PbS

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is pleased to announce the four outstanding applicants selected to receive the 2019 PbS Scholarship Awards. The PbS Scholarship Fund was established in 2016 by the PbS Board of Directors to inspire, encourage and support youths and staff in PbS facilities to pursue post-secondary education. PbS makes a total of four awards, two to staff and two to youths, for a total of $6,000. This year PbS received 26 applications from 14 youths and 12 staff. The winners were selected based on application essays that describe how the scholarship will be used to further their education and “pay it forward.”

The winners selected are:

• Eric Dykstra, educator from Illinois Youth Center- Chicago, IL, studying Instructional Design and Technology at the American College of Education plans to complete his Master’s in Education;
• Chad Williams, program evaluator at the Administration for Children’s Services in New York City, completing his Master’s at Adelphi University School of Social Work;
• A rising senior from Bartholomew County Youth Center, IN, will continue his education to better serve his community and country; and
• A student from Red Wing, MN, entering a music technology program at Rochester Community and Technology College, hopes to start a community outreach program encouraging positive self-expression.

Congratulations to our four amazing recipients and thank you to everyone that applied for the 2019 PbS Scholarship Award.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is proud to announce the winners of the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest! Our solo winner is from Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility, IN! He showed off his outstanding song writing and rapping skills in his original song, “Dark Times and Bright Dreams.” Our judges said, “Beautiful and awesome hand drum rhythm;” “This is a fantastic jam!! Really good groove;” “Creative original lyrics; talented rapping;” and “The way the song combined melodic choruses and rap verses was great.”

Our group winners are four young men from Ferris School, DE! This group wrote, produced, and performed an entire music video, “What You Know?” The judges commented, “Great job guys! This is really impressive;” “Amazing creativity and production - well done!” “Awesome collaboration!” and “The lyrics to the song were the most impressive aspect; very powerful and moving.” The group also surprised attendees at the 2019 CJCA and PbS Awards Night in Boston earlier this month by performing a live version of their song.

We were also lucky enough to host a talented youth from Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center – Durango, AZ, and the runner-up of the 2019 Kids Got Talent Contest, at the CJCA and PbS Awards Night. While in attendance with his mother, he performed an original song that received a standing ovation from the Awards Night attendees.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest, and thank you to all applicants for sharing your talents!

The 2019 CJCA and PbS Awards Night on August 2 came back to Boston, the hometown of both organizations, for the second time in three years. As attendees filtered into the grand ballroom of the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel in Boston’s Back Bay, that sense of hometown pride could be felt from the buzz and energy of so many juvenile justice leaders coming together to recognize, support and celebrate each other and the work they do every day. PbS Executive Director Kim Godfrey and CJCA Executive Director Mike Dempsey reinforced that energy with their opening remarks, welcoming attendees to the Awards Night and emphasizing the continued commitment to collaboration held by both organizations.

After the welcome, the night’s festivities kicked off with the PbS Kids Got Talent Group Performance winning video, submitted by four talented youths from Ferris School in Delaware. They wrote, performed and directed an entire music video from start to finish, including beats, lyrics and camerawork. It was an incredible entry, and in one of the night’s many surprises the youths from Ferris School took to the stage to reprise their award-winning performance in person.

The night’s awards continued with an acknowledgement of the nine finalists for the PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award, which is given to a correction, detention/assessment and community program who best exemplify PbS’ commitment to treating all youths as one of our own. The Barbara Allen-Hagen Award was created in 2007 and is the source of another of PbS’ guiding principles, as Kim Godfrey said on stage: “Good, better, best, never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best!” The first Barbara Allen-Hagen Award winner was then announced, with the other two winners following throughout the night: Stevenson House Detention Center from the Delaware Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services in the detention category, Luther Hall from the North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services was the community residential winner, and Green Hill School from Washington State Juvenile Rehabilitation took home the award for the correction category. For the fourth year in a row a video was shown for each winner, featuring interviews from facility staff and youths describing the many improvements being celebrated on stage.

The CJCA President’s Award was presented to Simon Gonsoulin, Principal Researcher with American Institutes for Research. Simon Gonsoulin has been an active member of the CJCA Facility Director/Superintendent Training Program helping to develop and make this new meeting a great success. He has been involved with numerous committees and presentations as well as partnering with CJCA on numerous grant projects over the past 15 years. A mentor and friend to many CJCA members, he received a well-deserved congratulations from all in attendance.

