Vol. 1 Iss. 1 Final

ORANGE COUNTY

Probation Department

QUARTERLY

Great Year for
GRIP

Employee

Engagement

New K-9
Handler

A Starting
Point

Volume I Issue I

Winter 2017

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Message
from the
Chief



H ello everyone, on behalf of the Executive Management team and our Strategic Support

team I am happy to share the revised Probation Department newsletter. It has been some time since
the Department has been able to put together a Probation Department newsletter. Over the past year
we have been able to restructure our Strategic Support Division to include adding the position of
Public Information Officer. Jennifer Palmquist- PIO has been overseeing the department’s internal
and external communication. In addition Jennifer has been overseeing our Social Media. The
department currently has Facebook and a Twitter account as well as a Chief specific twitter account.
Additionally, the newsletter will have enhanced graphics and themes thanks to Staff Specialist Melissa
Murphy. Melissa has also been responsible for numerous murals that are displayed at MOB as well as
GAO. The newsletter will be quarterly providing stories and highlighting the outstanding work our
staff have accomplished.
This year has been a year of growth and change for this department. We have been able to
reestablish the fourth Chief Deputy position, bringing us into line with other departments of our size
and structure. Reestablishing our Juvenile Division will allow us to address the unique needs of this
population as well as adapt to several legislative changes at the state level. We have also been able to
fill several Assistant Division Director positions, providing support and strong leadership throughout
our department. This has opened up opportunities for growth and movement within the department
allowing us to promote some remarkable staff.
The Executive team is very proud of all of our staff in the Department who ensure Orange County is a
Safer Place Through Positive Change!

-Steve

Winter 2017

Contents

4. Promotions - Edited by Adrian Llamas
9. Chief ’s Awards
11. A Starting Point- Anonymous
12. Peer Support - Catherine Stiver and Julie Cisneros
13. YGC Art - Melissa Murphy
14. Employee Engagement - Joycelyn Durk
16. A New K-9 Handler for Cezar - Jennifer Palmquist
17. Great Year for GRIP - Jennifer Palmquist
18. Around Probation Pictures
19. Message from the PIO Jennifer Palmquist

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Promotions

Doug Sanger
to
Chief Deputy Probation Officer

Doug holds a B.A. in Business

Administration (Finance) from the University
of Iowa and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
He began his career with the Orange County
Probation Department in 1989. He served in a variety of assignments
within our Institutional Bureau and was promoted to Deputy Probation
Officer (DPO) in 1993. In 2002, Doug was promoted to Supervising
Probation Officer (SPO) and assigned to the Youth and Family Resource
Center (YFRC). While serving as the supervisor of this unit, he along with
his staff developed and implemented multi-agency collaborations and
programs that are still used today at our Youth Reporting Centers (YRC).
In 2006, Doug was promoted to Assistant Division Director (ADD) and was assigned to Juvenile Hall (JH) for a
one-year stay, and was promoted to Division Director in 2007 assigned to the Youth Guidance Center (YGC).
At the YGC Doug implemented the Aggression Replacement Training and other cognitive-behavioral programs.
For the past five years Doug has served as the Division Director at JH. Through his steadfast leadership,
Doug, along with his team of ADDs and Supervising Juvenile Correctional Officers (SJCO), has transformed JH in
to more than just a detention and commitment facility. His determination to improving the conditions of
confinement and use of evidence-based programs to reduce youth’s recidivism in the community is to be
commended. Each youth that enters our JH is now afforded programming as well as opportunities to enhance their
success upon their return in the community. Decision Points, Effective Practices in Community Corrections and
Parent Engagement through the collaboration with Padres Unidos are just a few of the programs Doug has
implemented at JH.
Doug is also the Chair for the Labor Management Committee for Juvenile Facilities. In 2015 he was
honored as the “Brian Anderson Innovation Award” recipient, the highest recognition given by the California
Association of Probation Administrators. Additionally, Doug received the 2016 “Community Star” of the year
award from Padres Unidos for his collaboration with the Parent Engagement program.
Throughout Chief Deputy Sanger’s career he has dedicated time and energy to helping youth as well as staff
in reaching their greatest potential. He builds an effective team in order to reach optimal results and continues to
demonstrate a “servant leader” management style. Chief Deputy Sanger was given the challenge to assist staff in
helping youth reach their optimal potential, to guide the department and build for the future needs of the County.
Doug joined the Executive Management team as the Juvenile Operations Bureau Chief Deputy effective November

.4. 25, 2016.

