JUVENILE PROBATION:

Juvenile probation provides comprehensive services to the youth, the community and other juvenile justice agencies.  The principal mandated tasks accomplished by the division are the preparation of investigative reports and dispositional recommendations to the Juvenile Court, and community supervision of minors placed under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court.  The division provides comprehensive prevention, intervention and enforcement program service elements.  Program elements include Family Intervention, Supervision, Support and Training Program (FISST), The Probation and School Success Program (PASS), Juvenile Offender Work Program, Truancy Program, Civil/Family Law Services and Juvenile Drug Court.

FISST:

This unit uses a wrap around service approach which targets selected at risk youth and their families for family focused services.  Focused family case plans are developed by the unit team, consisting of a probation officer, therapist, and substance abuse counselor who work with the family in achieving mutually set goals.  The outcomes are increased family capacity and self sufficiency, reduced out-of-home placement, increased successful reunification and prevention of sibling involvement in the justice system.

This collaborative program model places six deputy probation officers in eight district schools and one county school.  Schools include Covillaud K-5, McKenney 6-8, Yuba Feather K-8, Foothill 6-8, Yuba Gardens 6-8, Alicia 6-8, Marysville and Lindhurst High Schools, and Thomas E. Mathews Court School.  Officers provide non-traditional probation services, prevention, and early intervention to youth and their families, and services to youth impacted by Family Law proceedings.  This service element will be blended with Systems of Care.

This program mirrors the Adult Offender Work Program in its service delivery.  Additionally, supervised homework and tutoring hours are considered work value hours by the court.  Primary projects are maintenance of Ellis Lake and County grounds.

This collaborative undertaking with Marysville Joint Unified School District targets truant youth.  Patrol coupled with outreach services are provided out of the Truancy Center located in Marysville.  Periodic county wide truancy sweeps and close interaction with SARB and the Juvenile Court has increased daily attendance at local schools.

This court and community school is jointly operated by the Yuba County Office of Education and Probation Department.  The school provides a transition for Wards released from juvenile hall prior to reintegration into a main stream school setting.  Curriculum mirrors that of the juvenile hall school to ensure continuity from the detention to community setting.  Mental Health counseling and substance abuse counseling are provided by co-located staff.

This program element is a highly structured drug treatment program modeled after the adult drug court model.  The program is currently under development utilizing a Federal Planning Grant.

Specialized local foster homes have been developed targeting three populations of juveniles in out-of-home placements; 1)Minors in need of short term placement pending reunification where their family would benefit from services offered by FISST, 2)Minors transitioning from Group Home care toward reunification and who would benefit from services provided by the FISST Unit, 3)Minors in out-of-home placement who will turn 18, return to the local community and are in need of transitional services and Independent Living Skills assistance.

Asian offenders have been placed on a specialized caseload supervised by a Hmong Deputy Probation Officer.  Culturally competent services have been developed and the unique cultural issues of this offender population are identified and service components developed.  The officer assigned is the first Hmong Deputy Probation Officer in the State of California.

The Juvenile Traffic Hearing Officer is a Judicially appointed position that adjudicated traffic, minor misdemeanor and infraction offences involving juveniles.