Jail Positive Behavior Support - Amazon S3...• My work orientation has been with adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities • Used to be called Mental Retardation

Positive Behavior Support

in a Jail Setting

Dr. Robb Weiss, Psy. D., BCBA-D

Copyright Dr. Robb Weiss, Psy. D., BCBA-D

2015

A little about myself

• My work orientation has been with adults

who have intellectual and developmental

disabilities

• Used to be called Mental Retardation

• Used to be called Autism

• The concepts that I bring to bear in my work

setting are applicable to all human beings

• I teach these concepts at the university level


2015

BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS

Grand Rounds Lecture

Central State Hospital

Milledgeville, Georgia

Presented by:

Robb Weiss, Psy. D.

May 18, 2007 1:30-2:30

Fellowship Hall


2015

Positive Behavior Support

• We are talking about setting up an environment

that is conducive to the success of an individual

• We are not talking about the flaws/deficiencies in

the environment that set the individual up to fail

• We are not talking about the reactive

management of challenging behavior

• We are talking about setting the stage for the

demonstration of positive behavior


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The glass half full or half empty

• We want to focus on opportunities for

improvement

• We don’t want to focus on barriers

• Barriers are everywhere

• What can we do about them


2015

Paradigm Shift

• We are talking about what is outside of the person versus what is inside the person

• The only way to effect change in other human being is to change your own behavior

• Definition of insanity

• We are talking about concepts about the behavior of human beings

• They don’t have to “do their part” or even “understand”

• We are not talking about specific strategies


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It’s all about behavior

• We need to focus on our behavior and not the

behavior of the person

• Our behavior is the treatment

• Definition of behavior-everything that we do

(actions, words, etc.)

• All behavior has function

• All behavior is a form of communication


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Paradigm Shift

• It’s all about the environment and not the

individual

• Let’s begin by defining what environment is

• Environment is anything/everything outside

the individual

• Environment includes structure, density,

noise, odor, temperature, and other people

and their behavior


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Environment

• All behavior occurs within an environmental

context;

• Behavior cannot be emitted in an

environmental void or vacuum


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Insanity

• Doing the same thing over and over and

expecting a different result

• We must change our behavior to effect a

change in the behavior of another person


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Learning

• Definition of Learn-Change in behavior not

due to neurological/maturational

development or disease/trauma

• Unicellular organisms learn


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People treating people

• As whole human beings

• Need for validation and respect

• Family, relationships, desires, longings

• Past, present, future

• Hopes, dreams, goals

• Past, memories, sorrows

• Beliefs

• Need for belonging, acceptance, love, assertion, power, control

• How we treat others is a reflection of “ourselves”

• We see others more as we are than as they are

• We are more alike than different


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Perception Is Reality

• How do we view the individual

• Do we define the individual by a label

• One dimensional

• The criminal

• The sociopath

• The victim

• Or do we view the individual as a whole human being


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Anger

Are we reinforcing the self-image and self-

concept of a “bad” individual by managing them

in an environment that feeds into their self-

image

Are “they” training us by virtue of their behavior

to alter our behavior in ways that fulfill their

self-concept or are “we” training “them” to alter

their behavior by altering our behavior


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Control

• Moving away from the paradigm of

power/control to one of dignity, equality, and

respect

• Making the individual an active participant in

one’s own treatment to enhance the

individual’s sense of control over their lives

• Providing choices enhances control

• We only have control over our own behavior


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Learning Theory

• Classical- what happens before the behavior occurs will determine the behavior

• Operant-what happens after the behavior occurs will determine the behavior

• Punishment will result in a sharp decline of behavior

• Punishment teaches the person what not to do

• It does not teach the person what to do


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Application

• What does this have to do with me?

• Is this relevant in your career?

• How do we find ways to implement these

concepts in the jail setting?


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Applied Behavior Analysis

• Applying the principles of behavior change in

human beings

• Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence

• Technology of behavioral change

• Behavior can be observed, quantified, tracked,

graphed


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Everyday interactions

• Who is driving the train

• Is the individual’s behavior directing our

responses

• Is our behavior directing the behavior of the

individual


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Structure of Environment

• What does it communicate about the mission and vision

• Does it speak to punitive punishment

• Does it speak to respect, dignity, choice, control, etc.

• What positive and negative aspects do we bring to the job from our lives e.g. our upbringing, our education, our goals, etc.

