HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2017.05.25 - 22908MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #17163 May 25, 2017
BY: Commissioner Bill Dwyer, Chairperson, Public Services Committee
IN RE: CIRCUIT COURT — POSITION CREATIONS AND POSITION RECLASSIFICATION
To the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS a weighted caseload analysis, conducted by the Michigan Supreme Court's Administrative
Office (SCAO), shows that the judicial need in the Family Court, based upon 2016 new case filings, is
9.30 Judges; and
WHEREAS there are currently six Judges assigned to the Family Court docket; and
WHEREAS caseload analysis has indicated that judicial resources are insufficient to accommodate the
workload requirements in Family Court; and
WHEREAS the 2015 SCAO report on performance measures indicates that the time to dispose of
delinquency and neglect cases is well below time guidelines, partly due to an overextended workload;
and
WHEREAS new statutory and SCAO administrative changes have had a significant impact on increasing
workload in the following areas: fees, reporting, adoption hearings, juvenile competency hearings,
domestic hearings, and PPOs; and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court will be requesting a twentieth judgeship to take the bench on January 1,
2019; and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court is requesting to increase the Visiting Judges account (732081) to allow for
an additional Visiting Judge to absorb the caseload temporarily (until December 31,2018); and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court is requesting one (1) GF/GP Full-Time Eligible Court Clerk and one (1)
GF/GP Part-Time Non-Eligible Court Clerk both having a sunset date of December 31, 2018 to support
the addition of one Visiting Judge in Family Court; and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court utilizes two (2) Full-Time Office Assistant II positions within the Juvenile
Adoptions Unit of Family Court, Judicial Support Division to prepare and process orders for the Family
Court Judges and Referees; and
WHEREAS order preparation and processing entails typing and preparing the order, processing the
order, mailing the order, processing any returned mail, and completing proofs of service; and
WHEREAS in reaction to new statutes and case law, the Juvenile Unit has had to hold more hearings,
which causes an increase in the number of orders that need to be processed and prepared; and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court is requesting to create one (1) GF/GP Full-Time Eligible Office Assistant I in
the Family Court, Judicial Support Division (#3010403) to more efficiently assist the Court with preparing
and processing orders; and
WHEREAS the Court's Psychological Clinic performs Psychological Evaluations of minors and parents
upon referral from a Family Court Judge; and
WHEREAS these evaluations are performed by master's level Clinical Psychologists or consultants under
contract to the Clinic; and
WHEREAS in 2013, the Court's Psychological Clinic was additionally tasked with completing Juvenile
Competency Evaluations and Criminal Responsibility Evaluations; and
WHEREAS these evaluations are performed by qualified juvenile mental health forensic examiners, all of
whom have possessed doctoral level degrees and by masters' level clinicians who have completed
specialized training; and
WHEREAS currently the Court's Psychological clinic has one (1) Full-Time Senior Psychologist position,
one (1) Part-Time Senior Psychologist position, one (1) Full-Time Court Clinical Psychologist position,
one (1) Part-Time Court Clinical Psychologist position, one (1) Full-Time Court Clinic Services
Coordinator, and two (2) PhD contractors who are the equivalent of a Senior Psychologist; and
WHEREAS currently, managerial tasks are being performed by the Judicial Assistant to the Family
Division, who has a legal background as opposed to a clinical background; and
WHEREAS the Circuit Court is requesting to upwardly reclassify one (1) GF/GP Full-Time Eligible Senior
Psychologist position (#3010402-11465) to Chief Clinical Services; and
WHEREAS this position will provide an ongoing peer review system for both delinquency and
neglect/abuse cases, in-service training for court staff, research to improve current methods such as
PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote.
restoration services for incompetent juveniles, performance reviews and recruitment and training of
clinical staff; and
WHEREAS the above position creations, reclassifications and increase to the Visiting Judges account will
be fully funded by a reallocation of funds from the State Institutions Line Item budget.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approves the
creation of one (1) GF/GP Full-Time Eligible Court Clerk with a sunset date of December 31, 2018 in the
Judicial Administration Division (#3010101).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED to create one (1) GF/GP Part-Time Non-Eligible Court Clerk with a sunset
date of December 31, 2018 in the Judicial Administration Division (#3010101).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED to create one (1) GF/GP Full-Time Eligible Office Assistant I in the Family
Court, Judicial Support Division (#3010403).
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED to upwardly reclassify one (1) GF/GP Full-Time Eligible Senior
Psychologist position (#3010402-11465) to Chief Clinical Services.
Chairperson, on behalf of the Public Services Committee, I move the adoption of the foregoing resolution.
Commissioner Bill Dwyer, District #14
Chairperson, Public Services Committee
Resolution #17163 May 25, 2017
The Chairperson referred the resolution to the Human Resources Committee and the Finance
Committee. There were no objections.