CJCA also presented the 2019 Edward J. Loughran Outstanding Leadership Award to John Larivee, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Resources for Justice (CRJ). This award is presented to an individual who has shown extraordinary leadership in any capacity in the juvenile justice field and is committed to improving the lives of youths. It is named after Ned Loughran, CJCA’s founding Executive Director who was an advocate without equal for children, youths and families involved in the juvenile justice system and the leaders who served them. Under John Larivee’s leadership, CRJ developed a continuum of care in Massachusetts in the 1990s. John Larivee also pushed CRJ’s Crime and Justice Institute (CJI) to aggressively pursue opportunities outside of Massachusetts to keep justice-involved young people out of juvenile facilities across the country. As one colleague said, “Any place where there was an opportunity to promote promising practices to enhance healthy youth development to reach the goal of long term public safety, John was there.”

PbS also announced the establishment of the new PbS Education and Employment Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity committed to supporting justice-involved youths as they return to their communities by providing funding to help youths achieve their education and employment goals. The Foundation was launched to respond to increasing numbers of applications for PbS’ three annual education and employment awards, the winners of which were also announced at the Awards Night: the Scholarship Award for youths and staff to further post-secondary education, the Employment Matching Award for youths employed over the summer and the Reentry Award to ease the overall transition from placement to community living, education and/or employment. In another surprise of the night, the Foundation received its first donation in the amount of $500 from Stephen Kaplan, a former justice-involved youth who had received the PbS Scholarship and Employment Matching Award in recent years and who has since received a master’s degree in global supply chain management. Stephen appeared in the room via video to thank the group for all of the amazing work they do to support youths. It was a truly moving message and Stephen’s success story brought tears to the eyes of more than a few people in attendance!

Finally, as has become tradition, the night’s festivities continued with the Kids Got Talent Finalist Montage, a collection of all of this year’s amazing talent contest finalists and winners, followed by the always-anticipated Kids Got Talent performance! A youth from Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center- Durango in Arizona, took to the stage and sang a beautiful original song. All in attendance could feel his passion for music and for the stage, and thanked him with an overwhelming standing ovation as his song closed out. Making the night’s finale even more emotional were the loudest and proudest cheers in the room, coming from his mother who award night attendees were lucky to share the night with!

A warm congratulations to all finalists and award winners, and a heartfelt thanks from CJCA and PbS goes out to all who came together in celebrating the incredible and uplifting work done every day by the youths and staff involved in juvenile justice!

2019 Barbara Allen-Hagen Winners

Simon Gonsoulin accepts the CJCA President's Award

The 2019 Kids Got Talent Performer takes the stage

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is proud to announce Luther Hall in Fargo, ND as the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award winner in the community residential category. Luther Hall was selected for improving youths’ understanding of the rules and perceptions of fairness and safety in their program.

Congratulations to the Luther Hall team and thank you for your commitment to treating all youths as one of our own.

View the video and read more about this year’s winners of the Barbara Allen-Hagen Award.

For more information on their impressive improvements, read the Luther Hall finalist blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is proud to announce Stevenson House Detention Center (SHDC) in Milford, DE as the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award winner in the detention category. SHDC was selected for effectively reducing confinement by modifying the behavior management system.

Congratulations to the SHDC team and thank you for your commitment to treating all youths as one of our own.

View the video and read more about this year’s winners of the Barbara Allen-Hagen Award.

For more information on their impressive improvements, read the SHDC finalist blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is proud to announce Green Hill School in Chehalis, WA as the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award winner in the correction category. Green Hill School was selected for reducing the use of room confinement and the eventual closure of the facility’s segregation unit.

Congratulations to the Green Hill School team and thank you for your commitment to treating all youths as one of our own.

View the video and read more about this year’s winners of the Barbara Allen-Hagen Award.

For more information on their impressive improvements, read the Green Hill School finalist blog.

Attended by 52 juvenile justice leaders from 33 states, the Performance-based Standards (PbS) annual Agency Coordinators Training in Boston last week was driven by this year’s theme, “Focusing on the Future.”

The training began at the welcome reception with PbS Executive Director Kim Godfrey leading introductions amongst the attendees and thanking all for coming. The reception included an icebreaker activity led by the PbS staff, involving an index card guessing game and a chance for attendees to get to know each other better.