Winter 2017

Erik “Wads” Wadsworth to Probation Division Director

Erik came to the Probation Department in 1988 with a B.A.

in Sociology and later obtained a Master’s degree from CSUF.
He was promoted to DPO in 1993, SPO in 1999 and ADD in
2007. Erik has been assigned to JH, the Gang Violence
Suppression Unit (GVSU), supervised an adult field unit at the
West County Field Services Office (WCFSO), and assigned as
ADD at YFRC and the 109 division in 2012. Erik is known as
an innovator, bringing Evidence Based Practices to the forefront
of supervision. He took over the reins of the Adult Field
Supervision Division in the Field Operations Bureau on June
10th, 2016.

Stacey McCoy to Probation Division Director

Stacey earned a B.A. in Psychology from CSULB and an

M.S. in Counseling from CSUF. She began her career as
a Deputy Probation Counselor (DPC) in 1995 at to Los
Pinos. She was promoted to DPO in May of 1998, where
she worked with mentally ill offenders in the “IMPACT”
program. In June of 2002, she was promoted to SPO at
WCFSO and then to a background position at Professional
Standards Division (PSD) until her promotion to ADD in
September of 2005. As an ADD she has worked various
assignments at JH, Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) and
the 109 Division. Stacey has developed a high level of
functional expertise. She has extensive knowledge on all
things related to the operation of secure detention facilities
and camps. She brings the perfect balance of safety,
security and programming to our facilities. Stacy assumed
the duties of Director of the 109 Division effective
November 25th, 2016.

Michael Redwood to Probation Assistant Division Director

Mike started his career with the Department January of

1997 after earning a B.S. degree in Psychology from the
University of Hawaii-Hilo. He was promoted to DPO in 1999
and SPO in 2004. Michael has worked at Los Pinos, YGC, NCFSO,
GVSU and at PSD where he was the department’s safety
coordinator and assistant range master. As ADD, Mike has
returned to PSD, overseeing the Background Unit and the
Range Unit since June 10th, 2016.

5.

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Clare Schiller to Probation Assistant Division Director

Claire joined the Probation Department in 1989 after earning

a B.A. in Psychology from UCI, a Master’s degree from CSULB
and working for Community Service Programs. She began her
career as a DPC at Los Pinos and JH until promoted to DPO in
1991, then deployed to the Placement Unit and later transitioned
to Adult Investigations in 1999. Claire was promoted to Senior
DPO in 2009 and SPO in 2011 where she served at PSD. Claire
was honored with the Chief Probation Officers of California
Distinguished Service Award in 2002. She has brought a wealth
of experience and subject matter expertise to her new role as
ADD of Professional Standards, assumed June 10th, 2016.

Joycelyn Durk to Probation Assistant Division Director

Joycelyn joined the Probation Department in 1992 after

earning a BA in English from UCI. In 2015, she earned
a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from National
University. She worked as a Probation Counselor until
promoted to DPO in 1997 and SPO in 2011. Joycelyn was
assigned to a number of locations including JCWP, JH, the
OPTIONS Program and Lemon Street office. She has
experience in Training/Volunteer Services functions at PSD,
Internal Affairs & Backgrounds, training BPOC
Academies, as facilitator of the Employee Engagement
Workgroup and is a Trauma Informed Care trainer. ADD Durk
brought her experience and creativity to her new team at
Juvenile Hall on June 10th, 2016.

Jessica Johnson to Probation Assistant Division Director

Jessica earned a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Criminal

Justice from CSUF in 1997 while working nights as a PNC
assigned to Juvenile Hall. Later that year, Jessica would become
a DPC, working shifts until promoted to DPO and joining BPOC
class #71. She worked in Unit 336 from May 1999 until her
transition to SMART in 2001, then to the Tri-Agency Resource
Gang Enforcement Team (TARGET) in 2003. In 2008 she moved
to manage gang members in the City of Costa Mesa. Promoted
to SPO in April 2012, Jessica supervised a Juvenile Supervision
unit at WCFSO and two separate units in PCS until she joined the
Training Division in January of 2016. ADD Johnson brings with
her a wealth of knowledge and over 20 years of experience from
a variety of assignments. It is these attributes that she applies as
in her new position as ADD to Special Supervision on December

6. 9th, 2016.

