Instructor-Led Course Offerings

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Instructor-led Course Offerings

The Office of Staff Development and Training offers instructor-led training courses for all employees, including certification programs, advanced and specialized training, and in-service training in the topics below.

Instructor-led Certification Training

Academies

The Office of Staff Development and Training provides training for the departments’ juvenile probation, detention, and residential officers. These direct care staff members first complete a 120-hour Phase I pre-work training at their facility or office. The training consists of mandatory CORE (live link to CORE section title above) courses and observation and job shadowing activities under the supervision of a field training officer. After an officer candidate has successfully completed Phase I, he/she will attend his/her respective academy, described below.

Detention and Residential Officer Training Academy (80 hours pre-work +40 hours PAR + 120 hours classroom)

The Juvenile Justice Detention and Residential Academy is a three-week training that includes the following topics: professional ethics, the balanced approach to restorative justice, stress management, effective communication, adolescent behavior, gang awareness, mental health and substance abuse, health care issues, cultural diversity, and motivational interviewing. It is held in Tallahassee, Tampa, Orlando, and Davie.

Juvenile Probation Officer Academy (80 hours pre-work + 200 hours classroom)

The JPO Academy is a five-week training that includes 32 hours of Protective Action Response (PAR) followed by 168 hours of topics such as adolescent development, balanced approach to restorative justice, professional ethics, suicide prevention, substance abuse and identification, diversity, gang awareness, mental health issues, trauma informed care, personal safety, Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT), motivational interviewing, courtroom procedures and behaviors, the case flow process, screening and intake process and instruments, commitment, aftercare, and probation responsibilities.

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Protective Action Response (PAR) Training

Officers (40 hours facility; 32 hours program)

Trainer giving demonstration The Protective Action Response (PAR) program prepares the participant to effectively maintain safety and order by preventing conflicts through the use of appropriate responses to the youth’s behaviors and minimizing conflicts through the use of verbal de-escalation and the minimum amount of force necessary. In addition, it helps to develop the personal confidence to apply DJJ-approved techniques correctly and appropriately – that is, to correctly apply the right technique in the right situation. Separate courses are offered for certification, renewal, instructors, and master instructors.

Cross-over Officers (varies)
Employees trained in a different PAR plan will be trained in and evaluated on any techniques that the employee has not been trained to perform.

Re-hires (8 hours)
Employees rehired:

Within 12 calendar months are considered current if he/she has successfully completed annual in-service requirements.
Between 12 and 24 calendar months must attend eight hours of remediation and obtain a score 100% satisfactory performance of the techniques specified on the employees PAR training plan and score a minimum of 75% on the PAR written exam.
Beyond 24 calendar months must complete the PAR training, as if a new employee.

Promoting a Restraint-Free Environment
The department promotes a least restrictive environment which includes a restraint-free approach in its facilities and programs. The brochure at the following link provides a description of the department’s PAR program.
http://djjiws/new/Training/brochure/training-brochure.pdf

PAR Rule
The Protective Action Response (PAR) Rule 63H 1.001-.016 details the requirements and components of the PAR program. It can be accessed at the following link:
http://www.djj.state.fl.us/docs/rules/63h-1.pdf

PAR DVDs
The Protective Action Response (PAR) physical intervention techniques have been featured in videos to use as remediation, refresher, or training tools. They can be accessed through the department’s CORE learning management system.

Instructor Techniques Workshop (ITW) (64 hours)

Any employee who performs training for the department, from PAR to Motivational Interviewing, must successfully complete the Instructor Techniques Workshop. This course is designed to introduce the employee to the role, responsibilities, skills, knowledge, and expectations of a successful instructor and to enhance his/her facilitation and instructional abilities. The 40-hour instructional component is followed by a written test. Successful employees then spend 24 hours preparing and delivering a training demonstration that is evaluated by the ITW instructor. Courses are offered in Tallahassee, Tampa, Orlando, and Davie.

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Advanced Leadership: Certified Public Manager (CPM) (Eight week-long levels over a two-year period)

The Certified Public Manager (CPM) program is a nationally recognized, comprehensive training and development program aimed to professionalize the practice of public management beginning with individual performance and gradually expanding to broader organizational issues and public policy.

