County probation officers in need of office space as services increase

Probation officers working out of Cheyenne County are revving up services and trying to find more space.

The state government passed Legislative Bill 561 in June, a new juvenile probation plan being piloted in Omaha and Nebraska probation districts 11 and 12. This law will expand the organization's current juvenile services.

"We'll need more employees," said Linda Buehler, chief probation officer for district 12.

Probation district 12 encompasses all of the counties in the panhandle.

At this point, Buehler is trying to put together applications for aid related to LB561 to pay for more space.

"The office in Cheyenne County has four people in a space that's not large enough," Buehler said.

The organization is also considering adding one new full time employee and possibly another part time employee. She hopes for more space to accommodate new workers that she must hire to assist with expanded services.

"Some of the juvenile county aid money can be used for rental for space," Buehler said.

Probation services can have a lead county, askinf other counties to join in and pool their aid money. Deuel County and Kimball County could also benefit, so they might be interested in joining with Cheyenne county, she said. Buehler wasn't sure if the neighboring counties had already allotted their juvenile aid money.

County Commissioners at Monday's meeting discussed using the funds for larger probation offices.

"I don't think there's any doubt that that money, if we get it, is gonna go for space," said county commissioner Harold Winkelman. "Finding money for rent's been a problem."

The allotment for Cheyenne County is $7595. The required match from the county is $3038.

"This money has guidelines and can be used for juvenile projects and some people in other counties in the past have used it for other things," Buehler told the commissioners. "You have to approve it is what the bottom line is."

The state requires those that apply for this grant money to have a three year plan. Buehler's office already has one laid out.

Buehler admitted that this grant money will probably only pay for a few months of rent for office space, but added that the county can reapply for the grant every year.

"Ten thousand dollars isn't gonna go nowhere, just being realistic," Winkelman said. "This is just a drop in the bucket compared to what it'll cost to put this program in place."

He added that the grant money would help, but they would likely have to find some additional funding from another source. This aid money is already allotted to each county, but the commissioners must decide the most effective way to spend it.

"You're gonna get that money, it just depends on how you wanna use it," Buehler said.

For the most part, the commissioners seemed sympathetic to the probation officer's frustration with cramped quarters.

"There's no doubt that that money should go to space," Winkelman said.

One of the probation district's new duties will be to do intensive supervision for young people who just got out of Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers like the one in Kearney. In the past, these kids would have been on parole and under the supervision of Health and Human Services.

"Probation is pleased to have the opportunity," Buehler said. "It's a challenge, but we feel comfortable moving forward."