Winter 2017

Sanford Rose to Probation Assistant Division Director

Sanford received a B.S. in Criminal Justice in 1992 and an M.S. in

Criminal Justice in 2007 from CSULB. He began his career as a DPC in
1995 where he worked several assignments including JCWP,
ACP and JH. In 1998, he was promoted to SPC and assigned to
Unit Z in JH where he worked until his promotion to DPO in 1999. As
a DPO and Senior DPO, he worked in Adult Field Supervision, Special
Enforcement Unit – Narcotics/ OC Methamphetamine-Investigative Task
Force, GVSU – High Control and Courtesy Supervision/ Interstate
Compact. In 2007, Sanford was promoted to SPO where he worked at
PSD (Training Unit & Internal Affairs), Adult Field Supervision, Adult
Admin, Adult Drug Court, and the AB 109 Supervision Division.
As SPO, he served as the department’s liaison with Redwood
Toxicology, monitored all aspects of our department wide substance abuse
screening process, implemented new methods to help reduce the
department’s error rate, reduced the county costs for substance abuse
testing, and dramatically reduced the department’s error rate. During his
time in AB 109, he assisted in developing many IT functions that would be
integral aspects of AB 109 operations.
Tawnya Medina to Probation Assistant Division Director

Tawnya earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice from CSUF while

serving as a Volunteer with the Juvenile Diversion Program. She
was hired as a PNC in 1996, shortly thereafter became a DPC
and was accepted to BPOC #67 in 1997. As DPO, she carried a
specialized juvenile sex offender caseload, served as liaison to the
Amparo Youth Shelter, operated the tattoo removal program and
monitored residential drug treatment programs. After promoting
to SPO in 2007, Tawnya served as a BPOC academy trainer for
three consecutive classes, was assigned to Juvenile & Adult
Supervision Units and to the NYRC. She has supported the
implementation of Thinking for a Change, Decision Points and
is an EPICS coach. Tawnya was promoted to the rank of ADD in
Juvenile Field Services effective December 9th, 2016.

Steve Sandoval to Probation Assistant Division Director 7.

Steve received a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Chapman

University in 1995. He began his career as a DPC in
September of 1995 at JCWP until his promotion to DPO
in June 1998. As a DPO, he was assigned to the North 8%
Early Intervention Program and GVSU. In April 2005, he was
promoted to SPO and assigned to the Secured Electronic
Confinement (SEC) Unit where he supervised SEC, Welfare
Fraud, Adult Admin and Dispatch. Steve was instrumental in
the planning, implementation and continuing development
of the initial GPS Monitoring Center and has served as
President of the California Electronic Monitoring Association. In March
2012, Steve was assigned to the newly created Intake Unit in the PCS
Division and tasked with addressing offenders released from Prison under AB
109. In this new Unit, he developed an outstanding working relationship with
CDCR, Division of Parole Operations and coordinated all prison releases to the
Department. He is considered the “go-to” for all things AB109.

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Kerri Carvo to Probation Assistant Division Director

Kerri started her career with the Department in November 1994 as
a Probation Night Counselor. In July 1995, she was assigned to the
JH Control Unit and subsequently to the Institutional Security Unit
(ISU). In August 1996, she was promoted to DPC/DJCO II where
she continued her assignment at ISU, and subsequently promoted to
SJCO. She had various assignments including multiple living units,
the Training and Volunteer Services Unit, coordinating JCOCC
classes, and has facilitated approximately 20 STC training classes
per year. Over the past year, Kerri has been part of a team that has
re-created our Defense & Control Techniques course and the Facil-
ities Safety Review course which are mandatory for all facility staff.
Kerri is the newest ADD assigned to Juvenile Hall on December 9th,
2016.

