Attorney Referee - Director of Juvenile Probation

Allegan, MI
Full Time
Circuit Court - Family Division
Experienced

Allegan County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County’s natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.
Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty.  A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We were recently identified as “Best in Class Winner” among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well-being. We have also received the Impact Award for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!

Job Summary

Supervises and coordinates the activities of the Family Division casework staff involved with delinquent and juvenile diversion cases.  Assists in developing and monitoring all probation related programs and budgets.  Serves as a referee for both delinquent and neglect/abuse cases. 

Wage Range: $81,660 - $106,934 annually, depending on previous experience, Full-time Salaried

Excellent Benefits Plan:  Health benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date
- Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which have a $0 premium)
- County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans
- County-paid employee life insurance coverage
- County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks
- Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings
- Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses
- Generous PTO plan, including front-loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.
- 13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO
- FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers 

Responsibilities and Duties

  • Supervises probation casework staff.  Makes effective hiring recommendations, trains staff, evaluates work performance and initiates discipline in accordance with court policy.
  • Serves as a referee during and after normal court business hours conducting preliminary, adjudicatory, dispositional and traffic hearings on delinquency matters, and preliminary hearings on neglect/abuse cases.
  • Assigns cases and monitors case assignments.  Reviews dispositional reports, recommendations and other case related reports of the casework staff and assists in case evaluation and case related problems, making recommendations for alternatives and options to resolve problems. 
  • Serves as the primary person to screen and authorize delinquency petitions, and to authorize petitions to move to the Diversion Program or consent calendar.
  • Interacts and collaborates with law enforcement, other public agencies and private service providers to assist in the delivery of services to families and to address issues and problems in mutual cases.
  • Evaluates court sponsored programs and services provided to youth and families.  Assists in the development of programs and services provided.  Analyzes case related trends and statutory and court rule changes.
  • Reviews pre-sentence reports, recommendations and other case related reports prior to submission to the court. 
  • Serves as the on-call referee one week per month.  Answers phone calls from agencies and law enforcement to authorize lock-up for delinquent youth, or removal of children in neglect/abuse cases. 
  • Meets with staff to explain court policies and procedures, discuss case related problems and to facilitate implementation of the same. 
  • Prepares caseload, case and program activity and other related reports. 
  • Assists in developing community probation and juvenile diversion activity budgets.  Monitors established budgets for these program areas.
  • Performs duties of casework staff as required.
  • Serves as a member of the Family Court management team.
  • Performs other duties as directed by the Court Administer and/or presiding Judge. 

Education

  • Juris Doctorate (J.D.) Required

Experience

  • Two to three (2-3) years of progressively more responsible case supervisory experience in a Family Court or related child welfare agency. 
  • Valid Michigan Driver's License
  • Completion of Michigan Judicial Institute Certification for Family Court staff within two years of hire

Allegan County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. A copy of our EEO Utilization report is available on our website:
https://www.allegancounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/2802/637974740005930000

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