Using a Cognitive Behavioral Intervention in Residential and Community Settings

Presented bySarah Boettner PCC LSW

There are no limits to caring.®

About Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio

Serves individuals, families and communities of:ClevelandColumbusCincinnatiDaytonMansfieldToledo

Services include: Affordable Housing Permanent

Supportive Housing Homeless Services Veterans Services Employment & Job

Training Correctional

Services Thrift Stores

Ineffective Talking cures Non-directive, client

centered Target non-criminogenic

needs Exploring childhood and

unconscious Medical model Vague and unstructured

Effective Action oriented Directive Target criminogenic needs Target current risk factors Enhance self-efficacy and

responsibility Structure..structure…

structure

Interventions for corrections population: Past and Present

The Four Principles of Cognitive Intervention1. Thinking affects behavior

2. Antisocial, distorted, unproductive irrational thinking can lead to antisocial and unproductive behavior

3. Thinking can be influenced

4. We can change how we feel and behave by changing what we think

Three Principles of Effective Intervention Risk

Tells us WHO to target. Target higher risk offenders

Need Tells us WHAT to target. Address criminogenic needs identified by assessment

Responsivity Tells us HOW to target the interventions to each

individual. Identify specific barriers to overcome so the offender

gets the most benefit from the interventions.

There are no limits to caring.®

Targeting Criminogenic Need: Results from Meta-Analyses

-0.05

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

0.35

Target 1-3 more non-criminogenic needs

Target at least 4-6 morecriminogenic needs

Reduction in Recidivism

Increase in Recidivism

Source: Gendreau, P., French, S.A., and A.Taylor (2002). What Works (What Doesn’t Work) Revised 2002. Invited Submission to the International Community Corrections Association Monograph Series Project

Effective Intervention = CBT

The cognitive-behavioral model of interventions have been proven to be the most effective in reducing recidivism

Thinking controls behavior Restructure thoughts to change behavior

Identify risky thinking Challenge the risky thinking Replace with alternative prosocial thoughts

There are no limits to caring.®

Lessons Learned from the Research

Who you put in a program is important – pay attention to risk

What you target is important – pay attention to criminogenic needs

How you target offender for change is important – use behavioral approaches

Lessons Learned from the Research

Offender assessment is the engine that drives effective programs helps you know who & what to target

Design programs around empirical research helps you know how to target offenders

Program Integrity make a difference Service delivery, disruption of criminal networks,

training/supervision of staff, support for program, QA, evaluation

Behavior ChainCognitive Behavioral Interventions

There are no limits to caring.®

Cognitive Behavioral intervention tools: Behavior Chain

There are no limits to caring.®

Cognitive Behavioral intervention tools: Behavior Chain Situation

The activating event, or invitation to respond. What happened before the target behavior? Helps identify a pattern of risky situations.

Thoughts Immediate and un-censored thoughts that stem from the

situation. Identifies core beliefs and values that drive the behavior

Feelings One word description of the physical reaction/ sensation

associated with the thought.

There are no limits to caring.®

Cognitive Behavioral intervention tools: Behavior Chain Action

What they did in response to that situation

Consequences Positive and negative consequences Internal and external There are positive outcomes to a negative

behavior Helps predict what outcome will be to similar

situations

There are no limits to caring.®

Behavior Chain: Example & Practice

There are no limits to caring.®

Application & Barriers

Who are our clients? (Describe them) What barriers might they experience to

hinder success? What needs do they have that we could use

the behavior chain to address? What barriers to you face when working

with your clients? What tips do you have that have helped you

help your client?

There are no limits to caring.®

What is our role?

WHO- all of us

WHERE- incarceration, residential, community

WHAT- programming, teaching new skills

WHY-reduce recidivism

HOW-teamwork and consistency

There are no limits to caring.®

For more information

www.voago.org