Derrick Danner to Supervising Probation Officer

Derrick began his career with the Department approximately 18
years ago as a PNC at JH after graduating from CSULB in 1998.
He briefly left to work for the Washington State Patrol. Upon his
return, he was promoted to DPC, and again promoted to DPO in
July 2001. After assignments working in Non-Custody Intake/
Decentralized Intake & supervising high control offenders, he was
trained as the new K-9 handler, initially with partner “RIK,” a Czech
Shepherd, and later Cezar. Derrick has assisted in the training
of new DPOs, teaching Search & Seizure and evidence blocks in
BPOC, Use of Force modules, as well as assisting in other BPOC
trainings. Derrick was assigned to the Juvenile Court Services
Division on June 10th, 2016.
Andy Parker to Supervising Probation Officer

Andy earned a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Union University

and served our country in the US Army National Guard, where
he was a Military Policeman prior to joining Probation in 1998.
He initially served as a DPC, then at the YFRC from 2001 to 2004.
He was promoted to DPO in 2004 and supervised adult sex
offenders from 2005 to 2010. In 2010, Andy accepted the challenge
of being our Department’s first Gang Reduction Intervention
Partnership (GRIP) DPO where he has made a significant impact
on preventing our community’s youth from joining gangs.
Andy was assigned as the Juvenile Detentions Alternative (JDAI)
supervisor on June 10th, 2016.

Jennifer Rowe to Supervising Probation Officer

Jennifer started with the department in 2001 after receiving a B.A. in Criminal

Justice from CSUF. She was assigned to the JCWP until 2004 when she was promoted
to DPO. Jennifer has had various assignments including Juvenile Investigations,
Community Resources, the CORE program, and working with adult sex offenders.
Jennifer was commended for various accomplishments over the years and was
honored with a Chiefs Award for her contributions to the CORE program.
Jennifer assumed the responsibility of supervising the Supervised Electronic

8. Confinement (SEC) unit on June 10th, 2016.

Winter 2017

Warrant/Fugitive Task Force Adult Financial Hearing OCSD TAT
DPO Mebane Process Team OCSD Sgt. Kenneth Olszewski
Mike Bradley OCSD Inv. Dave Van De Kreeke
Parole Agent Allen Vellpradit OCSD Dep. David Gwisdalla
Parole Agent Derek Hamaguchi Valerie Preciado
Kristen McKelvey OCSD Dep. Michael Perez
OCSD Inv Mark Kent OCSD Dep. Jackie Gray
OCDA Inv Kevin Thomas Darla Salcido OCSD Dep. Anson Mcgee
USMS Spv Inspector Andy Haggerty April Martinez
USMS Inspector Dave Diliberti Cristina Jones OCSD Dep. Fernando Cortes
USMS Inspector Craig McCluskey Sherrie Coleman OCSD Dep. Matthew Schroeder
Dep Marshall James Pham Luz Mariano
Sally Aguilar OCSD Juan Rodriguez
North OC ROP Cecilia Phan
Admin Service Manager Cheri Fawley Lori Johnson Juvenile Court Support Team/ Juvenile
Ana Claudia Ferraiz AfterCourt/ Inv Clerical Team
(retired) Ron De la Riva Yesenia Fonseca
Administrator, Instructional Programs Daryl Underwood Jeremy Lambert
Christine Staswick Pauline Sample
Julie Dentler Monique Whatley Marilyn Trofa
Job Placement Specialist Emelia Cecelia Barajas
Jennifer Fix Kristine Chavez
Serna-Cuevas Jesus Cabrera Michelle Paz
Job Placement Specialist Lourdes Miguel Lopez Stephanie (Sam) DeLong
Hermalinda Cosentino Elia Silvia
Amador Maria Perez Veronica Avila
Career Training for Transition Instructor Tiffany Tilman Raul Cabrera
Marcon Climaco Jeanne Cummins
Gabriela Vargas Maria David
Career Training for Transition Instructor Thuy Ngo Isaias Duran
Ilya Tsukerman Gina Edwards
Elizabeth Villalobos Contractor Lashmi Brian Gonzalez
Arunachalam Kumudini (Kumi) Gunasiri
What’s Your Why Arturo Gonzales Rosemarie Higley
Joycelyn Durk Diana Orozco Jeremy Lambert
Melissa Murphy David A. Sanchez John Mendez
Cynthia Contreras Susanna Moali’itele
NYRC Sport’s Team Olivia Nambo
Institutional Defense & Control Tactics Team Derrick Gachett Ricky Perez
Marcus Munoz Glenn Greene Kathy Place
Kerrin Carvo Donald Anderson Sharon Reyburn
Antonio Serrano Ashley Samai
Minh Pham LaToya Scott
Kathy Martin Yuko Tran
Tawney Vu
Rick Villavicencio
Denise Nichols

Roxanne Ramirez-Lopez
Inez Hyde

9.