The first full day of the training began with a welcome message from two of the organizers of the training, PbS Executive Assistant Cassie McGlynn and PbS Coach Lois Jenkins. This was followed by the Executive Director’s State of PbS Report, with updates on a variety of PbS projects including updates to PbS for Community Residential Programs and inclusion of the new Reentry Measurement Standards. Kim next introduced Megan Milner, PbS Agency Coordinator from the Kansas Department of Corrections – Juvenile Services. Megan, who also serves as Secretary on the PbS Board of Directors, introduced the Guest Speaker, Terri Williams, formerly the Deputy Director of the Kansas Department of Corrections – Juvenile Services, and currently the Chief Development Officer for Community Solutions, Inc., the Treasurer on the PbS Board of Directors and an associate member of the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA). Bringing her nearly 30 years of experience in the justice system to the group, Terri’s presentation, entitled “Using Data to Chart the Course,” opened up into an interview with Kim where Terri discussed the use of data in juvenile services. Questions from agency coordinators led to an engaging session.

The final session of the morning featured a panel of agency coordinators sharing their diverse perspectives. The panel, moderated by PbS Coach Dan Maldonado, included Melissa Glorioso of Alaska, Casey Traynor of North Dakota, Megan Milner of Kansas, Chris Concannon of Maine, and Jessica Moncada of Idaho. The panelists spoke individually about how they have overcome a challenge facing their respective agencies, such as improving emergency preparedness, reducing crisis behaviors for female youths and adding behavior specialist staff. Presentations were followed by a lively question-and-answer session.

After lunch, coordinators paired off to briefly discuss keys to success during their time with PbS. This exercise paired new coordinators with seasoned coordinators in order to create engaging conversation between those with varying levels of PbS experiences, and led to fruitful discussion and sharing of ideas and practices. During the next session, Kim Godfrey, PbS Deputy Executive Director Akin Fadeyi and PbS Program Specialist Patricia Seekell shared the Reentry Measurement Standards, recently developed by PbS through a cooperative agreement with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Coordinators read through the standards and measures and discussed what they already collect in their agencies as well as some of the barriers they face collecting reentry data. Next, PbS Coach Russ Jennings led a discussion around “Focusing on the Future in Your Jurisdiction.” The conversation included changes in legislation, including recent “Raise the Age” reforms, that have had an impact on services and protocols within agencies. In the final training session of the day, PbS Coach Al Lick led a conversation around the Regional Networking Meetings, where successful practices and potential improvements to PbS regional calls were discussed.

The day was capped off by the CJCA Welcome Reception and the CJCA and PbS Awards Night, a joyous and energetic event celebrating the achievements of youths and staff in facilities and programs all over the country. Highlights of the night included the PbS Kids Got Talent Contest performers and the announcement of the new PbS Education and Employment Foundation, including a video message from the Foundation’s first donor, a former juvenile justice-involved youth who received his master’s degree with support from PbS’ awards programs.

The final morning of the training began with PbS Coach Joyce Burrell leading a discussion on Improvement Planning, where PbS staff and coaches worked with agency coordinators to break down the improvement planning process. Small groups created facility improvement plans for a fictional facility and in a discussion moderated by PbS Coach Janice Shallcross, the groups shared good ideas around reducing rates of isolation and restraints. Kim Godfrey made a series of closing remarks to mark the end of two successful days: “We are grateful to all of you in the PbS community for making the 2019 PbS Agency Coordinators Training and Awards Night the best yet. We are excited for PbS to continue to help you do your jobs and achieve positive outcomes for juvenile justice youth.” Thank you to all the PbS participants who attended the training, and who are dedicated to treating all youths as one of our own!

PbS Agency Coordinators, Coaches and Staff

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Luther Hall in Fargo, ND as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the community residential category. Luther Hall was selected for their improvement plan focused on the following hypothesis: “If the kids feel safe, understand the program rules and feel the staff are fair, then all other aspects of our program will be positively impacted.” These practices were identified in research conducted using PbS data that showed levels of safety are impacted by youths understanding the program rules and feeling staff are fair and helpful.

In meeting their goal, the team has focused on individualizing specific treatment plans for all youths. Luther Hall has also partnered with various community supports such as the Fargo Police Department, Youth Works, hospital emergency rooms and inpatient programs. The community partners see Luther Hall as the best place for youths to receive help so they work together to ensure each youth completes treatment without disruption. The team credits the fact that they have had zero unsuccessful and unplanned discharges in the last 17 months to these efforts.

The culture at Luther Hall has a strong focus on the team. Their motto is to never get complacent. As described by staff, the team uses their improvement plan and collected data to evolve and become stronger – in a constant state of assessment, decision-making and further assessment.

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.

Luther Hall team

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility

Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility has two exceptionally talented finalist performances this year including an upbeat drum performance to the Surfari’s “Wipeout” by K. Z. and an entertaining original song about Walmart by D. W.

Thank you for sharing your talents with us and congratulations on becoming finalists!

