The Human-Centered Interview and Intake Process is a 24-hour course is for probation officers who want to refine their skill set in the client interview and intake process.

To competently conduct their jobs, probation officers need to have excellent communication skills.  Communication is a perishable skill; however, with continuing education, probation officers will accurately conduct interviews, make court recommendations, and make the appropriate supervision plans and placements.   In addition to building rapport with clients and having better communication skills, there can also be a reduction of violent encounters through mutual respect and understanding. Through an effective rapport process, probation officers will obtain a more accurate social history from clients or family members.

California is a “melting pot” with people from different ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.  By better understanding the various traits of each culture and religion, probation officers can better connect with clients, build rapport and respect, and thus get better and more accurate information and histories. This course provides the probation officers with the tools, such as understanding effective communication, building rapport with clients (and family members), leading to on-going communication, and exchanging sensitive information.  This course also teaches the probation officers how to conduct a cognitive interview to obtain relevant and accurate information in the initial intake process or subsequent probation investigations.  Through a comprehensive understanding of how religion and culture affect our interactions with clients, better relations can establish for a more productive working environment and even mitigation of potentially violent situations that can erupt from wrong inferences.  This course also explores generational differences that can also have a significant impact on probation officers and their clients, adult or juvenile.  This human-center course is an interactive learning process where the students can learn new skills and refine those skills they already have.

Course topics includes training on:

• Nonverbal communication
• Verbal communication
• Active listening
• Note taking
• Paraphrasing
• In-depth interviewing though open-ending interviews
• Review of culture and religion as it pertains to our daily function