• What aspects of our personality attract us to work in the environment and what are the positives and negatives


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Paradigm

• What is our mission

• What is our vision

• What is our purpose

• What is our function

• All of these questions need to be addressed to

determine the role of environmental supports

and behavioral interventions


2015

Common Attitudes About Behavior

“It’s Just Behavior”

-How often do we do something that is simply a behavior with no reason or explanation for our behavior?

-What factors contribute to challenging behavior?

-Is the behavior a choice the person is making? What is the choice based on?

-Does it indicate that something is wrong?

-Is it an attempt to express or communicate something?


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“He’s just trying to get on my nerves”

-Individual is possibly engaging in challenging

behavior for attention and is getting a reaction

that reinforces the behavior

-Understanding the behavior goes a long way

toward understanding how to respond to the

behavior


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“She just wants to do what she wants to do”

-She is self directed and has a preference for activities that she wants to engage in

-How do we adjust activities to meet her preferences?

-How do we make activities rewarding for her?

-Are we addressing naturally occurring limits?

-Are we teaching her the balance between making choices and following rules and schedules?


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“He knows exactly what he’s doing”

-Most of us know exactly what we’re doing but still make questionable choices

-Smoking…Dieting…Bad Habits…These are behaviors too

-Often the temptation to engage in challenging behavior is difficult to overcome, especially if it may result in a desired outcome or is a long term habit


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“She is a “Behavior” individual or “I have two “Behaviors” in my area”

-I would rather people define my personality by the things that I do well than by what I am working the hardest to change

-Less common nowadays. People first language has taken root in many areas, but sometimes this attitude is apparent

-Often learning to use People First language has resulted in changing attitudes such as these. So has long term experience working with people with IDD


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“She just wants attention”

-We all want attention

-What motivates someone to want more attention all of a sudden? Have we had times in our lives where we needed more attention? How do we learn to seek out attention when we need it? How are we teaching this to individuals?

-Are we teaching appropriate behaviors to get attention?

-Are the individuals who engage in challenging behavior getting more attention than those who do not?


2015


“He doesn’t want to work” or “He doesn’t want to participate”

-Why are we at this conference?

-How often do you and I feel this way?

-Are the rewards of the task/work worth the effort he expends to do the task?

-Is the activity interesting to him?

-We take vacations from work, do individuals need a break sometimes as well?


2015


The word “Behavior” indicates something someone does that is inappropriate or harmful

-Anything anyone does is a behavior. A behavior is an act that is observable and measurable

-Challenging behavior, or negative behavior, is simply behavior that is not appropriate for the time and place in which it occurs, based on the results of the behavior

-Even inappropriate behavior can have a positive aspect, or indicate a strength that an individual can build upon


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Compliance vs Cooperation

Compliance is the act of doing what we are told

to do. Cooperation is the act of working

together towards a common goal. Which is

more appealing?


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What’s the compelling reason for someone to

engage in a task?

-If someone simply does not want to engage in a

task, then there is no strategy that will directly

result in them engaging in that task

-So, how do we motivate someone, from their

perspective, to engage in a task that we think is

important?


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Focus Intervention on essential activities first

-Pick and choose your “battles” very carefully

-Use positive reinforcement and modeling to

encourage general positive social behavior, but

focus structured interventions on areas that will

most affect an individual’s health, safety, and

inclusion


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Are we expecting better behavior from the individuals we work with than we do from ourselves?

-Are the standards we are holding the individuals we work with higher than what the average person living in the community is expected to follow?

-What is a normal standard for behavior, hygiene, etc?

-Do we allow for normal human error in how we define behavior and compliance?


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Are we utilizing the team process to

address/resolve ongoing compliance issues

that result in health and safety hazards?

-Don’t get caught up in a battle of wills with the

people we serve


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Focus on the positive!

-Don’t define someone as “non-compliant”

-For every non-compliant behavior, there are

many more cooperative behaviors that a person

engages in that go unnoticed. No one is

completely uncooperative.

-Recognize and reward cooperative behavior


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System Issues

Common System Issues

-Not enough funds

-Lack of available resources

-Staff turnover/shortages

-Communication difficulties

-Things don’t happen fast enough


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Reinforcement

• Most important principle of behavior

• Key element to most behavior change

programs


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Punishment

• Need to demonstrate that all less restrictive

means of supporting a behavior have been

attempted

• Clinical/Legal/Ethical/Moral/Societal issues

etc.


2015

Psychiatric Issues

• Medicate as clinically indicated for

signs/symptoms of diagnosed disorder

• Do not medicate for “behavior” or “sedation”

or “punishment” or convenience of staff


2015

Documents

Jail Positive Behavior Support - Amazon S3...• My work orientation has been with adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities • Used to be called Mental Retardation