View K. Z.’s video here.

View D. W.’s video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 8 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center

We are excited to announce the finalists for the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest from Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center. Three skilled artists submitted a variety of musical abilities- J. L. sang a cover of “You Really Got a Hold on Me”, L. M. rapped to his mother and S. M. wrote and performed an original song.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your talents and congratulations on becoming finalists!

View J. L.’s video here.

View L. M.’s video here.

View S. M.’s video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 8 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Stevenson House Detention Center (SHDC) in Milford, DE as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the detention category. SHDC was selected for their strategic approach to reducing confinement by modifying their behavior management system.

The team at SHDC made the reduction of isolation a daily focus at the facility. In 2017, they made the decision to discontinue the practice of using the RSA unit, a unit where youths served sanctions for disruptive behavior during the day, and reutilize it as an incentive-based unit.

SHDC staff met with youths on the highest levels and set parameters around the use of the unit and the means to earn time on it. It has been a positive shift in the facility culture and changed the view of behavior in the facility. Staff now work with youth exhibiting behavior problems on their own housing units in hopes to return them to daily programming as quickly as possible. Staff have been trained in life skills in order to provide solid programming for youth. There is a structured group focused on life skills three days a week and there are options for group two days a week.

Approaching the issue holistically, the PbS team at SHDC also focused on staff morale throughout the building because they believe the good work starts with solid staff. They implemented a monthly Staff Appreciation Day, popcorn on Wednesdays and various pot luck celebrations throughout the year. Staff have responded well to the changes and the benefits have been clear.

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.

Incentive unit

PbS Team at Stevenson House

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility

PbS is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest from Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility. M. H. wrote and performed an original song about “Dark Times and Bright Dreams”. A. F. and J. S. performed an excellent cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues”.

Congratulations on becoming finalists and thank you for sharing your talents!

View M. H.’s video here.

View A. F. and J. S.’s video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 8 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: IYC - Warrenville

PbS is delighted to announce A. A., A. L., D. P., G. G. and M. K. as finalists for the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest from IYC – Warrenville. The group step and dance routine was well choreographed and full of energy.

Thanks for sharing your talent and congratulations on becoming finalists!

View the video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 8 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Green Hill School (GHS) in Chehalis, WA as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the correction category. GHS was selected for their strategic approach to reducing the use of room confinement and the eventual closure of the facility’s segregation unit.

As described by facility staff at GHS, the segregation unit typically served as a revolving door for youth misconduct of a wide range, often returning youth to open campus with few replacement skills to prevent future behavior. Staff also noted that GHS has relied heavily on room confinement to address misconduct, often applying long-term confinements to a variety of behaviors, not necessarily for immediate safety concerns.

Through technical assistance grants related to reducing room confinement, the development of a local work group occurred. This group helped identify alternatives to confinement, address staff training needs to do work with youth differently and provide insight to unit leadership about how to direct this work in a way that validates staff experiences with this type of culture change.

In mid-2018, GHS eliminated its segregation unit. A new program was developed with increased incentives, programming, treatment and education. Physical changes to the program created a warmer environment. It is no longer a “closed” program, with several youth now able to participate in recreation and other programs on open-campus.

Historically well above the PbS national average, with all of these changes, GHS is now below the national average in room confinement/isolation and segregation use.

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.

Green Hill School pathway

Reducing Room Confinement Team

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: Grand Mesa Youth Service Center

PbS is thrilled to call L. N. a finalist for the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest from Grand Mesa Youth Service Center. The incredibly talented artist submitted a detailed painting of a bird that was featured in the June 2019 PbS e-newsletter!

Thank you for sharing your talent with us and congratulations on becoming a finalist!

View the video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 9 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: Ferris School

We are pleased to present the finalists for the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest from Ferris School: I. L., J. G., J. C. and Z. M.! The group wrote the music for "What You Know?" and produced the entire video themselves through an intense music program. Great job on the collaboration!

Thanks for sharing your talents and congratulations on becoming finalists!

View the video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 9 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Snowden Cottage in Wilmington, DE as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the community residential category. Snowden Cottage was selected for their thoughtful plan to increase family engagement to reduce fear for safety.

The PbS team at Snowden Cottage was concerned when less than 100% of families reported they felt their child was safe at the program. They determined that the lack of effective communication played a role. Committed to improving communication with youths and families and educating them about the program, staff told the families about the improvement plan. Strategically, they planned to improve on the communication process with families by empathetically looking at each situation from the family perspective. A parent support group was developed to help parents obtain information about their children and to gain knowledge and resources for personal growth. Through parent surveys and support groups, families were able to utilize their voices to let the staff know how they could improve the program and were able to share how they thought the improvement plan was working.

