Using Evidence-Based Practices--- Being an Evidence-Based Practice Organization Thomas L. Sexton, Ph. D., ABPP Center for Adolescent and Family Studies Indiana University-Bloomington
Feb 23, 2016
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
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.
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)