Staff Training and Development : Cognitive Behavior

Using Motivational Interviewing to Change Offender Behavior

jgustfsn — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:12:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections has just released Motivating Offenders to Change: a Guide for Probation and Parole. This publication provides correctional professionals with both a solid grounding in the principles behind motivational interviewing (MI) and a practical guide for applying these principles in their everyday dealings with offenders. Download a copy from the NIC website or order from the NIC Information Center.

Also Available:

Effective Communication/Motivational Strategies in Working with Resistant Populations. A 32 hour training program that will provide practitioners who are working with resistive, chemically dependent or criminal populations with specific knowledge, skills and techniques to more effectively internalize motivation for change. (Download or Order)

NIC Video: Two Probation Officer/Offender Contact Sessions. This 10 minute video demonstrates the use of motivational interviewing through role-playing scenarios. (Order)

Motivational Interviewing: An Introduction [Lesson Plan and Participant's Manual]. The use of motivational interviewing during the case management process is covered during this 10-hour course. (Download or Order)

Thinking for a Change: Part 3 - Philosophical Foundation and Target Audience

jgustfsn — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 21:19:00 GMT

The Thinking for a Change curriculum uses as its core, a problem solving component, embellished by both cognitive restructuring and social skills interventions. The curriculum is comprised of 22 lessons with a capacity to extend the program indefinitely, depending upon how many cognitive skills are taught.

The program was developed to be appropriate for a wide range of offender groups. It has been used with juvenile and adult offenders. It has been implemented in all phases of the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems including pre-incarceration (Probation), in prisons and jails, as well as in the community (Aftercare and Parole).

Read more about the philosophical foundation, assessment strategies, and program delivery.

Discuss offender cognitive behavior and Thinking for a Change (T4C)

Download/Order Thinking for Change (T4C).

English Lesson Plans

Spanish Lesson Plans

Facilitator Lesson Plans

Facilitator Training Video (order DVD)

Thinking for a Change: Part 2 - Program History

jgustfsn — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 17:44:00 GMT

In December 1997, the National Institute of Corrections introduced a new integrated cognitive behavior change program for offenders and sought a limited number of state, local or federal correctional agencies to serve as field test sites for the Thinking for a Change (T4C) program. An overwhelming response from the corrections community seeking participation in the project necessitated immediate program expansion and the inclusion of a much broader scope of participation for the field test. Since its introduction, correctional agencies in over forty states have implemented Thinking for a Change with offender populations. These agencies include state correctional systems, local jails, community based corrections programs, and probation and parole departments. The offender populations included in the project represent both adults and juveniles, and males and females. Over five thousand correctional staff have been trained to facilitate offender groups. Nearly five hundred individuals have participated in the Thinking for a Change: Advanced Practicum (Training of Trainers) which enables their agency to train additional facilitators to deliver the program.As research of the effectiveness of the program continues to mount, so does the interest from the correctional community to adopt a quality evidenced-based cognitive behavioral change program. The National Institute of Corrections provides this program, free of charge, to correctional agencies working to develop their continuum of programmatic interventions in this area, and also supports an online forum for discussing cognitive behavioral interventions and the T4C program.

Download/Order a free copy of Thinking for a Change (T4C)

Other resources

Next Time...

Part 3: The Philosophical Foundation for the Curriculum

Thinking for a Change: Part 1 - Introduction

jgustfsn — Fri, 17 Nov 2006 20:08:00 GMT

Address the diverse and multiple cognitive, social, and emotional needs of the correctional population using the popular program, Thinking for a Change (T4C). The National Institute of Corrections provides this program, free of charge, to correctional agencies working to develop their continuum of programmatic interventions in this area, and also supports an online forum for discussing cognitive behavioral interventions and the T4C program.

Overview

Since 1997, Thinking for a Change (T4C) has trained thousands of correctional staff to facilitate offender groups, and interest in adopting this evidence-based cognitive behavior program continues to grow. The Thinking for a Change curriculum uses as its core, a problem solving component, embellished by both cognitive restructuring and social skills interventions. It was developed to be appropriate for a wide-range of offender groups, and has been implemented in all phases of the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems.

Download/Order a free copy of Thinking for a Change (T4C)

Other resources

Next time...

Part 2: The history of the Thinking for a Change program