As a result of these efforts, staff are able to effectively communicate with families and gain all needed information to resolve any mixed feelings or insecurities that youths and their families may have. Snowden takes pride in this level of family engagement and has reached their goal of 100% of families reporting they feel their child was safe at the program.

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.

Staff at Snowden Cottage

PbS team

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: Copper Lake School

PbS is pleased to call Z. C. a finalist for the 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest from Copper Lake School. Z.’s poem for her mother was moving and touching.

Thank you for sharing your talent with us and congratulations on becoming a finalist!

View the video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 9 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight: Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility

We are thrilled to present H. R. from Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility who delivered an incredibly thoughtful and intelligently spoken performance woven with Greek mythology.

Thank you for sharing your talent, H. R., and congratulations on becoming a finalist!

View the video here.

The annual PbS Kids Got Talent Contest invites all youths in PbS facilities and programs across the country to submit their talents for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform in front of a live audience at the annual CJCA and PbS Awards Night. This year, Performance-based Standards (PbS) received 62 submissions from over 85 poets, artists, musicians and more. The competition was extremely tough – after careful review and deliberation, 12 finalist performances from 9 PbS facilities were selected and shared with the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel.

Each of the 12 performances will be featured in their facility’s 2019 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest Finalist Spotlight blog over the coming weeks as our judges determine a solo winner and a group winner. The winners will be selected based on creativity, stage presence and talent.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center- Durango in Phoenix, AZ as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the detention category. Maricopa was selected as a finalist for their comprehensive plan to reduce staff fear for safety.

The purpose of the site’s Facility Improvement Plan was to reduce the percentage of staff who had concerns for their safety. In October 2017, 56% of staff reported concerns for their safety. In the October 2018 data collection, the percentage decreased to 43%, and during the April 2019 data collection, they accomplished their short-term goal by achieving a 19% decrease since the first data collection.

To achieve this goal, they modified their onboarding process and training to help retain new staff; implemented Mandt training to offer different relationship building and de-escalation skills to staff; worked to modify their behavior management system to better meet the needs of the youth; and, included line staff in Special Treatment Planning meetings, using their feedback to align facility plans to meet the youth’s needs. Additionally, they implemented Safety Walks, and invited line staff to participate in the process with the Safety Manager to identify areas for improvement and base improvements in daily practices on their feedback. The management team has also increased their presence on the floor to assist with unit issues, emergency situations, and to show support for staff. Finally, the communication with staff has also been enhanced by having two shift meetings per month for all three shifts.

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.

Youth volleyball game

PbS team at Maricopa

Performance-based Standards (PbS), a national organization dedicated to treating all youths in custody as one of our own, sets national best practice standards for facility safety, programming and operations and collects data twice a year to provide a snapshot of the conditions of confinement and quality of life for youths, staff and families. PbS is clear that isolation should only be used as a last resort to prevent injury to the youth and others, and should be brief and monitored.

Did you know:

• Use of isolation in youth correction and detention facilities is increasing, but the average duration is decreasing;

• Most youths are put in isolation as a consequence for a rule violation; and

• Youths sleep for an average of about nine hours at night and spend over an hour of their day confined to their sleeping rooms.

Read More

Performance-based Standards (PbS), a national organization dedicated to treating all youths in custody as one of our own, sets national best practice standards for facility safety, programming and operations and collects data twice a year to provide a snapshot of the conditions of confinement and quality of life for youths, staff and families. PbS is clear that isolation should only be used as a last resort to prevent injury to the youth and others, and should be brief and monitored.

Did you know:

• Use of isolation in youth correction and detention facilities is increasing, but the average duration is decreasing;

• Most youths are put in isolation as a consequence for a rule violation; and

• Youths sleep for an average of about nine hours at night and spend over an hour of their day confined to their sleeping rooms.

Read More

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility in Miles City, MT as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the correction category. Pine Hills was selected as a finalist for their trauma-informed approaches to improving safety.

Staff concerns and other factors, such as a lack of trauma-informed trainings led to a need for an active team to offer support. An interdepartmental group, the Pine Hills Trauma Team, was started through work being done at Pine Hills School with the Trauma-Sensitive Schools Learning Community.

The Pine Hills Trauma Team’s goals are to: 1) create an environment that is more trauma-informed in how the staff treat residents and their ability to identify their own trauma; and 2) to unify staff and residents in understanding that anyone can experience trauma.

