Newly-appointed chief probation officer is youngest in western Massachusetts

PITTSFIELD – A 33-year old Pittsfield woman has been sworn in at the chief probation officer for Berkshire County Probate and Family Court, making her the youngest woman in western Massachusetts to hold that title, Clifford J. Nilan, chief probation officer of Berkshire County Superior Court, told The Berkshire Beacon.

Amy (Capitanio) Koenig, newly-appointed chief probation officer of the Berkshire County Probate and Family Court was sworn in by First Justice Richard A. Simons.

Ms. Koenig is the daughter of Ann Capitanio of Pittsfield and Thomas Maher of Silver Springs, Fla. She is the granddaughter of the late Mario and Delores Capitanio of Pittsfield and the niece of Pittsfield City Councilor Paul Capitanio.

A Pittsfield native, Ms. Koenig was sworn in June 26 in the old Athenaeum Building.

She began her career as a probation officer at Berkshire Probate & Family Court in 2005. She was named the court’s chief probation officer on April 8.

Probation Commissioner Edward Dolan of Peabody said of the appointment, “A chief probation officer is a key part of the management team in each court. Ms. Koenig is a shining example of the talent that exists in the Massachusetts Probation Service.”

“Amy is a smart woman who will do good for the people that have to go to that court,” Mr. Nilan said.

During a video hookup from Boston Probate and Family Court, Chief Justice Paula Carey, who in July will take over the vast Massachusetts Trial Court system as chief justice, to succeed retiring Judge Robert Mulligan, spoke of Ms. Koenig as an example of a woman who learns and aspires to leadership.

Ms. Koenig said of her appointment, “I am overwhelmingly humbled and honored to serve as a chief probation officer for the Massachusetts Probation Service. I feel very fortunate to be working alongside the extremely hardworking and dedicated employees of the Berkshire Probate and Family Court.”

She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Siena College and a master’s degree in psychology with a concentration in mental health counseling from Westfield State University.

Ms. Koenig is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts.

Prior to her appointment, Ms. Koenig created a five-week program called “Empowering Incarcerated Parents,” a collaborative effort with the Office of Berkshire County Sheriff Thomas Bowler to help litigants create and/or re-establish bonds with their children and families.

Ms. Koenig offered these sessions to inmates at the Berkshire County House of Correction. The sessions helped educate the offenders about children’s emotional needs and the effects of separation on child behavior and development; finding and maintaining employment; dressing for success; tips on preparing for an appearance in the courtroom; and an overview of child support orders.

Probate and family court probation officers work with families to resolve matters involving child custody, divorce, separation and guardianship cases. Probate and family probation officers have also taken on a new charge to get fathers more actively involved with their children’s lives, which national studies show leads to a reduction in family conflict and a decrease in recidivism or committing new crimes.

Probate and family court cases have been found to have a direct connection to each of the trial court system’s court divisions – district, juvenile, superior and the Boston Municipal Courts.

Over the past year, probate and family court probation officers, through the dispute intervention process, have helped litigants reach a resolution in more than 60 percent of contested cases involving child custody, divorce, separation and guardianship issues.

Posted by George C. Jordan III on July 5, 2013. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry