Vouth Services Officers

Each county accepting State Juvenile Justice Supplements from the Commission on Children and Youth for the purpose of improving court services for the court exercising juvenile jurisdiction shall employ or have in its employ a Youth Services Officer to be appointed and supervised by the court exercising juvenile jurisdiction. To be eligible to receive these funds, the Youth Services Officer employed by the county shall meet the requirements specified below. The court shall provide to the county or the Commission on Children and Youth upon request written documentation that the Youth Services Officer meets these requirements. (1) Qualifications. A Youth Services Officer shall have completed sixty (60) semester hours or ninety (90) quarter hours of undergraduate credit from an accredited college or university with the major area of study in criminal justice or a social science related field. For Youth Services Officers hired after June 30, 1983, priority consideration should be given to applicants with fifteen (15) or more semester hours or twenty-two (22) or more quarter hours in the area of psychology, sociology, criminal justice, social work, guidance and counseling, or a related field. The juvenile court shall provide upon request an official transcript for any Youth Services Officer appointed by the court. (2) Employment Status. The court shall submit written documentation to the county or the Commission on Children and Youth of the number of hours worked by the Youth Services Officer. Definition of full-time and part-time employment shall be as follows: (a) A full-time Youth Services Officer shall work the number of hours designated by the county as full-time. (b) A part-time Youth Services Officer shall work at least 18.5 hours per week. (3) Training. A Youth Services Officer employed after July 1, 1985, shall in the first year of employment receive forty hours of training approved by the Commission on Children and Youth. Each Youth Services Officer shall receive twenty hours of training during each subsequent year of employment. In counties having more than one Youth Services Officer, staff with direct supervisory responsibility for Youth Services Officers or those performing the functions of Youth Services Officers shall receive this STATE JUVENILE JUSTICE SUPPLEMENTS CHAPTER 0340-3 minimum amount of training and all other Youth Services Officers shall receive fifteen hours each year. (4) Duties. The duties of a Youth Services Officer shall be those described in T.C.A. §37-1-106.