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Instructions for Hays County Probation Programs & Course Enrollment

Program Fees are non-refundable.  Classes and Programs are offered in all three Counties (depending on availability)

Clients shall obtain a referral to programs/classes through an Officer ONLY.

If you are enrolling in an Offender Education Program certified by the Texas State Department of State Health Services— Offender Education Program— Professional Licensing and Certification Unit, such as the Drug Offender Education Program, the DWI Education Program, or the DWI Intervention Program, there are other options for enrollment other than through this Department.  For additional information related to these Programs, the contact information for the Texas Department of State Health Services— Offender Education Program— Professional Licensing and Certification Unit is:

Address:
Offender Education Program
Professional Licensing and Certification Unit
Texas Department of State Health Services, MC-1982
P.O. Box 149347
Austin, Texas  78714-9347, USA

Phone:  800-832-9623 x2910

Website:  http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/offendered

Persons not on supervision/probation may contact the Programs Division Headquarters for enrollment and scheduling of any course.  Failure to attend any or all sessions may be a violation of a Court Order.

Programs Headquarters:  712 S. Stagecoach Trail, Suite #1326, San Marcos, Texas 78666
512-353-8923; Contact Jo for scheduling (only if you are NOT ON PROBATION)

Programs:

The following is a list of programs offered by the tri-county Judicial District Community Supervision  & Corrections department:

Anger Intervention

Offenders who assault and clients who have difficulty controlling their behavior when angry attend and pay a fee for this program. This nine-hour program addresses the changing role of men in the abuse cycle, the influence of drugs on assaultive behavior, relaxation and stress reduction and elements of Albert Ellis’ Rational Emotive Therapy to deal with cognitive issues leading to abuse.

Commitment to Change

Targeted to clients in need of long-term cognitive restructuring information, this 24-30 hour program addresses problem-solving skills and underlying cognitive issues that need to be restructured in clients at higher risk. There is a fee for this program.

Intensive Outpatient Treatment and Day Treatment Program

The Day Treatment Program was created as an initiative in 2003 to offer the Criminal Courts  alternative to incarceration.  In 2006, an Intensive Outpatient Program was initiated through Division Program funds provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Community Justice Assistance Division as an additional alternative to incarceration.

The Program Design for the Day Treatment Program includes 120 hours of education and counseling over the course of a six week period. The Intensive Outpatient Program Design includes 60 hours of Education over a six week period.  The curriculum of the Programs include:

  • Chemical dependency education and counseling;
  • Cognitive-behavioral programming;
  • Relapse prevention;
  • Orientation to Mutual Support Groups including 12-step self-help support groups;
  • Tobacco education;
  • Education related to HIV, Hepatitis, Tuberculosis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections;
  • Awareness of values, attitude and behavior;
  • Lifestyle issues pertaining to nutrition, exercise, and leisure time;
  • Parenting;
  • Co-dependency in relationship issues;
  • Communication skills and conflict resolution;
  • Life management skills; and
  • Crisis intervention.
Discovery Group

This program is for clients with strong indicators of alcohol abuse and serves as a bridge to exposure to Mutual Support Groups including 12-step support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous.  In this six-hour program, the facilitator addresses chemical—dependency as a disease.  The goal is to get the probationer to recognize the effects of alcoholism and to orient the client to a Mutual Support Group community.

Domestic Violence Prevention

Offenders with domestic violence issues are to enroll in this program. A 24-session program modeled after the Duluth Model, which focuses on the eight tactics of power and control in abusive relationships addresses factors leading to family violence: the abuse cycle, the influence of drugs/alcohol in assaultive situations, stress reduction, relaxation and creative ways to express emotions without violence.

