Lee County Probation Lee County, Florida

1. DIFFERENTIATING BY RISK & ENHANCING SKILL BUILDING TECHNIQUES TO MOTIVATE POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL CHANGE

2. Lee County ProbationLee County, Florida Speakers: Deputy Director Doug Jaye, Probation Supervisor Ashlee Whitewood, Probation Officer Oscar Ferrer and Probation Officer Bridget Washburn

3. Lee County Florida is located in Southwest Florida on the Gulf Coast, approximately two hours south of Tampa. Lee County has a total of 3,140 square km of land and water area and is home to an estimated population of 754,000 as of July, 2018. Lee County comprises the Cape Coral-Fort Myers Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to a Census Report in April of this year, the Lee County area is among the fastest growing in the country with 22% growth since 2010. Lee County is within the 20th Judicial Circuit, which also encompasses Charlotte, Collier, Glades and Hendry Counties.

4. Agency Summary Department & Organizational Structure Types and quantity of cases Judicial Support

5. Mission- To promote public safety by enforcing court orders, supervising probationers and motivating positive behavioral change. • Vision- To strive to be a leader by enhancing working relationships with our criminal justice partners, utilizing evidence based practices and advancements in technology to proactively supervise, educate and redirect probationers to reduce recidivism. • Primary functions: • Ensure compliance with court ordered conditions • Referrals to community agencies for education or treatment • Provide pertinent information to the court • Provide tools for success to probationers

6. OBJECTIVES: OUR SITUATION: THE CATALYST FOR CHANGE THE SOLUTION: IDENTIFYING AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE OVERVIEW THE PROCESS: IMPLEMENTATION RESULTS ROADBLOCKS

7. Audience Make-up Polling Question (1)- How many probation officers are in your agency: 1-10 11-20 21-30 31 or more Not a probation department

8. What was our situation? High caseloads Emphasis on enforcement of conditions Lack of meaningful contacts Length of supervision/impact Low success rate and high recidivism rate

9. Prior program policies Standard policies in 2014/2015: • Supervise the same regardless of risk • No differentiated case supervision plan • No validated risk or needs assessment • Supervision driven by charge • Limited referral to community resources

10. Identifying optimal caseload ratios: • Reviewed current agency caseloads • Researched other jurisdictions for comparison • Reviewed APPA standards

11. How did we start to resolve the problem? • Focused on how to efficiently manage caseloads • Advocated for an additional officer • Researched evidence based practices • Made it a goal to conduct supervision more efficiently with better outcomes

12. Polling Question 2 How has your agency identified optimal caseload ratios: • 1:100 or less • 1:150 • 1:200 • Department does not identify • Ratio varies based on risk

13. Evidence Based Practices Definition: • Use of scientific research to guide and inform efficient and effective justice services. • Goal= Reduce offender risk and improve public safety   • Risk Principle: • Match level of service and interventions to offenders’ risk level • Focus more on moderate and high risk offenders • Need Principle: • Assess criminogenic needs and target factors that most significantly influence criminal behavior • Responsivity Principle: • Maximize offender’s ability to learn • Provide cognitive behavioral intervention

14. Principles of Effective Intervention: • Engage on-going support in community • Increase positive reinforcement • Skill train with directed practice • Target intervention • Enhance motivation • Assess probationers’ risk and needs • Lessons Learned through research: • Over-supervising defendants causes negative impacts and failure • Targeting criminogenic rather than non-criminogenic needs results in more substantial recidivism reductions • Probationers terminated early had lower rates of recidivism

15. Evidence Based Practices Implementation: • To begin the evolution to evidence based practices the Lee County Probation Department sought to first incorporate Motivational Interviewing. • Objective- To make interactions more change-focused thereby increasing positive outcomes and success rates and reducing recidivism. • Motivational interviewing allows officers to enforce orders while creating a desire for long term change whereby probationers become productive members in the community. • Officers were provided training on Motivational Interviewing principles, • to include how to: • Express empathy and understanding • Develop discrepancy • Roll with resistance • Support self-efficacy

16. Next step- We applied for and were awarded a Bureau of Justice Grant, delivering The Carey Group consultants. The Carey Group provided staff a comprehensive overview of evidence based practices and training on core principles of risk, need, responsivity and intervention. The Carey Group further assessed the department’s operations and made suggestions for improvement and how best to implement evidence based practices.

17. Recommendation 1) Implement the Proxy Risk Instrument to gather data about the existing population. • The Proxy Risk Instrument helped identify recidivism risk and predicts the risk of a new criminal offense. • Staff were trained • Policies and procedures were developed • Data was collected • Premise- To ensure the right amount of dosage • Results- Restructure of caseloads by risk to focus on medium and high risk

18. Recommendation 2)- Build a better case plan using evidence based practices. • A Differentiated Case Supervision Committee was developed • Case management and calendar protocols were developed • Staff driven to “see the right people at the right time for the right reasons”, resulting in “meaningful visits” • Supervision plan included contact standards by risk level • A paradigm shift was needed shifting focus on compliance and rule enforcement to risk and needs. • Staff were encouraged to provide linkage to community agencies when needs were identified. Local providers presented on available community resources.

19. DIFFERENTIATED CASE SUPERVISION PLAN

20. Next component- Implementation of a Needs Assessment • Utilized to guide decision making • Incorporates cognitive skill building processes to determine individual criminogenic needs • Used to link probationers to community resources • We began to use a needs assessment tool provided by The Carey Group, which addresses all criminogenic needs.

