DESCRIPTION OF TRAINING SESSIONS OFFERED

Youthful Level of Service Inventory (YLS/CMI) Training (11 CPE Credit Hours)

The staff of the Division of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati will train juvenile justice practitioners on how to use the Youthful Level of Service Inventory (YLS/CMI).  The YLS/CMI is a dynamic risk/needs assessment instrument that can be used for classification and assessment of juvenile offenders.  It is designed to measure the major criminogenic predictors and needs of an offender.  This allows a court or agency to select an appropriate disposition and to design and implement appropriate treatment and intervention programs.

These training sessions are two days and include a review of the principles of effective classification, a review of the scoring of the YLS/CMI, and several exercises that allow the participants to apply new learned skills.  More specifically, the first day of the training covers the risk, need, and responsivity principles and a review of the scoring criteria for the 48 items on the assessment instrument.  The second day involves reviewing two video taped assessments, application of the YLS/CMI based on those videotapes, and a discussion about case planning based on the assessment. 

The YLS/CMI is a propriety instrument, available through the Multi-Health Systems, Inc.  It will be the responsibility of the court or agency to purchase the instruments or license agreements from Multi-Health Systems, Inc.

Effective Interventions for Probation Training (14 CPE Credit Hours)

The Probation Officer Training offered by the Corrections Institute at the University of Cincinnati is a two-day training for probation/parole officers. The goal is to provide probation officers with tools that will assist them with implementing effective techniques in risk reduction.

Specific topics to be discussed include: how offending develops; working with juveniles based on their developmental level; effective techniques for risk reduction; what works in probation; what is meant by cognitive behavioral interventions and why it is important; identifying antisocial attitudes; effective programming in the context of probation; what is a low, moderate, and high risk offender and what should be done with them; overcoming barriers for success; what is responsivity; what are common responsivity factors for offenders; examine the stages of change and the appropriate responses for each stage; techniques for building motivation; how to communicate with offenders; establishing rapport; identifying targets for change and setting goals; identifying thoughts versus feelings; how to change thoughts using thought blockers and functional analysis; how crisis situations are developed; how to avoid escalation, techniques for de-escalation; the importance of modeling; characteristics of an effective model; behaviors that should be modeled; how to use reinforcements in a probation setting; what are different types of reinforcements; guidelines for using reinforcements; the importance of evaluating change in offenders; what to look for when evaluating change; how to measure change; and when to measure change.

Participants will gain an understanding of effective techniques for risk reduction, which will allow them to incorporate many components into their everyday duties. The participants will be involved in small group exercises (approximately 10 participants); large group exercises (all participants); and individual exercises throughout the two days. Specific exercises include: working with low and high risk probationers based on the risk principle; develop techniques for overcoming barriers to success; identifying antisocial thoughts; determining the difference between a thought and a feeling; completing a functional analysis; and developing appropriate reinforcements for both prosocial and antisocial behaviors.

Facilitator Training on Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions (21 CPE Credit Hours)

Cognitive behavioral programming has increased in popularity over the past decade. This should come as no surprise given the favorable evaluations of such programming. However, recent experiences indicate that the improper implementation and application of such programming can negatively impact a cognitive behavioral program’s effectiveness in reducing offender recidivism. It is paramount that agencies delivering such interventions ensure that the program is delivered correctly and that role plays, modeling, rewards, and punishers are used at the appropriate time, dosage, and effectively.

To assist in the process of properly delivering cognitive behavioral interventions, the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute has developed a 3-day training for facilitators of cognitive behavioral interventions. This training has been piloted and delivered in numerous sites with very favorable reviews.

The Facilitator Training on Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions is a 3-day training that instructs treatment staff and correctional workers on the use of cognitive behavioral techniques. The training helps staff develop the skills needed to effectively deliver cognitive behavioral interventions, regardless of the curriculum they use. Specific topics to be discussed include: an overview of cognitive-behavioral treatment; how situations, thoughts, feelings, other behaviors, and consequences affect offenders’ behavior; identification of targets for treatment and strategies for impacting those targets; importance of setting boundaries and building a therapeutic alliance; how staff attitudes affect programming; importance of and how to use modeling and role -playing in groups and other settings; how to use rewards and punishers effectively; and how to measure quality assurance.

NOTE:  There is considerable overlap in material covered in the Effective Interventions for Probation training session and the Facilitator Training on Cognitive Behavioral Interventions.  Staff should not attend both of these training sessions.  The Effective Interventions for Probation training is designed for staff involved in more traditional probation services while the Facilitator Training on Cognitive Behavioral Interventions is designed for staff that work with youth in a group setting.  Please send your staff to the most appropriate training session.