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

OCDA Investigator Ruiz Adult Investigations Unit Victim Services ICMS Application Team
Maria Arreguin Christy Ronald
Truancy Response Team Kristen Blunt Deanna Costa
Patti Sanchez Jessica Carlson Sarah Flynn
Eleni Savvaides Kristyn Fussell Glenn Blanton
Isabel Apkarian Pamela Hostetler Enrique Braganza
Betty Salvoni Precious Johnson Edward Duterte
Leslie Howard Maria Lange Doug Miller
Teri Lindsay Rani Ravilla
Yesenia Chavez-Gonzalez Kelly Miramontes IILeon Xu
Melissa Saldana Celeste Musick
Sidra Gaines Contractor Harshad
Unit 152 Mentors Randuthengullathil
Richanne Chalmers Norma Jaime
Jennifer McNally Individual
Rosa Galindo Tamrin Walker Linda Mosher
Elizabeth Cruz Gerardo Guzman Amber Baumgardner
Bernadette Fee Jacqueline Barragan Terry Johnson
Gelene Guiterrez Angelica Valdez Barbara Wilson
Ryan Nilsen Catherine Flores Wilmar Zapata
Deanna Costa Rachel Miranda Yolanda Abarca
Sandra Prentiss
Sewing Team Rebecca Booth
Roberta Perez Lori Davidson Rick Tran
Azita Jahanbani Lorena Sharmetta

T4C/ Decision Point
Instructors

Heather Lamar
Frank Avelar

10.

Winter 2017

A Starting Point
-Anonymous


I enjoy wood working, and completing home improvement projects around the house. However, it seems
like when I get done, every tool I own is laying around the garage. I have piles of saw dust, scraps of wood,
and trash laying everywhere. The last thing I want to do is clean up such a mess, so I just close the garage
door and go take a shower. Unfortunately, every day I go back into the garage and I am faced with the same

huge mess. There is so much to do, that I don’t even know where to start. Each time I give up and ignore the
mess a little longer.

Eventually, after I can stand it no longer, I go into the garage, determined to clean up the mess. I pick a
starting point, usually the left-hand corner. I pick up the first tool I see, and put it away. Then I pick up the
next tool, and do the same thing. Eventually, all the tools are put away, so I begin putting the large items of
trash in the bin. I finish by sweeping and vacuuming up all the dust. It is funny, because in about an hour, I

accomplish something I have been putting off for a week or more.
I am often reminded of my own experiences when I deal with probationers. Upon

release from custody, they report to the probation office with a paper bag of possessions, dirty clothes that
have been stored in a locker for weeks, and no idea where to even start moving forward. They have disap-
pointed and ostracized family and friends, lost their job, been told they are on probation for three years (or
more); in essence, they have little positive going for them. They are meeting with a probation officer at the
lowest point in their life. That officer has a tremendous opportunity at encouraging positive change, or to
do more damage. Like me, overwhelmed at the mess in my garage, the probationer needs a starting point.
The term “Evidence Based Practices” has been bounced around for over a decade now. We have
T4C classes, Decision Points classes, YRC programming, EPICS interview formats, GRIP, Adopt a Fami-
ly, the list goes on and on. Are these approaches not the same as picking up one tool at a time, picking up

clutter, sweeping and vacuuming? When an officer identifies a need, it is an opportunity to provide the
probationer with a starting point to address that need. Once the needs are addressed, real change can begin
with setting realistic, achievable, goals. It can be a long term goal, like correcting their criminal thinking, or

a short term goal, like going a week without missing school.
Each person who reads this can think of one individual who sat across the desk from them, a total

mess. Three years later, that same person was a fully functioning, self-sufficient,
productive member of our community. All this positive change began at a starting point.

11.

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Who you gonna call… Peer Support!!

