Our Mission

The mission of the Office of Professional Development is to provide effective basic and specialized training programs in support of the agency mission; effectively enhancing the safety, security and skills of our DJJ colleagues and partners.

The staff of the Office of Professional Development carries out this mission by:

  • Developing, facilitating and/or coordinating basic and specialized training to meet the unique challenges of working with the young offender population.
  • Searching for new ideas that stimulate discovery and foster innovation, leading to more effective learning.
  • Cultivating DJJ’s workforce and enhancing DJJ’s organizational culture through professional development programs.
  • Assisting individuals in developing their interpersonal and managerial skills.
  • Improving the quality of work-life and job satisfaction for employees.
  • Educating employees so they can best utilize the policies and procedures of the Department.

We are committed to supporting the continued growth and development of the Department’s most valuable resource - its people.

Our Philosophy and Values

The Office of Professional Development is dedicated to the following values:

  • Quality Service - We are committed to providing superior service. We strive to respond to requests for training and other services in a timely, appropriate and customer-focused manner.
  • Teamwork – Training relies on the cooperative efforts of everyone. We must work together, solving, sharing our successes and creating new visions.
  • Recognition of the Individual - Each person is an essential part of the team. We must strive to treat each other with dignity, trust, respect and equality. We support open communication, involvement, empowerment and recognition of excellence. The DJJ staff are our most precious resource and we welcome the opportunity to support their lifelong learning.

Overview

The Office of Professional Development is steadfast in providing the most up-to-date professional development training, resources and information to the nearly 4,300 full and part-time staff, which include:

  • POST-Certified Juvenile Correctional Officers
  • POST-Certified Juvenile Probation Parole Specialists
  • POST-Certified Investigators
  • POST-Certified Special Operations Officers
  • Community Service Workers
  • Teachers
  • Medical Professionals
  • Mental Health Professionals
  • Juvenile Detention Counselors
  • Food Service and Custodial Workers 
  • Administrative and Support Staff

The Office of Professional Development provides initial basic training, specialized training, annual in-service training and leadership development training throughout the State.  Several of the courses include:

Basic Training Courses

  • Basic Juvenile Correctional Officer Training (240 hours)
  • Basic Juvenile Probation Officer Training (280 hours)
  • Basic Community Services Training (200 hours)
  • Basic Facility Non-Security Training (40 hours)
  • Special Operations Basic Course (40 hours)

Specialized Training Courses

  • Aikido Control Training (A.C.T.) (16 hours)
  • Field Training Officer Course (40 hours)
  • CPR/First Aid/AED (8 hours)
  • Verbal Judo (8 hours)
  • Mental Health Curriculum for Juvenile Justice and Suicide Prevention (8 hours)
  • Vicarious Trauma and Self-Care (2 hours)
  • Stress Management (2 hours)
  • Standards of Conduct & Ethics (2 hours)
  • Building Positive & Effective Relationships with Youth (3 hours)
  • Use of Force (2 hours)
  • Fostering Positive Community Relations (3 hours)
  • Gang Awareness (2 hours)
  • Crisis Intervention (2 hours)
  • Control of Contraband and Search Procedures (3 hours)
  • Front Entry Procedures and Perimeter Checks (3 hours)
  • Youth Movement, Supervision and Staff Positioning (2 hours)
  • Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures (3 hours)
  • Firearms Requalification (2 hours)
  • Firearms Simulator-Judgmental Use of Deadly Force (4 hours)
  • O.C. Spray (4 hours)
  • PepperBall (4 hours)
  • Weapon Retention (6 hours)
  • Low Light and Night Fire (3 hours)
  • Effective Practices in Community Supervision (24 hours)
  • GLOCK Armorers Course
  • Garrity v. Miranda
  • Games Juveniles Play
  • Key, Tool and Chemical Control
  • Control Room Procedures
  • Conducting Headcounts

Leadership Development Courses

  • Community Leadership Training (40 hours)
  • Field Training Officer (FTO) Certification Course (40 hours)
  • Management Orientation Tier 1, 2 and 3 (24 hours each)
  • Basic Leadership Course (80 hours)
  • Supervision Level 1, 2 and 3 (40 hours each)
  • Manager Level 1, 2 and 3 (40 hours each)
  • Assistant Director's Academy (80 hours)
  • Pre-Command Course (40 hours)
  • Professional Management Program (400 hours)
  • Command College (460 hours)

Instructor Certification Courses

  • POST Instructor Course (80 hours)
  • POST-Firearms Instructor Course (80 hours)
  • Aikido Control Tactics Instructor Course (40 hours)
  • AHA First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Course (8 hours)
  • Verbal Judo Instructor Course (40 hours)
  • Thinking for a Change Instructor Course (40 hours)
  • Firearms Simulator Instructor Course (16 hours)
  • Mental Health Training Curriculum Instructor Course (24 hours)
  • O.C. Spray Instructor Course (8 hours)
  • PepperBall Instructor and Armorer Course (16 hours)

 

Download this pdf file. OPD ORGANIZATIONAL CHART