Justice System Assessment & Training

An integrated program for correctional and community supervision that applies four core competencies of Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) for reducing offender recidivism:

• Motivational Interviewing (MI),
• Social Network Enhancements (SNE)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), including Relapse Prevention (RP), and
• Contingency Management—CM (behavioral reinforcement)

Who Should Attend

• Caseload-carrying officers in community probation, parole, and re-entry;
• Prison and jail officers with case management responsibilities;
• Supervisors of corrections and addictions treatment providers; and
• Community residential correctional program staff with offender caseloads.

This is a 4-day workshop covering theory (15%) and application, or how-to (85%). The course design reflects the reality of the human services caseworker by following case file workflow:

1. Developing an accurate client profile of their risk level, criminogenic needs, strengths or protective factors, responsivity, psychosocial functioning, and stage of readiness for change;
2. Eliciting client motivation to change, negotiating case plan priorities, identifying pro-social change supports, unhelpful thinking patterns, and monitoring mechanisms;
3. Applying CBT coaching and reinforcement techniques ‘on-the-fly' as warranted; understanding high-risk situations and lapse management; and skill training problem-solving steps to prevent relapse;
4. Using Consistent and Immediate Reinforcements that are tangible to the client.

Positive offender outcomes are determined by:

1. Quality of working alliance between officer and client;
2. A client's characteristics, including a positive social-network shift;
3. An intervention model that is empirically sound. The COMBINES™ competencies qualify through repeated research findings;
4.  Integrated, multi-component interventions have been shown to be more effective in their impact on outcomes than narrowly focused programs.

Recommended class size is 20-25, with two co-trainers providing instruction and ongoing follow-up coaching.