21. Criminogenic Needs: • Characteristics and traits that an individual possesses • that directly relate and contribute to the likelihood • to re-offend and commit another crime. • Primary Criminogenic Needs: • Anti-social cognition (thoughts) • Anti-social associates (peers) • Anti-social personality • Family and/or marital (conflict)

22. Anti-social cognition (thoughts): • Anti-social thoughts attitudes, values and beliefs. Thinking patterns exhibited are entitlement, irresponsibility, and criminal rationalization. Skills needed surround developing thinking skills in order to think less destructively. • Anti-social associates (peers): • Association with peers involved in criminal activity and drugs and/or alcohol. Skills needed are developing social skills, learning how to say no and avoiding high risk situations. • Anti-social personality: • Traits exhibited are lack of impulse control, lack of empathy, tendency to act before thinking. Skills needed concern problem solving, developing control and managing conflicts. • Family and/or marital conflict: • Family does not support each other. Poor communication and conflict within the home. Family members involved in criminal or delinquent behavior. Skills needed focus on conflict resolution, ability to manage stressful family situations and ability to identify the difference between positive and negative family influences.

23. Secondary Criminogenic Needs: • Substance Abuse • Use at time of offense • Continued use of substances • Inability to stop • Decreased prosocial activities • Deterioration in interpersonal relationships • Employment • Employment instability • Low levels of performance • Low satisfaction. • School  • Lack of education • Poor grades • Low satisfaction • Acting out at school • Leisure and/or Recreation • Lack of leisure activities

24. Non-Criminogenic Needs: • Anxiety/stress • Low self esteem • Intelligence • Health and physical conditioning • Mental Health

25. Implementation of Skill Building Next component- Implement Cognitive Skill Building Worksheets - These worksheets were purchased through Carey Group Publishing at www.careygrouppublishing.com Skill Building Worksheets (“BITS”) include: Decision Making Problem Solving Who I Spend Time With Overcoming Automatic Responses Thinking Traps Overcoming Thinking Traps After the worksheets are used to identify critical needs, motivational interviewing is utilized so that the probationer buys in to the necessary change.

26. 4-point Checklist used during interactions: • At check-in (duration of 4-5 minutes) • Build rapport • Prepare by checking for crises • Monitor compliance with conditions • Ask what has transpired since last appointment and how the person is doing • Ask about progress on supervision conditions • Review (4-5 minutes) • Ensure take-home assignment completed and check for learning • Review previous skill practice • Intervention (10 minutes) • Teach and demonstrate prosocial skill (teach, demonstrate, model and practice) • Take Home Assignment (1 minute) • Transfer skill to natural environment • Increase dosage through repetition and complexity • Give an assignment related to skill practice

27. Meaningful and Effective Skill Building Sessions • Learn new innovating skills (i.e. Motivational Interviewing ) • Greet probationer with respect • Have a conversation with the probationer • Treat them like people, not like the crime they committed • Be curious, ask questions • Pictured to the right, Probation Officer Oscar Ferrer working on skill building with a probationer.

28. What were our results? • Increased success rate from 56% to 62%, defined as the total percentage of probationers that successfully complete the probationary term. • Decreased recidivism rate from 44% to 28%, defined as the total number of defendants who are repeat offenders and placed on probation within a specified timeframe divided by the total number of defendants placed on probation within a specified timeframe. * Note we started to capture in 2017-2018 at 44%, down to 28% to date. • Success Stories/Impact

29. Why were we successful? • We hired national consultants to provide training on evidence based practices and assess current operations to make suggestions for more effective supervision methods • We hired a nationally recognized trainer to provide Motivational Interviewing training • We received staff buy-in and engagement by having a staff driven committee that developed the Differentiated Case Supervision Plan • We provided ongoing training to staff • We continually reviewed the program and instituted appropriate changes • We routinely emphasized the mission and why we do what we do

30. How did we empower the team? Staff driven committee was formed Plans were clearly communicated with opportunities for feedback Motivational interviewing training provided Skill building training and worksheets provided Community agencies presented on available resources

31. ROADBLOCKS FACED • Staff receptiveness • Probationer receptiveness • Time constraints with caseload volume • Inability to demonstrate impact early on • Minimal opportunity to work with probationers due to lengths of 6-12 months of probation • Understanding change is not easy and takes time

32. What would we have done differently? • Only introduce one initiative at a time. Introducing multiple initiatives at a time causes disruptions in work processes and unnecessary stress of staff. • Plan for staff changes and develop contingency plans.

33. What was next? The Carey Group returned May of 2019 and provided the following training: Evidence Based Practice Overview (for new staff) Cognitive Tools Training Advanced Skill Practice Training Supervisor Introduction to Coaching Next steps Continually coach and mentor officers to engage in motivational interviewing and skill building Task supervisors with overseeing quality assurance to ensure officers are implementing above effectively

34. IN SUMMARY Over the last few years, the Lee County Probation Department has experienced tremendous growth. The department restructured caseloads with a focus on optimal ratios, implemented evidence based practices and shifted from compliance based to motivating behavioral change and positively impacting lives of probationers, their families, and the community. As a result of implementation of policies and procedures and evidence based practices, the department became one of the first probation departments in the state of Florida to become accredited through the Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission. The department was successful largely due to the support of the Trial Court Administrator and Deputy Chief Court Administrator, the Judiciary and the talented and dedicated probation staff. We are thankful for the opportunity to showcase our journey and thank you for your interest and time in viewing this webinar. For more information on our programs, please visit www.ca.cjis20.org

35. Questions from the audience?