By Catherine Stiver and Julie Cisneros

I f questioned, most people would admit they experience stress while in the process of managing

their personal and professional lives. Our jobs with the Probation Department are unique and can add an
additional layer of stress. We are in the people business and regularly witness and/or share in the mess of other
people’s lives. Additionally, we can experience organizational stress in the form of public perception, complaints,
job stability to name a few. All of this can have a profound impact on us personally.
Some folks employ really effective self care strategies. They have strong support systems and
maintain healthy balance in their lives. Yet even the folks who do maintain healthy self-care strategies can be faced
with situations that throw them into a tailspin.
The good news is the department has a Peer Support Team that is here to listen. Each team member has
made a commitment to maintain your confidentiality with limited exceptions (e.g. law violations or threat to self or
others) and be available to you. They have been trained and nothing would surprise them. You name it, they have
heard it. Most importantly, they are available to listen. Sometimes just having someone to talk can make all the
difference in the world. If they believe that the topic is beyond their scope, they will not hesitate to provide you a
confidential referral.
The Peer Support Team members are a diverse group of individuals who have one thing in common. They
have volunteered to support their peers! Do not hesitate to call one of them. They are here for you. Try it out. If it
isn’t for you, there is no obligation to continue. Ultimately, Peer Support wants each of us to be emotionally,
physically, and spiritually healthy. That’s it. No strings attached.

12.

Winter 2017

Confidence through Creativity

By Melissa Murphy

"Confidence through Creativity" is a Art allows students to express themselves
painting course designed to build confidence in regardless of their previous academic results and
youth residing in our correctional facilities. knowledge of certain subjects. There is a heavy
Students receive an opportunity to thrive in a responsibility to follow the expectations of core
creative environment, have control over the
outcome of their work and learn a skill by working academic rules and procedures, while art is a
skill that is not weighed down by memorization or
with their hands. As the students demonstrate facts. This eliminates the connection with their
their competency in painting, they will develop
the confidence to be creative personally and apply past failures and promotes recovery with a
these skills to other positive pursuits in life. Art therapeutic approach. There is no right or wrong

empowers the student to express emotions way to paint, as there is no right or wrong
positively, and could transfer to good life decision perception of the work of art. As a result, even
making in the future. Painting gives students the
opportunity to accomplish a finished result. Inner students with weak core academics can use
thoughts and vulnerabilities can be empowered by creativity to develop confidence and be inspired to

expression through painting. have self-improvement. Students can feel
themselves as the creators of their fates and
come to the understanding that they have the
abilities and potential to become successful and

comply with probation, but to also become
successful in society.

13.

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Employee Chronicles
Engagement By Joycelyn Durk

E mployee Engagement is one of the foremost issues that will challenge organizations like ours in the years

to come. Simply put, Employee Engagement is about how we create the conditions in which employees offer more of
their capability and potential. Employee engagement is based on trust, integrity, two way commitment and
communication between an organization and its employees. It is an approach that increases the chances of
organizational success, contributing to organizational and individual performance, productivity and well-being. It can
be measured. It can be nurtured and dramatically increased; it can be lost and thrown away. In establishing the
Employee Engagement program here at the Probation Department we first had to get a key group of employees
involved in the project. It is critical that any project involving employee engagement must include employees as part
of the process. Inclusion is a critical component in bringing staff together. Once the proposal was approved,
recruitment began for potential workgroup members to be made up of a cross section of Probation
employees.

One of the priorities of the workgroup was to lay a foundation for teamwork and to create a safe environment
where the group members could express themselves without fear of judgment, criticism or recrimination. Another
key component of the structure of the group was to clarify expectations of the members. It was made clear that if any
member felt at any time that he/she no longer wanted to participate in the workgroup that would be fine. In
retrospect, the open door policy impacted the project team’s progress and moving forward, will operate a bit
differently. Further, I positioned myself as the facilitator of the group and not the leader or chair. I believe the
structure of the group helped to create trust and mutual respect amongst all participants.

After advancing through brainstorming sessions and merging similar issues, the workgroup came up with

14. ideas that could be developed into proposals and projects to be implemented. Some of the ideas included:

Winter 2017

• Addressing fraudulent Worker’s One of the questions was how did some

Compensation claims. It was suggested that employees go from being driven, optimistic and hopeful at

incentives be offered for each day no WC claim is the genesis of their career to disengaged and in some

filed. cases, bitter in their current state? We felt that examining

• Specific activities based on units, locations, this question would be key to lighting the spark of

etc. For example, a Throwback Board – that depicts engagement.

