Christopher Draper

• As a Juvenile Court Officer 1(JCO) in Polk County, Iowa, I'm responsible for a caseload of youth that are currently involved with the Juvenile Court system. These youth have either pled guilty or been found guilty by way of trial of committing a delinquent act.
• Tasked with ensuring the safety of both the community and the youth. While doing so, also ensuring the youth is in the least restrictive environment.
• Administer Iowa Delinquency Assessment. This assessment is a tool used to determine the risk of the youth re-offending, criminogenic needs, and areas of targeted services. Referred to as the risk, needs, and responsivity model.
• Making referrals, monitor, and collaborate with providers to ensure the youth is following through and making progress with services.
• 1:1 meeting with the youth, utilizing the Effective Practices in Community Supervision model (EPICS). This model includes a check-in, then a review of services, goals, prior homework and compliance with terms and conditions of probation, an intervention, and homework assignment.
• Providing the court with written reports for court hearings, making recommendations to the court regarding the case
• Knowledge and understanding of Iowa Code
• Determining the legal sufficiency of charges
• Detaining youth when deemed necessary
• Collecting and analyzing urine analysis drug screens
• Testifying in court
• Providing resources for youths and their families
• Collaboration with educators and schools
• Transition planning for youth fourteen and older
• Permanency planning for children in out of home placement
• Attending trainings and participating in professional growth opportunities.
• The goal is to achieve rehabilitation in the community while utilizing community services. However, at times community rehabilitation is not successful. Therefore, the JCO must recommend a level of care that will meet the needs of the youth, while ensuring the safety of the community and the youth involved. This process involves research of available placements, referrals, monthly visits with the youth in placement, intake and discharge planning, and collaboration with placement staff. The duties and responsibilities of a Juvenile Court officer are outlined and defined in Iowa Code 232. Understanding and interpreting Iowa Code 232 and other sections of code that are relevant to these duties and responsibilities is imperative to being a successful Court Officer.

• The role of Social Worker Supervisor was to supervise Social Work Case Managers in the Des Moines Service Area.
• Supervising approximately seven to eight Social Work Case Managers, which consisted of overseeing approximately 250 - 300 cases. These cases included eligible cases (voluntary cases), which were cases that were not court involved; along with cases that were involved with the Polk County Juvenile Court.
• Provided 1:1 supervision with staff. Which consisted of assistance in growing their critical thinking skills and evidence-based practices to promote a strength-based family-first approach for the purpose of providing an approach that promotes reunification with the families that HHS serves. This was done through case consultation and modeling by supervisors.
• Attended meetings with HHS leadership.
• Facilitated group supervisions.
• Reading, approving, and making corrections to court reports and other court documents and referrals.
• Writing evaluations for staff that were supervised.
• Following disciplinary policies and procedures established by HHS when needed to address performance issues.
• Assured the safety of the children assigned to each team member.
• In addition to those duties and responsibilities overseeing and implementing the first-ever Polk County ICWA unit was another opportunity provided through this position.
• The Indian Child Welfare Act was established to protect the best interest of Indian Children and to promote the stability and security of Indian tribes and families by the establishment of minimum Federal standards for the removal of Indian children and placement of such children in homes which will reflect the unique values of Indian culture. Not only are there established Federal standards, Iowa, is one of few states that also contains ICWA standards in the Iowa code. These standards and code provide a best practice approach when working with Indian families involved with the Juvenile Court. As the supervisor of this ICWA unit, there was an assigned Social Worker Case Manager that was assigned all incoming ICWA cases. This opportunity also provided the opportunity for additional training regarding ICWA standards and the Native American culture.

