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Taking Positive Behavior Support to Scale in Juvenile Justice Settings
C. Michael Nelson
University of Louisville
Jeffrey R. Sprague
University of Oregon
Cynthia Martin
NC Department of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention
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Agenda
• What “going to scale” means• Public Schools• Juvenile justice settings
• Exemplar presentation• NC Department of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention
• Discussion
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Going to Scale with PBS
• Public Schools• Building• District• State
• National– OSEP– Samsha– NIH
• Juvenile Justice• Program• Facility• System (State)
• National– OJJDP– NASDSE
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Core Features of SW-PBS Relative to Scaling Up
1. Establishment of local implementation capacity
2. Continuous self-assessment1. Intervention fidelity2.Student outcomes
3. Evaluation and integration of multiple behavior-related initiatives
4. A commitment to long-term effort(Sugai, Horner, & McIntosh, in press)
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Questions to ask
• How can we make our behavior support process – Help students accept responsibility?– Place high value on academic engagement
and achievement?– Teach alternative ways to behave?– Focus on restoring the environment and
social relationships in the school?
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School-wide Systems of Positive Behavior Support
• Incorporate best practice in professional development and system change (teams)
• Emphasizes the use of assessment information to guide intervention and management decisions (Blueprint, EBS Survey, www.SWIS.org )
• Focus on increasing the contextual fit between problem context and what we know works
• Focus on establishing school environments that support long-term success of effective practices (3-5 years)
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School-wide Systems of Positive Behavior Support
• Local initiatives tie into district/state/national goals
• Expectations for student behavior are defined by a building-based team with all staff input
• Positive behavior support is implemented consistently by staff and administration through an instructional approach (Teach & Practice)
• Student behavior is monitored and staff receive regular feedback
• Positive behavior support strategies are designed to meet the needs of all students
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Lessons Learned• Plan for sustained implementation & expansion early &
formally• Invest in & adapt evidence-based practices to local
context• Give priority to relevant, measurable outcomes• Treat school as basic unit for change, & districts/states as
main organizational units• Establish demonstrations & data to enhance
understanding• Invest early in local implementation capacity
– District/state coordinator– Coaches
• Emphasize continuous regeneration for efficacy, relevance, priority, & fidelity
• Positively reinforce successive approximations of implementer behavior
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The core features of PBS in JJ
• Emphasis on prevention• Adoption of evidence-based practices
(especially function-based behavior support)
• Development of the systems needed to support and sustain effective practices – Especially the role of the coach– Emphasis on local capacity – Data-based decision making at the local
level – Adaptation of the procedures to fit each
local context.
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How are these features different in JJ contexts
• Staff come from very different backgrounds with very different assumptions about problem behavior
• Security and safety are much more important
• Very high risk population: challenging to staff
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Implications
• Greater need to define and teach behavioral expectations • Make the environment (a) predictable (b) consistent, (c) safe,
and (d) positive• High need for active instruction on appropriate behaviors.
– Because kids already have learned wrong-way…you need multiple trials, and training to fluency
• High potential for peer-based deviancy training – Focus on contingencies in which all benefit when each does well
• Data – Need additional outcome measures (e.g. incident reports…
physical restraint incidents..)• Extra need for teamwork
– Because environment is high-risk…staff need to work well with each other.
– Staff members need to be able to predict and depend on each other
– Greater likelihood that support is provided 24 hours…so link staff development across day.
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Facility-Level PBS Teams
• Team is different– School, law enforcement, mental health, ????
• meets monthly at school– Continuous assessment of school progress and problems– Implement discipline systems
• Team provides staff training/coaching across the year and is continuously available
• Team gives status report monthly to all staff– Office Referral patterns and updates– Successes and Concerns
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Begin with the end in mind
• The goals of an initiative for JJS should focus first on student outcomes
• There should then be goals related to features of the JJS setting
• There should then be goals related to behavior of staff
• Establish an initiative that will produce durable effects
• Never train teams without training the coaches and trainers who will sustain the effort.
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Goals
• Improved behavior• Improving educational
outcomes• Creating a safe culture and
environment• Better transition supports• Reducing recidivism
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Goals
• Develop system for working with client behavior (staff too!)– Continuum of consequences (+/-)– Universal tone/ basic steps (i.e., de-escalation,
etc.)
• Develop a comprehensive, coherent, rewarding, effective training system– Evaluation, rewards for performance
• Developing well paced achievable timeline for implementation
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Non-school
Systems
ClassroomSystems
Individual Student
Systems
Facility-wideSystems
Facility-Wide Positive Behavioral Support Programs
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Data Collection
North Carolina Juvenile Online Information Network (NC-JOIN)
• database of information that can aid in analyzing student demographics, behavior alerts, infractions, hearing results, person submitting behavior report, location of infraction, etc.
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Obstacles
• Funding• Buy-in• Staff Relationships• Moving beyond Universals• Conflicting Initiatives • Turnover• Standardization
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Addressing Issues
Funding
Streamline Initiatives
Creative Incentives
Support from Department of Instruction
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Addressing Issues
Buy-in
All Levels of Management Behind Initiative
Student Results
Change Results
Communication
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Core Teams
Representative of all branches of Department
o Teacherso Counselorso Psychologistso Hearing Officerso Social Workerso Securityo Center for Prevention of School Violenceo Intervention/Preventiono Educational Serviceso Staff Development Trainerso Chief of Staff Officeo Directors
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Addressing Issues
Staff Relationships
Communication
TET Training/Paradigm Shift
Equal Representation on Committees
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TET Training
The therapeutic environment:• Creates a structured setting
focused on therapeutic activities;• Promotes positive relationships
between youth and staff;• Reinforces youth skill acquisition
through focused staff-youth interactions; and
• Provide opportunities for youth to practice in establishing new patterns of values, thoughts, and behaviors.
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TET Training
Motivation Enhancemen
t Therapy
Model ofCare
Clear Systemic Understanding of Goal: Therapeutic Environment
Adequate Strong Team Staff Leadership Work
Positive Behavior Support
Therapeutic Environment Training
(IMS + Core)
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Addressing Issues
Moving beyond Universals
Combining Efforts
Educating all Staff
Networking between all Youth Development Centers
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Addressing Issues
Conflicting Initiatives
Combining of Initiatives with Same Goals
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Combining of Initiatives
Secretary’sYouth
LeadershipAcademy
PerformanceBased
Standards
InterimMotivational
System
Canteen
PositiveBehaviorSupport
PerformanceRedirectionCommittee
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Addressing Issues
Turnover
TET Training as part of New Employee Orientation Training
Future TET component in BasicTraining for all new employees
Appeal to new employees tobecome member of PBS
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Addressing Issues
Standardization
Legislative Mandates
Policy & Procedures
Safety & Security
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Lessons Learned
• Leadership support from all levels is crucial for PBS success
• There should be extensive student involvement in the planning and implementation of PBS
• PBS is a strong motivational component that has an effect on the most negative behavior
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Q&A Session