Learn to respond to behaviors and modify practices in a way that positively impacts outcomes and allows for ongoing improvement.
The way we respond to behaviors has a direct impact on an individual’s future behaviors and outcomes. Providing staff with the proper resources, tools, and guidance to respond in a way that shapes positive behaviors can and does increase our impact.
Whether responding to noncompliance, relapse, or providing reinforcements, EBP resources can optimize your agency’s responses and practices to ensure lasting, positive change and outcomes.
Effective Responses to Noncompliant Behavior
Research continues to demonstrate that punishment alone does not change negative or noncompliant behavior. The manner in which justice professionals respond to noncompliance has a huge impact on future compliance.
When justice professionals provide responses that hold individuals accountable while connecting with a person’s criminogenic needs, they can turn their “trouble spots” into opportunities for learning new skills that will benefit justice-involved individuals in the short- and the long-term.
Research-based principles, practices, and responses focused on positive behavior change are detailed online:
“Relapse” is a return to behaviors that are potentially detrimental, such as harmful thinking patterns, impulsivity, difficulty managing anger, substance use, or associating with people who violate the law.
Justice-involved individuals have higher rates of mental health and substance use disorders; therefore, their chance for a relapse is greater. Regardless, relapse should be anticipated with a plan to prevent it and with responses and practices to address and redirect it if and when it occurs.
Ideas for preventing and responding to relapse, as well as details specific to the stages of change, are available online:
Recognizing and responding to noncompliant behavior in a timely manner is critical for justice professionals. Equally important is recognizing and responding to positive behavior.
Research has shown that behavior change is most likely to occur when positive reinforcements outnumber expressions of disapproval by a ratio of at least 4:1.
Reinforcement can be demonstrated in several ways and there are “do’s and don’ts” of reinforcement that can make or break the delivery. To learn more, check out the EBP Brief:
NOTE: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email detailing how to join the webinar.
This webinar will provide basic background on the Risk-Needs-Responsivity model, a widely used approach in correctional programs, and evidence to support its use coupled with behavior management techniques. It will focus on effective responses to positive and non-compliant behavior. It also serves as a starting point for community supervision agencies and front-line staff to develop and employ guidelines for interventions that create long-term behavior change in those they supervise, aiming to reduce individual risk and protect community safety.
How officers respond to client behaviors, both positive and negative, has a significant impact in a department’s ability to build a professional alliance with clients as well as influence efforts in other areas of evidence-based practices. Responses to positive and negative behaviors that are excessive, inconsistent, and perceived as unfair will negatively work against the tenets of effective behavior management. Development of a graduated response protocol can serve as a mechanism to support all other areas of EBP and as an opportunity to give staff a voice in the implementation of EBP.
Suggestions for implementation of graduated responses:
Involve all line staff and stakeholders in the process of developing the response protocol. While everyone may not be 100% in agreement with the end product, everyone has a voice in creating something they can work/live with.
Complete a review of your available resources to support incentives and available sanctions. Create a tool that fits your local needs/resources.
Emphasize the connection between other components of EBP, such as risk/needs assessments. Connecting your responses to risk levels and the seriousness of a violation addresses those complaints related to fairness and proportionality.
The benefits to effective implementation of “Response to Behaviors” are the strengthening of the professional alliance with clients all while involving both supervisory staff and line staff in the implementation of EBP in a way that has direct impact on the culture and operations of a department.
Chief Probation Officer Scott Kerstetter, Union County
Next Month: Case Planning
Positive change is possible for everyone in Pennsylvania. We look forward to continuing to enhance your EBP knowledge and invite you to submit education/resource requests to askppcji@gmail.com.
