans.
• Exercise skilled judgment in the assessment and treatment of probationers, families, and dependent children.
• Establish effective and productive relationships with others.
• Access multiple information systems in order to research pertinent data.
• Function in an automated work environment.
• Effectively utilize self defense techniques.
• Effectively utilize a firearm.
 
Skill in:

• Restraining an individual for the purpose of arrest and/or detention and conduct related searches.
• Applying restraint devices such as handcuffs.
• Administering first aid and CPR.

THE EXAMINATION WILL CONSIST OF the following steps:

1) A review of candidates' applications and supplemental questionnaires to verify possession of the minimum qualifications by Friday, September 4, 2015.

2) All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications will be invited to take two written exams the week of September 14thon Tuesday, September 22, 2015.  Candidate will be given the opportunity to take the State of California Corrections Standards Authority's examination for Probation Officers.  Additionally, the candidates will be given a multiple choice examination on grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and other items needed to qualify the candidates' writing abilities.  There is no study guide for this examination.

3) Candidates passing the written exam will be invited to take a writing assessment the week of October 19thon Monday, October 5, 2015.

4) Candidates passing the writing assessment will be invited to participate in an oral examination the week of January 11, 2016October 19 2015, which will be weighted as 100% of the candidate's final examination score. This oral interview will also serve as the departmental interview.

5) Candidates passing the oral examination will be placed on a ranking list to participate in the next steps of the Probation Department's selection process.

6) All candidates must successfully complete the following (after passing oral examination):

· BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION includes a thorough check of police records, personal, military, and employment histories, and inquiry of persons who know you and evaluate whether you: respect the law and rights of others; are dependable and responsible; have demonstrated mature judgment in areas such as the use of drugs and intoxicants; are honest; and are a safe driver.

After a conditional offer of employment has been accepted, appointee must successfully complete the following:

· PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION is given by a licensed clinician. You will be evaluated on the psychological factors related to successful performance to determine if you are presently suited for the difficult and stressful job of Deputy Probation Officer.

· MEDICAL EXAMINATION

The appointee must satisfactorily complete a probationary period.

 

PLEASE NOTE

1) A "Candidate Orientation Booklet" is available for this exam. The booklet provides an overview of the exam format and some sample questions. The booklet is not intended to be a study guide but is aimed at reducing test anxiety and giving candidates some information about what to expect on the test.

To access the booklet, go to http://www.bscc.ca.gov/downloads/Candidate_Orientation_Booklet_PO_2008.pdf (the website for the Corrections Standards Authority).

This booklet is only available through the web site listed above. Alameda County Human Resources does not have copies of this booklet.

2) It is the applicant’s responsibility to regularly check their e-mail for any notices from the department.

 

 

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components.

Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments many be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN

Deadline for Filing:	Friday, August 21, 2015
Review of Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires for Minimum Qualifications:	Friday, September 4, 2015
Written Examinations:	Tuesday, September 22, 2015 Week of September 14, 2015
Writing Assessment:	Monday, October 5, 2015 Week of October 19, 2015
Oral Interviews:	Week of October 19, 2015 Week of January 11, 2016

*WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN*

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes.

For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @acgov.org and alamedacountyHR@acgov.org as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to insure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box alamedacountyHR@acgov.org are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Iona Childers, Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
Iona.Childers@acgov.org
510-272-6463
www.acgov.org/hrs

Alameda County is an Equal Opportunity Employer