(a) Purpose.
(1) The purpose of this Community Justice Assistance
Division (CJAD) rule is to set forth the eligibility, professional
training, certification, and record-keeping requirements for Community
Supervision and Corrections Departments' (CSCDs) professional staff,
direct care staff, and contract staff.
(2) Once the CJAD has certified a community supervision
officer (CSO) or residential CSO in accordance with this rule, the
CSO or residential CSO will maintain certification and eligibility
for certification provided they are in compliance with training hour
requirements and are employed by a CSCD.
(3) CSCDs, CSOs, residential CSOs, direct care staff,
and contract staff members who work at CSCDs, Substance Abuse Felony
Punishment Facilities (SAFPFs), CSCD residential facilities, or Community
Correction Facilities (CCFs) must comply with this rule.
(4) This rule specifies the certification and training
requirements for professional staff and direct care staff based on
their status as a new employee, an employee with less than four years
of experience, an employee with more than four years of experience,
a returning employee, or an employee who is exempt from certain certification
requirements based upon their years of on-the-job experience.
(b) Definitions.
(1) Contract staff are staff working at a CSCD or one
of its facilities pursuant to a contract rather than as permanent,
full-time employees of the CSCD.
(2) CSOs are community supervision officers who provide
direct supervision to offenders on community supervision.
(3) Direct care staff are staff providing direct care
within a residential facility operated by a CSCD.
(4) Direct supervision refers to offenders who are
legally on community supervision and who work or reside in the jurisdiction
in which they are being supervised and receive a minimum of one face-to-face
contact with a CSO every three months. Direct supervision begins at
the time of initial face-to-face contact with an eligible CSO. Local
CSCDs may maintain direct supervision of offenders living or working
in adjoining jurisdictions if the CSCD has documented approval from
the adjoining jurisdictions.
(5) Professional staff, for purposes of this rule,
includes CSCD directors and assistant directors, CCF directors and
assistant directors, CSO supervisory staff, CSOs, and residential
CSOs.
(6) Professional training includes a formal presentation
of specific behavioral learning objectives and skills or specific
knowledge in actual day-to-day community supervision work and approved
by the CSCD director, in writing, as professional training.
(7) Residential CSOs are community supervision officers
who provide direct supervision to offenders sentenced to community
supervision within a residential facility managed by a CSCD.
(c) Eligibility for employment as a CSO or residential
CSO. To be eligible for employment as a CSO or residential CSO serving
in a position of direct supervision of offenders, a person must:
(1) Have a bachelor's degree conferred by an institution
of higher education accredited by an accrediting organization recognized
by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board;
(2) Not be a person employed or volunteering as a peace
officer or work as a reserve or volunteer peace officer;
(3) Be eligible to supervise offenders in accordance
with Texas Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Access Policy;
and
(4) Become certified and attend professional training
in accordance with this rule.
(d) Newly hired CSO or residential CSO certification.
A newly hired CSO or residential CSO shall complete the certification
course and achieve a passing grade on the applicable CJAD certification
examination within one year of the date of employment as a CSO or
residential CSO. A CSO or residential CSO may complete course work
and take examinations to achieve dual certification.
(1) A CSO or residential CSO who fails to achieve certification
within the first year of employment shall not serve in a position
of direct supervision over offenders until certification is achieved
unless the CJAD grants an extension for the completion of course work
and re-examination.
(2) A CSO or residential CSO who completes the certification
course work but fails to pass the certification examination may take
the examination a second time. A CSO or residential CSO who fails
the examination a second time shall complete the certification course
again before taking the examination for the third and final time.
(3) A CSO or residential CSO who has failed the certification
examination three times is eligible to pursue certification no sooner
than two years after the last failed examination in accordance with
this rule and shall not serve in a position of direct supervision
over offenders until certification is achieved.
(e) Exempt CSO and residential CSO certification. A
CSO or residential CSO who has been continuously employed by any CSCD
in Texas from on or before September 1, 1989, is exempt from the certification
requirements. Certification courses and the certification examination,
however, shall be available to exempt CSOs and residential CSOs. Exempt
CSOs or residential CSOs who complete the certification course work
but fail to pass the certification examination may take the examination
a second time. An exempt CSO or residential CSO who fails the examination
a second time may complete the certification course again before taking
the examination for the third and final time. Although exempt from
certification, exempt CSOs and residential CSOs are required to complete
professional training each biennium in accordance with this rule.
(f) Recertification of professional staff upon re-employment.
Professional staff subject to the certification provisions of this
rule who have left the employment of a Texas CSCD for more than one
year are required to become recertified in accordance with this rule.
All professional staff employees who had less than one year of experience
before leaving the employment of a CSCD must become certified or recertified
in accordance with this rule.
(g) Professional training of professional staff.
(1) Professional staff with less than four years of
experience shall complete at least 80 documented hours of professional
training each biennium.
(A) Up to 40 hours in excess of the 80 required professional
training hours may be carried over to the next biennium.
(B) Professional staff who fail to complete the required
80 hours of professional training within a biennium shall not serve
in a position of direct supervision of offenders until the required
professional training hours are completed.
(2) Professional staff with at least four years of
experience shall complete at least 40 documented hours of professional
training each biennium, beginning the biennium after which four years
of experience is achieved.
(A) At least two of the required four years of experience
shall have been earned as a full-time, wage-earning officer in Texas
community supervision. Up to two of the four years of required experience
may have been earned through work in juvenile probation or parole,
adult parole, or similar work in other states. The required four years
of experience is not required to be continuous.
(B) Up to 20 hours in excess of the 40 required professional
training hours may be carried over to the next biennium.
(C) Professional staff who fail to complete the required
40 hours of professional training within a biennium shall not serve
in a position of direct supervision over offenders until the required
professional training hours are completed. Professional staff who
are exempt from certification as defined in this rule and fail to
complete the required 40 hours of professional training within a biennium
shall not serve in a position of direct supervision over offenders
until the required professional training hours are completed.
(h) Training of CSOs who supervise SAFPF program participants.
(1) CSOs who supervise participants in a SAFPF program
shall complete the CJAD approved training designed for officers who
supervise SAFPF program participants during the course of treatment
in a SAFPF and in the continuum of care component of the SAFPF program.
(2) The training shall be completed within one year
of being assigned supervision of SAFPF program participants, unless
the CJAD grants an extension for completion of the course work.
(3) CSOs who supervise SAFPF program participants and
who fail to complete the CJAD approved SAFPF training shall not serve
in a position of direct supervision over SAFPF program participants
until the required CJAD approved SAFPF training is completed, unless
the CJAD grants an extension.
(i) Direct care staff certifications and professional
training.
Cont'd... |