The Trauma Team is a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) certified team offering support staff through stressful/traumatic situations. This has moved the facility in the direction of effective post-incident response for staff, providing a place to safely process stressful events.
The team promotes self-care plans and conversations pertaining to appropriate self-care options for staff. A television has been placed in the facility that shares positive information about staff awards, birthdays, safety announcements and self-care moments. The team is currently rolling out a staff self-care room where any staff can go to decompress.

The Trauma Team continues to create a more trauma-informed environment for everyone at Pine Hills. The current project is re-branding the expectations in the facility based on a program being piloted in one of the housing units.

Staff are encouraged to recognize their own first-hand and/or secondary trauma. The team offers peer support and conducts peer check-ins helping staff feel safe, acknowledge trauma, listen to and address concerns. A team member meets with new staff and discusses the importance of self-care and guides them through preparing their plan, offering resources and providing contact information if they need to talk to a team member in the future.

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.

Promoting a safe environment for everyone through CHANGE

The Pine Hills Trauma Team

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Ramey-Estep Homes Residential Services in Rush, KY as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the community residential category. Ramey-Estep was selected as a finalist for their trauma-informed plan to improve youth safety and relationships with staff.

Results from the April 2018 data collection indicated that some youth reported feeling unsafe, feeling staff used unfair discipline and feeling staff were disrespectful toward them. All of the identified areas were of concern and the team made a commitment to improve on each one.

Ramey-Estep addressed the issues by ensuring youth knew their rights and were educated on the grievance procedure. All staff were trained in trauma-informed care and various treatment interventions. To promote safety and communication of needs and wants in a respectful manner, staff identified various outlets for youths.

As a result of their efforts, the program saw improvements between 6% and 18% on each of the youth survey questions in the identified areas and continues to strive to be a model environment of trauma-informed care for youth and staff.

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.

Ramey-Estep Homes Residential Services staff

Motivational logo

The PbS Kids Got Talent Contest launched in 2015 to challenge the field to extend their commitment to treating all youths in custody as one of our own. The contest also provides youths with the opportunity to compete for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to perform before a live audience. The PbS team is very grateful for the 378 entries received since the contest began, but it has not been without its own challenges. We are currently trying to find ways to positively praise the creative efforts and vulnerability of the youths without sacrificing privacy and welcome any feedback on how to improve this program to encourage even more participation. The reason the contest continues can be summed up by the words of last year’s performer, “I just want to keep performing!”

Every year we are impressed with the entries, not just because of the talents but also because of the strength and courage each youth presents. We have laughed at the comedy skits, tapped our feet to the flows and beats of the songwriters and shed tears at the readings of spoken words and poems. Every year we hear more stories about innovative approaches to fuel youths’ creativity and provide opportunities for them to be kids, have fun and enjoy positive recognition. One staff member said they integrated music as a therapeutic approach, others said it motivated youths to achieve higher behavior management levels in order to participate. This contest started as a way to give kids an opportunity to be creative; we’re proud to say that it has grown into a tool for staff to use for accountability and relationship building.

This year, we received a total of 62 entries from 88 youths. After careful consideration and a lot of video-watching, the internal PbS judging team selected 12 awesome performances as the finalists to send to the Kids Got Talent Contest Judge Panel. (PbS will not publish the youths’ names this year to respect and protect their privacy.)

• Spoken words by H. R., who creatively wove in Greek mythology, from Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility, Ohio Department of Youth Services

• A poem by Z. C., written for her mother, from Copper Lake School, Wisconsin Division of Juvenile Corrections

• A fully produced music video called “What You Know” by I. L., J. G., J. C. and Z. M., from Ferris School, Delaware Youth Rehabilitative Services Division

• A detailed painting and description by L. N., from Grand Mesa Youth Service Center, Colorado Division of Youth Services

• A group dance and step routine by A. A., A. L., D. P., G. G. and M. K., from IYC – Warrenville, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice

• A cover of Johnny Cash by A. F. and J. S., from Logansport JCF, Indiana Department of Correction, Juvenile Services

• An original song written and performed by M. H., from Logansport JCF, Indiana Department of Correction, Juvenile Services

• A cover of The Beatles by J. L., an original rap by L. M. and an original song by S. M., from Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center – Durango, Maricopa County Juvenile Probation Department

• An original song by D. W. and a cover of “Wipeout” by K. Z., from Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility, Montana Juvenile Division, Department of Corrections

Congratulations to the finalists and all performers. Performing takes not only talent but confidence and commitment and they all rocked! The solo winner will be invited to perform live at the annual awards night on Aug. 2 in Boston. Stay tuned for spotlights on each of the performances over the coming weeks.

