PbS measures and monitors facility practices by collecting and reporting data from administrative records and survey responses from youths, staff and families to provide a holistic picture of the conditions and quality of life in residential facilities, highlights the practices that are effective in promoting youths’ healthy maturation and identifies those that are not. PbS data is reported every April and October. PbS trains staff to use the information to change practices and support reforms implementing the adolescent development approach.
Juvenile Corrections Center- St. Anthony Named Finalist for the 2019 Barbara Allen-Hagen Award
Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Juvenile Corrections Center- St. Anthony (JCCSA) in St. Anthony, ID as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the correction category. JCCSA was selected as a finalist for improving mental health programming to reduce restraint use, injuries and youth fear for safety.
The PbS team at JCCSA decided to focus on mental health programming due to an increased need within their youth population. More than two out of three youths at JCCSA take psychotropic medication for a mental health diagnosis. The team decided they needed to build more individualized programming in order to address the impact of mental health issues with youth. Rather than make the youth “fit” their behavioral management program, they adapted their programming to “fit” the youth.
By sharing behavioral health information with the staff at the beginning of a youth’s stay at the program, staff were better able to adapt treatment interventions based on the individual needs of the youths. This resulted in a positive impact and better utilization of time spent in programming. Staff and peer groups were better able to focus on the root of the behavioral issues rather than figuring out how to intervene with the youth. As this was a paradigm shift for staff, treatment staff were educated and trained on individual needs of youths. Rather than imposing program components on the youths, staff were able to match the youths to offered program components.
The PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award was established in 2007 to honor Barbara Allen-Hagen and her retirement from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Her dedication to improving the quality of life in facilities for young offenders has helped drive PbS to its current success. The award is given to a correction, detention/assessment and community program who best exemplify PbS’ commitment to treating all youths in custody as one of our own by developing and implementing strategic plans to change practices that results in positive outcomes for youths, staff and families.
Winners of the award will be announced the night of the ceremony on Aug. 2, 2019. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2019 finalists.
Challenge course on the campus
Juvenile Corrections Center- St. Anthony facility leadership team
About the author
PbS has been a partner in assisting this facility to become a dynamic work environment that is not satisfied with maintaining the status quo.