Estimating Caseload and Personnel Requirements in Court Related Conciliation Programs (From Alternative Means of Family Dispute Resolution, P 161-171, 1982, Howard Davidson et al, ed. - See NCJ-92365)

• NCJ Number: 92165
• Author(s): O J Coogler
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 11 pages
• Sale Source: American Bar Assoc
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Reprinted from Conciliation Courts Review, V 19, N 1 (June 1981).

Annotation

This paper describes how the Family Conciliation Unit in the Circuit Court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., (Broward County) was begun and the recommendations that have been made for its further development. It also estimates caseload and personnel requirements for the program's second year.

Abstract

Court-related conciliation services most commonly provided include marriage and family counseling, separation counseling, custody/visitation counseling, and custody/visitation evaluation with recommendation to court. During the program's first year, staff consisted of a director, counselor, and a secretary plus two inexperienced clerical workers. The program was funded by adding a $3 charge to all civil cases filed in the Circuit Court, which was supplemented from general county revenues. To estimate caseload and personnel requirements for the program's second year, the counselor's annual working hours, annual scheduled client contact hours, and the counselor's annual caseload had to be determined. In addition, administrative staff requirements had to be estimated. It was predicted that the program would have an annual caseload of 960, or a monthly inflow of 80 cases. Estimating procedures are detailed. Memos and tables are appended.