Download 1 Maine Judicial Branch Job Description COORDINATOR OF

Maine Judicial Branch
Job Description
COORDINATOR OF SPECIALTY DOCKETS AND GRANTS
General Summary:
This is a highly responsible administrative position responsible for helping the
Judicial Branch establish, maintain, staff, coordinate, operate, and evaluate specialty dockets and
pilot projects in the Trial Courts; soliciting and administering grants and grant funding; and
maintaining the specialty docket efforts statewide and within the Judicial Branch.
The incumbent works closely with the Chief Justice of the Superior Court, the Chief
Judge and Deputy Chief Judge of the District Court, Justices, Judges, members of the
Administrative Team, Judicial Branch grant accountants, Court Clerks, and other local, county,
state, federal, and private agencies.
Specialty dockets in Maine are defined as dockets with intensive and regular judicial
oversight, specialized treatment and case management services if indicated, strict accountability
and behavior management of participants, and management by multidisciplinary teams led by the
presiding judicial officer. Currently, the State of Maine operates Adult Drug Treatment Courts,
a Co-Occurring Disorders and Veterans Treatment Court, Domestic Violence Judicial
Monitoring Dockets and Family Treatment Drug Courts. These dockets are located in various
locations across the State. The goals of these dockets include reducing alcohol and drug abuse
and dependency among criminal offenders, supporting recovery from substance abuse, mental
illness and co-occurring disorders, reducing criminal recidivism, increasing the personal, familial
and societal accountability of offenders, promoting healthy and safe family relationships,
promoting effective interaction and use of resources among justice system personnel and federal,
state and community agencies and reducing the overcrowding of prisons and jails. The dockets
also encourage the adoption of pro-social attitudes and behaviors and the promotion of healthy
societal relationships. These goals all lead to improved public safety.
At times, specialty dockets are referred to in statute, grant solicitations, or informally by the
public with different labels, including, but not limited to, specialty courts, problem-solving
courts, rehabilitation programs, judicial monitoring projects or diversion programs or projects.
See 4 M.R.S. §§ 421-433.
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Essential Job Functions: *
Specialty Docket Management:
 Organizes and coordinates the implementation, staffing, operation, and evaluation of
specialty dockets, including diversion and rehabilitation programs, in the District Court and
Superior Court.
 Working with the presiding judicial officers and Court Management, drafts each specialty
dockets’ specific policies and procedures and implements and oversees the specialty docket
protocols as established by the Trial Court Chiefs.
 Serves as liaison and collaborates with entities, organizations and persons listed in 4 M.R.S.
§§ 421(3)(A-I) - 433 in implementing, operating, staffing, and evaluating the Adult Drug
Treatment Courts, the Family Treatment Drug Courts, the Co- Occurring Disorders and
Veterans Court, Domestic Violence Judicial Monitoring Dockets, and other similar courtbased problem solving efforts.
 As directed by the Chief Justice, assists in the creation, development, and support of Mental
Health Courts and diversion programs focused on mental health related issues, along with
other emerging diversion programs.
 Serves the role of Coordinator of Diversion and Rehabilitation Programs referenced in 4
M.R.S. § 422.
 Provides technical assistance to the Administrative Office of the Courts to enter into
cooperative agreements for contracts with those entities noted in 4 M.R.S.§ 422(2)(A-G).
 Assists in coordinating scheduling that supports the specialty dockets, as directed by the Trial
Court Chiefs. Makes recommendations for revisions to schedules to better manage the
limited resources available for the specialty dockets.
 Conducts research, prepares reports, and makes presentations related to various specialty
dockets or projects.
 Ensures statewide consistency with the specialty docket protocol, treatment, forms,
procedures, treatment quality, data collection, and information sharing.
 Communicates with attorneys, governmental agencies, and the public on matters concerning
the specialty dockets, grant funded projects, and program activities.
 Identifies diversion and rehabilitation resources and programs in Maine and assists in the
coordination and the communication between program providers and program users (District
Attorneys, defense attorneys, law enforcement officials, judges, etc.)
 Consistently evaluates each specialty docket program with an eye towards quality
improvement, and policy and procedural or operational changes that may improve the
functioning of the court and standards and procedural changes that would improve outcomes.
 Designs goals and objectives, drafts proposed contracts, identifies outside funding sources
for, and oversees outside consultant research concerning the efficacy and efficiency of each
of the specialty dockets.
Grant Administration:
 Under the direction of the State Court Administrator, develops a policy and protocol for grant
solicitation, management and oversight.
 Develops and oversees appropriate grant requests and grant funded projects in collaboration
with grant managers.
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 Assists in identification of funding sources and the development of proposals to funding
authorities.
 Disseminates information regarding the grant oversight activities and encourages use of the
resource.
 Acts as a point of contact with federal and state grant sources for specialty court programs.
 Acts as the point of contract with federal and state grant resources for other Judicial Branch
programs.
 Acts as primary point of contact within the Judicial Branch for all units receiving grant
funding to ensure appropriate programmatic and financial reports are filed,
monitoring/tracking requirements are being met, timely extensions, as needed, are filed, and
established controls are in place to ensure all programmatic and financial grant requirements
are being met.