Thank you to all the facility staff and agency directors who supported the youths throughout this process. Whether you developed programs, helped produce the videos or sent them to PbS, we appreciate your efforts.

A big thank you also to our judges:

• Sarah Joy Albrecht, Program Analyst, Public Welfare Foundation

• Jozy B, musician, former contestant on The Voice

• Nate Balis, Director, Juvenile Justice Strategy Group, The Annie E. Casey Foundation

• Patrick Griffin, Senior Program Officer, Criminal Justice, MacArthur Foundation

• Caren Harp, Administrator, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

• Marc Schindler, Executive Director, Justice Policy Institute

• Naomi Smoot, Executive Director, Coalition for Juvenile Justice

• Susan Wornick, TV host

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center (FPJDC) in Covington, LA as one of the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the detention category. FPJDC was selected as a finalist for their comprehensive plan to reduce staff turnover to improve their direct care staff to youth ratio.

The PbS team at FPJDC chose to focus on the average daily ratio of direct care staff to youth after noticing they were significantly lower than the field average in April 2018. This was a concern for them, especially from reflecting on the PbS Blueprint’s attention to the importance of staff building a rapport with youth to help foster a therapeutic environment. Considering the youth at the center, the team considered that maybe the establishment of pro-social connections/rapport with staff was being negatively impacted by high staff turnover.

In order to increase the daily ratio of staff to youth the team was determined to reduce turnover. They conducted in-depth exit interviews with staff who resigned and spoke with current direct care staff and their supervisors. Two significant common threads emerged: staff were burned-out or mentally fatigued, while experiencing a lack of balance between work and personal life due to the odd work hours.

In response, they implemented Groups for Enhancing Mindfulness and Stewardship (GEMS), which provided a venue for staff to discuss areas that created burnout. They also created a Recruiter/ Field Training Officer position, whose sole responsibility was to recruit employees and transition them into the therapeutic juvenile setting. In addition, they created a “Juvenile Detention Staff II” for each shift to help mentor staff. They also surveyed staff about transitioning from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts. An overwhelming 88% voted for 12-hour shifts which allowed them to enjoy more time off.

The facility reduced turnover by 12.3% from October 2017 to 2018. They plan to sustain positive changes by improving the staff-responsive/pro-youth initiatives created during this process, and continuing to enlist suggestions and input from staff at all levels. The most significant change was noted in the October 2018 data collection showing an increase in their ratio total to 1.39.

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.

Facility talent show performance

Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center staff

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

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is proud to announce the finalists for the 2019 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award. PbS received 24 applications from youth correction, detention, assessment and community residential facilities and programs in 15 states describing how they improved conditions of confinement and the quality of life for youths and staff and exemplified PbS’ vision that all youths in custody are treated as one of our own. The facilities and programs described the strategies and practices they used to make a variety of changes, including reducing isolation and restraints, increasing youths’ perceptions of fairness and safety and involving families in treatment using PbS’ continuous improvement model. All the facilities and programs demonstrated commitment to teamwork, communication and thorough planning to overcome challenges and showed how data can be used to integrate research-based practices and monitor the ongoing effects of their interventions.

“This was another year of outstanding applications and examples of how juvenile justice agencies work to help youths continue on the path to healthy development while in out-of-home placement,” said Kim Godfrey, PbS executive director. “The correction field in particular was almost too close to call this year. It’s inspiring to know so many dedicated leaders and professionals and read their stories of creating culture change.”

Congratulations to:

Correction Finalists:

• Green Hill School, Chehalis, WA: Superintendent Jennifer Redman, Institution Program Administrator Debbie Lyne and Washington Juvenile Rehabilitation Assistant Secretary Marybeth Queral
• Juvenile Corrections Center- St. Anthony, St. Anthony, ID: Regional Quality Improvement Specialist Katie Withers, Quality Improvement Services Director Jessica Moncada and Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections Director Monty Prow
• Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility, Miles City, MT: Executive Assistant Teza Holland and Superintendent Steve Ray

Detention/Assessment Finalists:

• Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center, Covington, LA: Training Coordinator Courtney Casnave and Florida Parishes Juvenile Justice District Executive Director Joey Dominick

• Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center- Durango, Phoenix, AZ: Operations Manager Bryan LaBrake, Deputy Chief of Detention Services Bureau Michaella Heslin and Maricopa County Juvenile Chief of Probation Eric Meaux