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CPR/First Aid/AED

Offered by one of several vendors, the CPR/First Aid/AED course provides a framework for learning basic skills that may save a life or prevent further injury. Ensuring that all front line staff are professionally trained in CPR promotes a safer and healthier environment for all parties to live and work. According to DJJ Rule, each direct care provider must be certified in CPR, first aid, and AED use.

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Instructor-led Advanced and Specialized Training

Leadership Development Course (40 hours)
A course designed to provide an avenue for DJJ supervisors to develop and improve their leadership, motivation, delegation, ethics, communication, and feedback skills. This course allows supervisors to examine their attitudes, skills, leadership styles, and roles through the use of juvenile-justice-specific scenarios. Upon completion of this course, the juvenile justice supervisor will be able to demonstrate what it takes to be an effective leader and to apply that knowledge in the performance of their jobs and in leading their people to be effective officers. The Leadership Development Course is required of all direct care supervisors but is open to any other staff. It is offered around the state.

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Situational Leadership (8-16 hours, customizable)

This course is designed to provide juvenile justice leaders in all supervisory and management positions the opportunity to develop and improve their situational leadership, team building, and change management skills. This course allows an organization’s chain of command to work together to examine themselves, their characteristics, and their principles through the use of juvenile-justice-specific scenarios. Upon completion of this course, a juvenile justice leader will be able to apply this knowledge to analyze the environment, build stronger teams, and adapt to change while leading their people to be more effective officers.

Field Training Officer (FTO) Training (40 hours)

This is a course designed to provide the field training officer with the knowledge and skills to help other officers transfer and apply pre-academy and academy training to practical applications related to his/her position.

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Basic Driving Safety Course (44 hours)

This course is designed to help officers understand a vehicle’s limits, as well as their personal limits, such as an awareness of the effects of physiological and psychological stressors on his/her driving and the skills required to operate a motor vehicle safely.

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Suicide Prevention Train-the-Trainer (6 hours)

Trainers talking to class This course is designed to teach the direct care, medical, mental health staff, as well as all others who work with juveniles, to identify and describe the risk factors, warning signs, monitoring and documentation requirements, and appropriate responses to suicide prevention.

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Protective Action Response (PAR) Instructor

This 80-hour course is conducted by a Master PAR Instructor. Candidates must demonstrate:

Proficiency for all physical intervention techniques and mechanical restraints listed on the PAR Instructor Performance Evaluation form.
The ability to verbally communicate how the techniques are to be performed. The demonstration shall be evaluated by one Master PAR Instructor and one PAR Instructor.
Satisfactory demonstration of presentation skills.
Achievement of 75% or higher on the PAR written examination.

Candidates must have:

One year of experience, working full-time, in juvenile justice, criminal justice, or juvenile social services.
PAR certification.
Instructor Techniques Workshop certification.

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Protective Action Response (PAR) Master Instructor

To qualify to be a Master PAR Instructor, a candidate must:

Have at least two years’ experience as a PAR Instructor.
Be nominated by a Master PAR Instructor.
Be selected after review by a committee of Master PAR Instructors.

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In-service Training

Protective Action Response (PAR)

Instructor Certification Renewal (Train-the-Trainer)
PAR Instructors must attend and participate in a 16-hour in-service training program once every four years that is conducted by a Master PAR Instructor. The training includes a review of the PAR rule and demonstration of the verbal and physical intervention techniques. Additionally, PAR Instructors must conduct 20 hours of PAR training annually to maintain certification.

Officer Renewal (Annual In-service)
All employees are required to complete a minimum of eight hours of annual in-service training which shall include:

A review of the PAR Rule and facility/program PAR administrative procedures.
How and when to properly complete a PAR report.
Review and practice of verbal intervention techniques.
Review and practice of all physical intervention techniques checked on the applicable PAR Training Plan and, at a minimum, practice in the use of all mechanical restraints authorized by the facility’s PAR Training Plan.

Completion of the annual in-service training requires 100% attendance, active participation, and successful demonstration of the verbal and physical intervention techniques in the training program.

Professionalism

This course is designed to provide an overview of professionalism for all Department of Juvenile Justice employees. It includes content on the standards of conduct, conduct violations, communication, customer service, and personal appearance.

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