childhood photos of staff; a method to recognize staff

birthdays, accomplishments Simon Sinek’s groundbreaking book, Start With

• “Be The Change” passion project – each unit Why asserts that getting to the why of our actions and

defines and expresses what change means to them. It choices helps to clarify our purpose and also creates a

can be presented in any number of creative ways reason to continue moving forward despite challenges

• The “5 C’s– Communication, Connection, placed in the path. Out of this discussion arose the idea

Clarity, Convey, Complete”. Supervisors practicing to produce a video involving department staff where each

communicating with their staff on an informal basis. person answers the question: “What’s Your Why?” sharing

“Checking In”, not “Checking Up”. their reason for being committed to the probation

• Ways to get professional staff and sworn staff department, getting employees to focus on why they joined

on the “same page” i.e. joint unit meetings, Probation the probation department, they would be motivated to keep

sports competition (softball). Quarterly Team Building going and connect with the larger purpose of the agency.

activities that involve all classifications of employees. Answering this question helps to reveal the purpose and

• Employee Recognition Program - Jobs Well reason each of us are motivated to work in and serve the

Done and Kudos posts on Prob-Net from one Orange County community.

employee to another. Acknowledgement Board

• Mentorship Program for those applying for Through the completion of the video, we

Promotion for assistance with the interview process demonstrated engagement in action. In addition, the video

and also the written portion has been used to recruit additional members and also

• Informal Evaluation Process where staff can encourage the employees who view the video to reflect on

provide feedback to supervisors – similar to a 360 their own “why”.

Evaluation

• Cross training / Job Shadow Program One thing that was revealed during the making of

between Sworn and Professional Staff the video is the importance of giving employees an

• Updating Clerical Standards and Job opportunity to express themselves by simply asking them

Descriptions for Professional Staff what they think, how they feel, what they want and what

• Succession Planning: Rotation of staff would they do. Also, the workgroup is increasingly eager

(including supervisors and managers) to a different to tackle the other projects and are excited about seeing

function/unit every 3-5 years. This will develop new these come to fruition. Next year, we plan to work on an

skills sets and provide staff with a better Employee Recognition Program and ways to improve and

understanding of all areas of the Department. enhance communication between supervisors and

• Boost Supervisor’s Core or Supplemental employees.

Leadership Training for supervisors and managers

who participated in core training several years ago. It I am thankful to this wonderful team for their vital

was felt the leadership and management skills for the contributions to the workgroup. I am confident we will

21st century may be different from models previously continue working together to see positive change within the

taught. The challenge is to establish a unifying Orange County Probation Department.

leadership principle that managers and supervisors If you are
could use to guide their efforts. interested in joining the team, please

contact Assistant Division Director

Joycelyn Durk, 714-935-7594.

"Employee engagement is a
workplace approach designed to ensure that

employees are committed to their
organization’s goals and values, motivated to
contribute to organizational success and are able, at the same time,
to enhance their own sense of well-being."

15.

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Our New K-9 Vincent
Handler Cooper

By Jennifer Palmquist
On October 24th our new K-9 team, DPO Vincent Cooper and his partner Cezar, was activated. In order to

get to know them we asked a few questions:
Why did you want to be the new K-9 handler?
I have enjoyed working with dogs and working with the previous canine handler. I am also amazed by a

canine’s sense of smell.
What was the training like?
The training was two separate courses. The first was six weeks of training was teaching the canine to be a
patrol dog. I was able to learn the abilities of my canine partner. The second five weeks was training “Cezar”
how to sniff for the odor of narcotics and I had to learn his responses to when he has located them.
How has your family adjusted to having Cezar?
My wife and four children have taken him in as part of the family. It took my youngest daughter some time
to realize that he is a working dog and not a family pet. It has been a good transition.
16.