 In consultation with the grant accountant, provides guidance regarding the allowability of
costs to be charged to grants.
 Collaborates with the grant accountant with budget, accounting, and audit functions to ensure
proper financial controls and systems are in place to support the grant function and the
receipt of timely budget reports.
 As necessary, coordinates with other state or federal agencies on grant procedures, processes
and grant funding issues.
 Prepares annual reports of grant-funded specialty docket activities.
 Ensures the timely filing of annual reports by other grant managers.
 Prepares grant proposals and directly manages specialty docket grants and other grants as
assigned.
 Develops, maintains and conducts grant-related training for field staff.
Training and Other Judicial Branch Responsibilities:
 Generates, maintains, and updates each dockets’ policies and procedures manual.
 Develops and presents training programs to all judges and employees of specialty dockets.
 Seeks out and secures additional outside training and funding for training for specialty docket
partners’ and Judicial Branch employees’ professional development.
 Participates in Judicial Branch meetings and provide staff support to committees, as
requested.
 Stays abreast of developing trends, requirements and research concerning each of the
specialty dockets subject areas with an eye towards ensuring each docket is operating under
the most appropriate evidenced based standards and procedures.
The above list is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by
employees in this classification.
Other Duties and Responsibilities:
 Performs other duties as required.
 Significant statewide travel is required.
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*The above list is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by
employees in this classification. A position may not be assigned all the duties listed, nor do the
listed examples include all the duties that may be assigned.
Education and Experience Required
 Graduation from an accredited 4 year college with a Bachelor’s Degree in public
administration or related field;
 Graduation from an ABA accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree or graduation
from an accredited college or university with a Masters Degree in Public Administration,
Public Policy Analysis, Public Management or related field is required.
 A minimum of three years experience in designing, implementing and managing complex
new programs, preferably of a statewide nature.
 Considerable experience in coordinating programs with other criminal justice agencies.
 Considerable experience writing, developing, securing, and managing grants.
 Experience in report writing and database analysis and evaluation.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
 Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of court administration, case
management, court rules and procedures, and law.
 Familiarity with the principles of program evaluation and ability to contract with and
supervise program evaluators.
 Knowledge of the organization, functions, and responsibilities of the court system and the
criminal justice system.
 Knowledge of Maine’s substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and family
services programs and the operations of the Maine Department of Corrections, including both
institutional settings and Adult Community Corrections.
 Knowledge of national standards for adult substance abuse treatment protocols and
procedures.
 Experience and demonstrated success organizing inter-agency or system wide partnerships
and initiatives.
 Knowledge of the principles of grant management, including proposal development, grant
application writing and submission and reporting, contracting, and procurement.
 Familiarity with financial administration of grants.
 Familiarity with the Federal Grant Management electronic report systems.
 Ability to work with multi-faceted organizations and to span organizational cultures.
 Ability to organize, direct, and coordinate programs with appropriate local, county, state and
federal governmental and non-profit entities.
 Ability to clearly and effectively express ideas and present information, orally and in writing.
 Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to interact effectively with the public, program
clients, judges, attorneys, and government officials in a variety of situations and
circumstances.
 Ability to work collaboratively with others and to professionally represent the Judicial
Branch when working with criminal justice, mental health and advocacy agencies and the
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community.
Ability to work with the Judicial Branch’s Governmental Counsel to prepare materials and
information for use by the Counsel in Judicial Branch interaction with the Executive and
Legislative Branch.
Ability to research, draft and present detailed yearly reports to Court Management, the Trial
Chiefs and the Legislature.
Ability to work collaboratively with Court Communications Manager to post all reports on
the Judicial Branch’s internal and external web sites as directed by the Trial Chiefs or Chief
of Court Management.
Strong management, supervisory, and organizational skills.
Proficiency with computers, and the ability to communicate and conduct research
electronically.
Analytical ability to gather and review data, apply research and design systems and
procedures to advance data-driven decision-making.
Valid State of Maine Driver’s license or equivalent license from another jurisdiction.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS (include but are not limited to:)
Frequent standing, sitting, walking; ability to concentrate and apply other cognitive,
intellectual and mental functions, and ability necessary to address and handle a wide variety of
human relations issues; cognitive, intellectual and mental functions and ability necessary to
handle more than one complex task at a time; manual ability and dexterity to use keyboard for
prolonged periods of time; strong verbal ability; frequent lifting or moving up to 20 pounds;
accurate close and distance vision. Ability to drive long distances between court locations in
Maine.
Within the requirements and framework of the law, reasonable accommodation will be
made to enable an otherwise qualified individual to perform the essential functions of the job.
 External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled as
defined under the Americans With Disabilities Act, must be able to perform the essential job
functions either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation, to be
determined by management on a case by case basis.
Salary Information: Grade 18; Range $28.32 - $36.89 per hour, starting salary
commensurate with experience, 80 hours bi-weekly/plus generous fringe benefits.
This posting will close on November 26, 2015. Please submit a resume and cover letter,
outlining how your skills, qualifications and experience meet the position requirements.
Only online applications will be accepted. http://www.courts.maine.gov/jobs/jobs.html
The Judicial Branch is an EEO/AA employer.
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