Drug Offender Education

This program targets offenders who are being supervised for a drug-related offense and other probationers who have drug-related symptoms. There is a fee for this program. Certified by the  Department of State Health Services – Offender Education Program – Professional Licensing and Certification Unit, this program is designed to educate clients on the dangers of drug use/abuse and associated illegal activities. The curriculum includes five modules and is 15 hours in length.  In addition to the 15 hour curriculum, the course includes a pre-admission session and an exit interview.   Topics included in the course:

  • Illegal aspects of drug use/abuse
  • History of drug abuse
  • Effects of specific drugs
  • Downward steps to drug dependence
  • Costs of drug use/abuse
  • AIDS/HIV
  • Attitudes, Values and Behavior inventory
  • Drug replacements
  • Relapse prevention and warning signs
  • Personal action plan to remain drug free
DWI-Education

This program targets first time DWI offenders and requires a fee. This course is certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services – Offender Education Program – Professional Licensing and Certification Unit. The curriculum includes four modules and is 12 hours in length.  In addition to the four modules, there is a pre-admission session and an exit interview.  The course covers the following topics:

  • DWI as a social problem, the law and client hostilities toward the criminal justice system
  • Physical and psychological effects of alcohol
  • Problem drinking and alcoholism
  • Decision-making including a plan to prevent future DWI behavior
DWI-Intervention

This program targets repeat DWI offenders and there is a charge for this program. This course is certified by the Texas Department of State Health Services – Offender Education Program – Professional Licensing and Certification Unit.  The curriculum is no less than 30 hours and no more than 45 hours in length.  In addition to the 15 modules, participants engage in individual sessions twice during the 15 modules, and also participate in an exit interview at the end of the Program.  The following topics are covered in depth:

  • Costs vs. benefits of using alcohol
  • Good eating & physical/leisure time activities
  • Emotional issues
  • Communication styles and personal goal-setting
  • Family roles in the user/abuser
  • Use of 12-step support group (AA/NA) with a local resource guide
  • Support network
  • Relaxation and creative ways to deal with stress effectively
  • Warning signs of relapse
  • Drink refusal role-plays
  • Personal action plan to avoid future problematic behavior.
DWI-Victim Impact Panel

In this free program, DWI offenders listen as a panel of victims who have been personally injured and those who have lost family members as a result of DWI-related accidents tell how the DWI behavior of someone affected their lives.

Life Management Series for Theft Intervention & Life Skills

There is a fee for this program. This program targets clients in need of self-improvement values clarification and behavior control. A budgeting component is included with this program. This nine-hour course is designed to help clients develop a personal plan for a successful future. Homework assignments are a big part of this program.

Male/Female Offender Group

This is a cognitive restructure, long-term (1-2 years) program aimed at confronting criminal thinking patterns to redirect thought processes into pro-social and acceptable ways.

Nature of Marijuana Program

In either two or three sessions consisting of six hours of instruction, this program is an  education program for offenders probated for or involved with the use on marijuana.  The program looks critically at the illegal actions involved in using marijuana and points out the dangers for people choosing to use this drug in today’s world.

Parenting Program

This Department utilizes the skills-based Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) Program.  STEP’s design adopts an Adlerian Psychology approach.  The Program promotes a participatory family structure through the fostering of responsibility, independence, competence in children, improving communication between parents and children, and helping children learn from the natural and logical consequences of their own choices.  The Program is beneficial for parents facing typical parenting challenges, parents who may  have abusive histories including child maltreatment, and families with a child receiving mental health treatment.

Recovery Works

Clients who have completed a supportive outpatient, an intensive outpatient and/or residential treatment program participate in this free support group which is facilitated by counselors employed by this Department to aid those clients who have are involved with a Mutual Support Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) but who need encouragement and technical advice to continue with  their recovery.

Relapse Prevention Group

After completing a treatment program along with attendance of a significant number of Mutual Support Group meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous, clients are referred to this program.  The focus of this group is awareness and avoidance of “triggers” that may lead to use of drugs or alcohol again, keeping the participant sober, and dealing with the needed changes to maintain the sobriety started in treatment.  Upon completion of this Program offenders are referred to the Recovery Works Program listed above.

Sex Offender Groups

These programs are facilitated by Registered Sex Offender Treatment Providers in Texas and deal with cognitive restructuring of the thinking patterns of offenders under supervision for sex offenses defined by state law.

Victim Impact Panel

A panel of victims of various types of crime (from property to crimes of violence) speak to help offenders understand the full effects that criminal behavior has had on their lives. This free program is offered to criminal offenders whose crime involved a victim.

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