Using Evidence-Based Practices---

Being an Evidence-Based Practice Organization

Thomas L. Sexton, Ph. D., ABPPCenter for Adolescent and Family Studies

Indiana University-Bloomington

Center for Evidence-Based Practices Learning InstituteSeptember 21, 2010Bloomington, Indiana

Being an Evidence-Based Practice Organization• Be Prepared…..• Know your goal• Know how to find your

way• Adjust, make good

decision along the way, and use your compass

What more is there to say?Being an Evidence-Based Practice Organization

Being an EBP Organization

What more is there to say?

What is the Prize…..?Help those who come to

community corrections1. Successful completion

from your program

2. “Function better”– Increase protective factors– Decrease risk factors

3. Don’t return to DOC or CC (recidivism)

Worthy Prize• Millions of youth,

adults, and families helped in ways that:– Worked, over time, in a

way that fit them– Help them become

productive citizens– Reduced community risk– Improved functioning for

next generations (through families)

– Saved money….

And….there is one more

Being the “Solution” in times of change

By…..– being a good stewardship

of dwindling funding dollars

– Demonstrate OUTCOMES• Not enough to do good

CC….• Must “show” it works• Demonstrate CC is the

Solution

Why is the Prize important• Over the past two decades, spending on

corrections has jumped from $11 billion to more than $50 billion

• It's the second fastest growing state budget category behind Medicaid–and one out every 100 adults is now behind bars

• But for all of this spending, we are not getting

an adequate return in terms of public safety

(Pew Charitable Trust, 2010)

Why is the Prize important• Indiana's prison population has

jumped by more than 40 percent

• The cost of running the prisons has soared by 76 % to $679 million a year.

• By 2017, Indiana Department of Correction officials say, the cost will balloon to more than $1 billion.

Committee on State Governments

The Justice Council: Committee on State Governments

two specific goals: • develop bipartisan policies and principles to

help elected officials and other policymakers improve the likelihood that adults released from prison or jail will avoid crime and become productive, healthy members of families and communities

• facilitate coordination and information sharing among organizations implementing reentry initiatives, researching state policy trends, communicating about related issues, or funding reentry programs.

Of those….• Offenders going to DOC for 16-18

months or less are not eligible to participate in any of the TC programming

• Those with less than 9 months typically receive no programming

• Of the 19,000 intakes a year approximately 50% (9,500) receive no program services

Community Corrections will be the ‘Solution”

• If these individuals are diverted away from jail…they could go to community corrections

• Making CC an even more critical component of DOC

• If….• You/we can show that it is effective• That the services work• And who they work for

• Unfortunately,• We can’t do that right now…..

• Need…independent verification that CC “works”

Evidence-based Practices can show you the way…..

• Which specific practices to use

• Principles of Implementing EBP(CPAI-2000) assesses:– organizational culture, – program implementation and maintenance– management and staff characteristics– client risk and need practices– program characteristics– core correctional practice– inter-agency communication– evaluation.

• Only helpful IF they show outcomes

The direction doesn’t tell you which road to take

• Never tells you the exact “way to go”…only the direction– Doesn’t tell you who to apply what component in

what dosage for what period of time– Doesn’t tell you if you are making progress– Just a direction…which is good

• Requires good implementation

• Requires leadership and shared vision of the staff

• Resources you need to do the job

• Time• Skills• Support• Funding

EBP is not always the easy way• Not always the way

everyone goes

• May go against the crowd

• Takes courage…..to change, and adapt…maybe defy tradition

What does it take?• Prize……• Save the Earth• MPG• Look cool

• How….a hybrid car

• The Pathway…..• Change my driving

through feedback on outcomes

Feedback• Continuous information…

– Reliable source, which means….• Independent• Measures what is important • In a way I can understand

• Allows for adjustments and adaptations

• Research is the Feedback that helps you know how to adjust EBP

• For example:– Should I drive slower?– Accelerate more?– “feathering”?– Is it any fun when I drive this way

Feedback --- Practice Cycle

Community Corrections Component

(e, g, work release, home detention, day reporting)CC Service

(e. g. assessment, intervention etc)

Outcome-Completion Rates

-Functioning Changes-Recidivism

Change-elimination of a component

-addition of a service-change in the profile in way it is deliveredDepends on accurate information

Feedback --- Practice Cycle

Community Corrections Component

Electronic Monitoring

CC Service(Assessment/Thinking for a change)

Outcome-67% completed

-only small changes in R & P Factors-40% recidivated

Change-Different assessment

-Different match of Assessment profile to component-elimination of the component

EBP in Community Corrections• It is more than just doing an EBP

• It is being an EBP Organization….

• Knowing the Prize• Following the most reliable

directions• Using feedback…..• Providing “evidence” that is

independent, reliable and “the solution”

• Its is being an EBP Community Corrections Professional

• Using the Principles of effective CC

CEBP• Learning Institutes:– Programming Directed at each

• “Prize”--- recidivism• “Compass” --- Leadership, CPAI, EBP, Gender

specific programming (etc.)• “Feedback” --- Program Evaluation, data collection,

data systems

• Research Institute• Survey of CC (2009-2010• Effectiveness of CC (2010)• Effectiveness of Thinking for a Change (2010)• CC Programming Profiles in Indiana (2010)

• Contact Information:– Thomas L. Sexton, Ph. D, ABPP– thsexton@indiana.edu