MULTNOMAH COUNTY (OR) PROBATION TEAMS - AN EXAMPLE THAT IS WORKING

• NCJ Number: 52111
• Journal: Federal Probation Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1978) Pages: 7-9
• Author(s): W T WOOD
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 3 pages
• Corporate Author: Administrative Office of the United States Courts
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

RESULTS OF AN ANALYSIS OF THE OPERATIONS AND CASELOADS OF THE MULTNOMAH COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT ARE REPORTED, AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF THE TEAM APPROACH TO PROBATION SERVICES ARE DESCRIBED.

Abstract

PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE TEAM APPROACH TO PROBATION, A COMMITTEE SPENT 6 MONTHS EVALUATING THE PROBATION DEPARTMENT'S EXISTING ACTIVITIES, ITS CLIENTS, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE AGENCY'S GOALS. THE COMMITTEE FOUND THAT THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS EXISTED IN THE AGENCY: (1) CASELOADS WERE EXTREMELY HIGH; (2) CLIENT NEEDS VARIED; (3) THERE EXISTED THREE OR FOUR DISTINCT NEIGHBORHOODS SEPARATED BY SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES; (4) CASE PLANS WERE DEVELOPED INDIVIDUALLY BY COUNSELORS WITH LITTLE STAFF CONSULTATION; (5) THE EMPHASIS ON CRISIS SITUATIONS LIMITED THE TIME AVAILABLE TO ADDRESS EACH CLIENT INDIVIDUALLY; (6) INTAKE AND PRESENTENCE PROCESSES ARE DUPLICATED; AND (7) THE RECORDKEEPING SYSTEM WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN AS A RESULT OF THE HIGH CASELOAD. PROBATION TEAMS WERE DEVELOPED TO INCREASE THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF PROBATION SERVICES. PREVIOUSLY, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLANNING WERE DONE BY INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS; NOW, THESE ACTIVITIES ARE PERFORMED BY TEAMS, DRAWING UPON THE SKILLS AND INSIGHTS OF A VARIETY OF PERSONNEL. CLIENTS ARE ASSIGNED TO INDIVIDUAL STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE BEST EQUIPPED AND HAVE THE EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO MEET THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS. CLIENTS HAVING LITTLE NEED OF SUPERVISION ARE GROUPED IN LARGER CASELOADS FOR MONITORING SUPERVISION, WHILE CLIENTS WITH SERIOUS PROBLEMS ARE PLACED IN SMALLER CASELOADS. WHEN A STAFF MEMBER ENCOUNTERS SPECIAL PROBLEMS WITH A CLIENT, THE STAFF MAKES A GROUP EFFORT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. EACH PROBATION TEAM IS ESTABLISHED TO SERVE A CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC AREA. A NEW RECORDKEEPING SYSTEM, CALLED PROGRESS ORIENTED RECORD KEEPING, WAS DEVELOPED WHICH INVOLVES THE STEP-BY-STEP DEVELOPMENT OF A CASE PLAN UTILIZING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE AS THE MAJOR OBJECTIVE.