Transfer from Probation to Family Services
A. Six (6) weeks prior to the end of sentence, the Probation supervisor notifies the Intake Office in writing of the need for a youth to be assigned to Family Services.
1. If Juvenile Probation has the family case record, the Probation officer prepares the record for transfer. The Probation supervisor forwards the completed record with the written notification to the Intake Office.
2. If Juvenile Probation does not have the family case record, the Probation officer prepares a packet of pertinent material. The material, if not already in RICHIST, includes:
a. Probation social history.
b. Medical and educational information.
c. Mental health information.
B. The Intake Office makes a RICHIST assignment for the family to FSU in the appropriate region.
C. The FSU supervisor reviews the case record.
1. If information is complete, FSU supervisor assigns the case to a caseworker within two (2) working days.
2. If information is not complete, the Probation supervisor will be notified and corrective action is taken.
D. A consultation between the Probation officer and the FSU caseworker must occur within ten (10) working days of assignment to FSU.
1. The Probation officer/supervisor initiates contact with the FSU caseworker/supervisor within two (2) working days of assignment to FSU to schedule the consultation.
2. This consultation should be in-person. If it is not possible for staff to meet face-to-face, a telephone consultation is scheduled.
3. If the Probation and FSU workers are not able to complete the consultation, the respective supervisors are responsible to complete the consultation within the ten (10) working day time frame.
4. In the event the Probation officer/supervisor is unable to establish contact with the FSU worker/supervisor to arrange the consultation within the ten (10) day period, the Probation administrator is notified and addresses the issue with the FSU administrator.
5. The day of the consultation is the first day of the thirty (30) day period of shared responsibility. The full thirty (30) days will be used even if they extend beyond the end of the youth’s sentence. This is also the case in those situations in which the Family Court ends a youth’s sentence earlier than had previously been determined.
E. If the youth is in need of placement at the time of transfer, the following guidelines apply:
1. During the first two weeks of the thirty (30) day period, the Probation officer is responsible for placement. The Probation officer is also responsible for completing any referrals for placement, both contracted and non-contracted, and for documenting the referrals in the family case record and/or any pertinent material given to the FSU caseworker.
2. During the third and fourth weeks, responsibility for placement is assumed by the FSU caseworker.
F. When Probation is transferring case responsibility to Family Services, RICHIST transactions relating to the transfer are completed at the end of the thirty day shared responsibility period.
1. The Probation officer closes his/her assignment to the case and assigns the FSU caseworker as primary.
2. All documents and ticklers are assigned to the FSU caseworker as the primary worker.
G. If a dependency petition is necessary or ordered by Family Court, it will be completed and filed by the Probation officer prior to the transfer being finalized. If available, the petition information will be entered on the Court Activity window in RICHIST prior to transfer.
