Community Service Work Program

Community service work, unpaid volunteer work, is a basic tool for holding youth accountable, and a tangible way for youth to “pay back” the community for the harm caused by their offense. As opposed to the traditional concept of community service as punishment, Probation Officers approach community service as a means of holding youth accountable and to build transferable skills.

In designing community service work opportunities for youth, Probation Officers seek to:

• Match the type of work project to the type of offense committed
• To expose youth to positive adult role models
• Involve the community in project design and supervision
• Accomplish worthwhile tasks
• Teach transferable skills
• Bring recognition and a sense of accomplishment to youth

Domestic Violence Treatment Program

The purpose of the domestic violence treatment program is to reduce the likelihood of physical violence between parents and youth on probation.

Parents and youth attend concurrent groups addressing many of the same principles:

• Emotions, with a particular focus on anger and how it is used in social situations
• Identifying your own level of anger and recognizing when it is near out of control
• De-escalation techniques including parent or child initiated time outs (how to step out of the confrontation without feeling like you are losing)

In addition, parent sessions focus on effective parenting tools / methods for different developmental stages, focusing on adolescence.

Drug Testing

Purpose

The purpose of drug testing services is to identify, monitor, and deter drug use and to provide data in assessing treatment needs.

Frequency

Drug screening may occur randomly, three times per week to once per month, at the discretion of the probation officer.

A youth may be directed to provide a urine screen immediately if at any time by the assigned probation officer suspects recent drug use.

Electronic Monitoring

Electronic Monitoring (Tether)

The tether is an electronic monitoring device that provides a short-term alternative to secure detention (pre or post-adjudication) that allows a juvenile to remain in the community under close supervision and restricted movements.

Purpose

The purpose of the tether is to enhance community safety and increase individual accountability by restricting and monitoring the movement of high risk or chronic probation violating youth in the community.

Contractors

The Juvenile Court contracts with a service provider to provide equipment, monitor compliance, and provide daily reports to the probation officer. Youth are court ordered to follow the rules of the tether program that include remaining in their homes unless given permission to leave by court staff, mandatory attendance at school and treatment sessions, no visitors in the home, and requires increased supervision by parents.

Length

The tether program is generally 15 to 45 days.

Minor in Possession (MIP) Weekend

The MIP weekend is a structured, three-day substance abuse education / early intervention program. The program provides:

• 15 hours of substance abuse information and education
• Four hours in an experiential adventure ropes course
• One and one-half hour parent / child group focusing on substance abuse
• Limit setting
• Communication

Purpose

The purpose of the program includes enhancing at-risk youths’ life and social skills, including decision-making, drug refusal skills, communication, cooperation, self-confidence, and understanding how events, feelings, and thoughts affect choices youth make around alcohol and drug use.

Additional Information

The Minor in Possession Weekend is offered by the Human Development Center and held at the Midcourse Correction Boot Camp in Livingston County.

Night Surveillance

Night surveillance attempts to build and support family problem solving skills and facilitate pro-social interactions to better structure youth’s time, choices, and relationships.

Purpose

The purpose of Night Surveillance is to enhance community safety through in-home, on-scene, and face-to-face crisis intervention; providing daily monitoring of youth’s activities outside of court hours.

Retail Fraud Class

The purpose of the Retail Fraud Class is to deter youth from committing further retail fraud offenses and educate first-time offenders regarding the impact of retail fraud on merchants and consumers through lecture, an educational video, value-clarification exercises, and group discussion.

The Retail Fraud Class is primarily designed for first-time retail fraud offenders, however, youth under probation supervision for other offenses including retail fraud may participate.

Victim Impact Awareness Class

The victim awareness program is a time limited class that meets weekly and follows a pre-designed Balanced and Restorative Justice curriculum. The victim awareness class, facilitated by Probation Officers / Caseworkers trained in the curriculum will help respondents become more aware of the impact of their crime on their victims. 

They will learn that their offenses impact many people beyond the primary victim. They will learn that values that are street acceptable are not acceptable to the rest of the community. Through a series of classes, the empathy skills of juvenile offenders will be enhanced and their level of accountability will increase.

Wraparound

Wraparound is needs-driven, family centered, strength-based, culturally-competent, individualized and comprehensive. Wraparound is not a program or service, but rather is a process based on collaboration and working with community resources. 

The parents and youth are integral parts of the team and must have ownership in the individualized plan. The focus is on keeping youth safely in the community.

Wraparound in Washtenaw County is a partnership between:

• Community Mental Health
• Department of Human Services
• Judson Center
• Parents Representatives
• Student Advocacy Center
• Washtenaw Intermediate School District
• Washtenaw County Department of Public Health
• Washtenaw County Trial Court
• Others under the auspices of the Washtenaw County Human Services Community Collaborative