Court Support Services Division
CSSD Quick Links
Community Service Labor Program
The CSLP works with pre trial and
sentenced individuals placing them in community service jobs that afford
them a chance to “give back” and learn new skills. These projects have
demonstrated to Connecticut's communities that offenders can be involved in
community activities and produce positive results on a consistent basis.
Community service work can include maintenance of state parks, campgrounds
and beaches, graffiti removal and removal of debris at illegal dumping
sites, etc. CSLP volunteers are also well known throughout the state for
their volunteer work on behalf of many well known foundations and charities,
including the American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association and
The CT Special Olympics.
The Court Support Services Division’s (CSSD) Training Academy
The CSSD Training Academy was founded in 1999 and
charged with providing professional training and development to all of the
staff within the agency to expand the skills, knowledge and expertise that
are required to achieve excellent and professional performance.
Since its’ inception, the Training Academy has grown in full time staff, who are
representative of the major business functions within CSSD (Juvenile
Probation, Juvenile Residential Services, Adult Services, Family Services).
Assistant Director of Program and Staff Development James Greene has
responsibility for the Training Academy, which is managed by Chief Probation
Officer II Laura DiFelice.
The Academy provides a range of coordinated training. There are three levels of training:
- pre-service which is required for new hires and is comprised of a mix of instructor lead training coupled with on-the-job
training that is intensive, sequential, and comprehensive,
- in-service training which is mandatory for all veteran staff and CSSD policy prescribes the number of training hours that each staff member receives, and
- leadership management training which is required for all personnel promoted to supervisory or managerial positions.
Each of the business units
disciplines maintains a training advisory committee comprised of line and
managerial staff, and representatives of CSSD’s Best Practices Unit, which
researches evidence based practices for the agency and its’ network of
providers. The training advisory committees assist in planning, oversight,
and evaluation of training to ensure that curriculum is developed based on
what research indicates is most effective and meets the needs of the staff.
Instructors are selected both from within CSSD and also outside. Adjunct
trainers are recruited from the field because they best understand the
problems and challenges of the job. In addition, the CSSD Training Academy
contracts with, supervises and oversees content experts/consultants who
train both staff from private non-profit agencies which service CSSD clients
as well as supplement required training for CSSD staff.
CSSD training activities and efforts in Adult Probation were validated by accreditation
from the American Correctional Association (ACA) in 2006 ensuring that CSSD
met or exceeded all training related standards for Adult Probation staff. In
April of 2009, Adult Probation achieved re-accreditation from ACA who
commended the Training Academy for it’s progress in staff development.