Except as otherwise provided by law, any county probation system in existence on February 8, 1956, shall not be affected by the passage of this article, regardless of whether the law under which the system exists is specifically repealed by this article. The personnel of the system shall continue to be appointed and employed under the same procedure as used prior to February 8, 1956, and the system shall be financed under the same method as it was financed prior to February 8, 1956. However, the substantive provisions of this article relative to probation shall be followed, and to this end any probation officer of such system shall be deemed to be the same as a probation supervisor, with the probation supervisor assigned by the department serving in a liaison capacity between the county probation system and the department.