How to use TOOLS of the trade

This manual was designed to succinctly summarize the application of the behavioral management model for the supervision field.

The manual outlines the major concepts as it relates to supervising offenders to protect public safety and to promote offender change. It also illustrates how the supervision staff can be a facilitator of offender change. As a resource to the field of supervision, Tools of the Trade, is focused on the application of the core principles based on scientific findings that improve offender (and addict) outcomes.

The core components are:

  1. Assessment of risk and needs should drive the case plan;
  2. The case plan should be a behavioral contract where the offender, as part of the process, develops the change;
  3. Behavioral expectations should establish the consequences and rewards; and,
  4. The rapport between the offender and the supervision staff is an important component in the change process.

Each chapter is essentially a stand-alone chapter with separate sections devoted to each core concept. It is designed to be easy-to-read and to be used on-site in staff trainings, meetings, or specialized sessions devoted to operational issues. The manual is designed to facilitate small group discussions around key concepts for the purpose of sharing information, developing knowledge, developing competencies with the concepts, and identifying how the concept(s) can be applied in a supervision office.

Each chapter contains a summary of the core concepts and exercises worksheets:

  • The core concepts underscore the principles of the behavioral management approach.
  • The worksheets are focused on developing competency through application of the materials.
    The worksheets include questions that the manager or leader can pose to the staff.
  • Also included are the exercises and role-plays that can be used to apply the material.

To effectively implement the behavioral management approach, an agency should review their own existing policies and procedures that drive the organization. This can include the formal policies and procedures as well as the more locally-driven practices (these practices are usually the site-specific tailoring of the agency's procedures). At a minimum, the review should examine the areas of potential discrepancy between the agency's policies and procedures and the demands of the behavioral manage ment approach.

For example, many supervision agencies refer offenders to treatment when they are court ordered. If an assessment reveals that the offender does not have the problem (e.g. addiction, violent tendencies, etc.), then many supervision agencies will still follow the court order anyway. Under the behavioral management approach, these are not considered good candidates for treatment because they do not have the problem behavior. A supervision agency that is practicing a behavioral management approach will have policies that require staff to request the court to modify a condition that is essentially "not applicable" due to objective and professional information obtained post-sentencing. Then it is necessary to revise the policies and procedures to conform to the behavioral management model.

The worksheets are designed to ask questions regarding knowledge of the specific topic area. Yet, they also serve the purpose of identifying operational issues by turning the question "what is" into "how can this be integrated into practice". Focusing on the "hows" (or the implementation issues) is a sure-fire way to have the staff think about their daily work. It should also focus attention on the existing protocol within the agency such as whether a risk and needs assessment tool is available, the tool(s) is used for all cases, a triage process exists to ensure that high risk offenders participate in control and intervention services, and so on.

This manual can be used to guide internal discussions about how the supervision process can be modified in each office in the areas of assessment and case planning, use of information tools, use of rewards and sanctions (incentives), and relationship among the supervision staff and offenders. A thorough review, with attention to the behavioral management principles (Guiding Principles), should foster changes in how supervision is currently practice.

The challenge in front of supervision agencies is to reengineer their work to accommodate effective practices. Often supervision staff interpret the "what works" literature to be applicable to the treatment services field only. This manual illustrates the relevance to supervision agencies, and therein challenges these agencies to proactively redesign the supervision work.

The benefits will be more engaged staff that is focused on public safety and offender change missions.

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