• As a Social Worker 2 at the Department of Health and Human Services Social workers were responsible for providing ongoing case management services for families that had a confirmed or founded child protective assessment, and it was recommended that DHHS services are required. Cases were either eligible service cases, which was a case that wasn't court involved or cases that were involved with the Polk County Juvenile Court.
• Caseloads consisted of approximately 20-40 cases at any given time. The court cases were overseen by one of the seven Juvenile Court Judges in Polk County.
• Ensured the safety of the children on the caseload.
• Case planning with the family
• Recommendation of services and making referrals for those services.
• Communication with providers regarding updates on how services are progressing.
• Serving as a liaison between the County attorney/Judge and providers
• Submitted Authorization of services, which included initiating and terminating services.
• Monthly face to face visits with families and then documentation of those visits.
• Conducting social histories, writing addendums to reports, permanency and termination reports to the court. For all reports required investigation and gathering of information.
• Gathering documents and then uploading those documents on the electronic filing system to be entered as exhibits for legal parties to view.
• Scheduling and coordinating visitation between children placed in out of home placement.
• Attending court hearing.
• Scheduling and participating in family team meetings
• Transition planning for youth fourteen years old and older.
• One of two social workers assigned to Recovery Court. Recovery Court is a specialized court in Polk County where participants are seen weekly by a Judge, who is the presiding judge, along with a multidisciplinary team of professionals to help assist the participants in gaining the tools necessary to overcome addiction and live a life of recovery.
• Provided families with community resources to assist families in overcoming the barriers of poverty, domestic violence, and addiction.

• Mental Health Instructor worked 1:1 with clients in a 24-hour home setting. Individuals I worked with were had mental health diagnoses.
• Assisted clients in medication management
• Provided crisis intervention when needed.
• Provided the tools to assist individuals to live as independently as possible.
• Assisted in advocating for their rights.
• Documented all work completed using the Candeo electronic documenting system. All documentation was compliant with Medicaid standards.

• Specialty Court Coordinator position coordinated both Polk and Warren Counties Family Treatment Courts. I worked as the liaison between above-mentioned courts and Children's Justice.
• Data tracking of important dates regarding case information.
• Communication between providers that assisted participants and Family Recovery Court Team.
• Scheduling and completing intakes.
• Researching cases on all six Family Courts Judge's dockets to search for cases that met criteria for Recovery Court
• Approached clients and their attorneys to discuss Recovery Court as an option.
• Attending Family Team Meetings and court hearings when needed.
• Coordinating special events (Holiday parties, participant graduations, self-care days, etc.)
• Assisted participants in locating and accessing community resources.

• Mail Clerk 2’s for the State of Iowa processed and sorted all incoming mail for the Capitol complex.
• As the daily mail arrived to the mail center it was sorted by building, then placed the mail in the corresponding boxes according to who or where it was addressed.
• Mail coming in the mail center was processed by affixing postage to mail pieces. This mail was processed on Pitney Bowes mail processing machines.
• Served as a back-up driver, which was performed about four to five times a month. Back-up drivers delivered mail to buildings on the Capital complex according to a fixed route. While delivering I also picked up mail that was going back to the mail center to be processed.
• Assigned to work on special projects when needed.

• Direct Care Specialist at Easter Seals of Iowa involved working with children and adults that were diagnosed with physical and intellectual disabilities along with mental health illness'.
• Caseloads of 10 – 15 clients.
• Advocating for the rights of these individuals.
• Assisted them in connecting with community resources and building skills to live as independently as possible.
• Services provided were based off of an Individual Progress Plan
• Assisted in budgeting and fiscal responsibility.
• Providing socializing opportunities in the community
• Assisting with grocery shopping, this included meal planning, making a list, setting a budget, and ensuring the clients stayed with that budget.
• Building, teaching, and modeling effective coping skills in crisis situations.
• Services provided were documented electronically on the Easter Seals of Iowa database. Documentation followed Medicaid and Easter Seals guidelines for documentation.

• Responsible for safety and treatment of youth on the sex offender unit
• The unit consisted of twenty youths that were between the ages of 12-20 years of age.
• Enforced the rules of the facility, to maintain a safe environment.
• Facilitated group counseling sessions
• 1:1 sessions with youths that were assigned as my primaries.
• Assisted with schoolwork
• Escorted youth from one area or activity to another
• If not facilitating group counseling sessions, then observed and documented the youth’s participation, understanding and progression of the skill being taught.
• Promoted a therapeutic environment to help in rehabilitation.