This study explores the perceptions of specialty mental health caseload probation officers and their use of discretion in day-to-day supervision of individuals with mental illness in one large jurisdiction in the United States. Scholars have examined overall effectiveness of specialty probation programs, probation officers’ roles as street-level bureaucrats, and the impact of the mental health caseload probation officer and probationer relationship on successful completion. Less attention, however, has been placed on examining how the officers supervising these specialty caseloads perceive their roles as mental health probation officers and how they use discretion in their caseload management. The current study examines the narratives of 24 specialty mental health caseload probation officers and supervisors to understand how discretion is used on a problem-solving caseload and how discretionary decision-making may impact probationer outcomes.

本研究探讨了专业心理健康案件量缓刑官员的看法，以及他们在美国一个大型司法管辖区对精神疾病患者的日常监督中使用的自由裁量权。学者们研究了专业缓刑计划的整体有效性、缓刑官作为街道官僚的角色，以及心理健康案件量缓刑官和缓刑官关系对成功完成的影响。然而，很少有人关注监督这些专业案件的官员如何看待他们作为心理健康缓刑官员的角色，以及他们如何在案件管理中使用自由裁量权。