Winter 2017

A Great Year for

GRIP

By Jennifer Palmquist

O range County Gang Prevention and

Intervention Partnership (“OC GRIP”) is a
collaborative effort between the Orange County District
Attorney’s Office, Orange County Sheriff ’s Department,
Orange County Probation Department, California State
Parole, Cal State Fullerton Police, Santa Ana School
Police, California Highway Patrol, seven local law
enforcement agencies, 51 schools countywide, faith
based organizations and private businesses who work
together to prevent minors from joining criminal street
gangs. This year OC GRIP won a National Association
of Counties (NACo) 2016 Achievement Award.
Most of the students receiving Orange County
Gang Prevention and Intervention Partnership (“OC
GRIP”) services live in neighborhoods controlled by
criminal street gangs. Many of the OC GRIP students
reside with two and three families in one bedroom
apartments. A majority of the students live far below
the state poverty line and have parents that cannot
speak English. Many of the GRIP students have family
members who are in custody. Most GRIP students have
never played on a sports team or been to a camp or been
involved in an afterschool program because their parents
cannot afford it. GRIP students are referred to the OC
GRIP Team because of poor grades, truancy issues and
behavior problems. A majority of GRIP students report
to the team that they have no self-confidence or hope for
their futures and have been terrorized by gang members.
GRIP students have earned the right to partici-
pate in many events over the past year by meeting their
goals in attendance, academics and attitude. Some of the
events include attending an Angel’s Baseball game, par-
ticipating in a summer soccer camp, touring the Blizzard
Entertainment compound, earning a Thanksgiving din-
ner for their family and participating in a special event
hosted by Ford Motor Company.

17.

OC Probation Quaterly Vol. 1 Iss. 1

Ingredients Soft Molasses Cookies with Maple Frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 cup granulated sugar Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease cookie sheets
Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add sour cream and
1 cup sour cream molasses, stir until fully incorporated. Mix the baking soda and vinegar together,
1 cup molasses then add it to the mix, along with the ginger and salt. Add eggs and then add flour.
3 tsp baking soda Drop by rounded teaspoonful on to cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for
3 Tbsp white vinegar 10-12 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
2 tsp ginger
4 cups unbleached flour Frosting
½ tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten 2 cups (packed) powdered sugar
1 cup softened butter 5 Tbsp milk (plus 2-3 Tbsp extra milk, warmed)
2 tsp butter
18. ½ tsp maple extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
Melt better, add milk and heat to lukewarm
(I do this in the microwave)
Mix sugar and milk together until
smooth and creamy, add in extract.
If necessary, dribble in some of the extra
warm milk if needed to achieve a
smooth, spreadable consistency.
Frost cookies with a thin layer of frosting
as soon as it is ready. If frosting starts to
harden, dribble in a small amount
of warm milk until consistency is spreadable again.

Winter 2017

Jennifer Palmquist

The New Public Information Officer

Hi!

My name is Jennifer Palmquist and I am the Public Information Officer (PIO) for the Probation Department.
As the PIO I am responsible for both internal and external communications regarding our department.

Since becoming the PIO I have been working on establishing multiple ways that each member of the Proba-
tion family can find out what is going on around the entire agency. On ProbNet we have added the “High-
lights” section on the Home page. Highlights contains “Jobs Well Done” where we can share the outstanding
work that you do; a “Spotlight” section which has brief articles and pictures of interesting happenings around
the department that you might never hear about if it isn’t happening in your unit or division; and “Press
Clippings” where I post articles from many different media outlets pertaining to Probation and issues that

may affect the department.
I would also encourage you to check out our Facebook and Twitter accounts to see what is going on with our
department as I am now updating those sites on a regular basis. I hope to add Insatgram to our social media

profile sometime early next year as a way to share positive images from around our department.
This newsletter is one of the primary sources of internal communications and I would love to hear from you
when there are people or programs that I can highlight in the newsletter, social media or other media outlets

(newspaper, TV or radio).
Please email me at [email protected] with ideas and suggestions or if you know of an
event we might be able to share in either the Highlights section or as part of the newsletter or even as a social

media posting.
Hope to hear from you soon!!

19.

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS FOR NEXT NEWSLETTER TO
[email protected]

STEVE SENTMAN

CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER

CHRIS BIEBER BRYAN PRIETO SEAN BARRY DOUG SANGER

CHIEF DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICER CHIEF DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICER CHIEF DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICER CHIEF DEPUTY PROBATION OFFICER
ADULT OPERATIONS BUREAU
OPERATIONS SUPPORT BUREAU JUVENILE FACILITIES BUREAU JUVENILE OPERATIONS BUREAU

JENNIFER PALMQUIST SUE DELACY MELISSA MURPHY

PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER DIVISION DIRECTOR DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

EDITOR EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ORANGE COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENT
ADMINISTRATION AND EXECUTIVE OFFICE

P.O. BOX 10260 PHONE: (714) 645-7000

SANTA ANA, CA 92711 FAX: (714) 558-3199