• Stevenson House Detention Center, Milford, DE: Superintendent Katherine Kenney, Deputy Director Renee Ciconte and Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families Director John Stevenson

Community Residential Finalists:

• Luther Hall, Fargo, ND: Behavioral Health Services Team Lead Ryan Daniel, Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota CEO Jessica Thomasson, Quality Assurance Director Casey Traynor and North Dakota Division of Juvenile Services Director Lisa Bjergaard

• Ramey-Estep Homes Residential Services, Rush, KY: Residential Clinical Director Christa Wiley and CEO Ginny Anderson

• Snowden Cottage, Wilmington, DE: Program Manager Nikesha Sanders, Deputy Director Renee Ciconte and Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families Director John Stevenson

PbS also would like to congratulate two correction facilities as Honorable Mentions:

• IYC-Chicago, Chicago, IL: Assistant Superintendent of Programs Michael Byrd, PbS Agency Coordinator Judy Davis and Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Director Heidi Mueller

• Robert F. Kennedy School, Middleton, MA: Clinical Director Jacqueline DiSarro, Director of Residential Operations Nancy Carter and Massachusetts Department of Youth Services Commissioner Peter Forbes

One finalist in each category will be selected as the winner by the PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award Selection Committee and honored at the annual awards ceremony on Aug. 2 in Boston. PbS will post a spotlight blog about each finalist's specific efforts to treat all youths in custody as one of our own over the next few months. Please look for these inspiring stories all summer and join us in honoring this year’s finalists.

Thank you to all of our applicants!

Growing up in New Castle, Chris DeHart imagined becoming an architect or a chef.

But the loss to the worlds of architecture and restaurants is the gain for the U.S. history teacher’s students at the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility.

His expert teaching has earned DeHart Indiana University’s Martha Lea and Bill Armstrong Teacher Educator Award. He will serve starting with a two-day retreat this summer as a teacher-in-residence at IU where he will help prepare future teachers for the classroom.

“I do an ordinary thing in an extraordinary place,“ the Knightstown resident said.

Read the full story out of Pendleton JCF here.

Reentry practitioners and justice advocates have been celebrating Second Chance Month for the past two weeks and social media has been buzzing with organizations highlighting their efforts to help people transitioning from incarceration back into the community.

Have you joined in to celebrate your work? If you’re having trouble getting started, the National Reentry Resource Center and JustLeadershipUSA are hosting a joint webinar on Wednesday, April 17 at 2:00 PM EDT about ways to promote your reentry work as well as to explain the resources that they’ve created to help you achieve your goals and raise awareness about successful reentry.

Webinar participants will also have the opportunity to ask questions about how to execute promotional activities beyond Second Chance Month, including ways to connect with local reporters, highlight your work on social media, and identify new ways to talk about your efforts.

The U.S. Department of Justice has announced the fiscal year 2019 site-based grant program, entitled Implementing the PREA Standards, Protecting Inmates, and Safeguarding Communities. The purpose of this program is to assist confinement facilities and the agencies that oversee them in implementing prevention, identification, and response mechanisms that reduce the incidence of sexual abuse in these facilities, and to promote compliance with the PREA standards.

Applications are due by May 22, 2019.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) will host an informational webinar on April 10, 2019 at 1:30 PM ET. A recording of the webinar will be published on the PRC website.

Learn more about the FY 2019 site-based grant program.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) has published an issue brief entitled Implementing Trauma-Informed Principles and Practices: What Staff, Youth and Families Say. This issue brief explores the perceptions of youth, staff and families regarding the implementation of trauma-informed principles and practices in juvenile justice residential settings. It is a continuation of PbS’ commitment to implement the recommendations issued in 2012 by the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, focused on making trauma-informed care (TIC) standard operating procedure for juvenile justice programs and services.

PbS took the first step to adopt the Task Force recommendations in 2014 by adding 10 questions to its Youth Climate Survey that ask youths about their experiences and perceptions of trauma-informed practices, the first results of which were published in a 2014 issue brief entitled: First Step to Integrate Trauma-Informed Care: Ask Youths. Similarly, two questions were added to the Staff Climate Survey which ask staff about the integration of TIC in their facilities. Due to the extensive amount of information agencies and facilities wanted to know from staff about the effectiveness of TIC trainings, implementation and practices, PbS then developed a voluntary Staff Supplemental Trauma Survey in 2015, which can be administered at any time during the year. Notable survey data published in this issue brief includes:

• Almost two thirds of staff surveyed have received training in trauma and trauma-informed care approaches as a component of orientation and/or regular agency training;

• More than half of youths surveyed reported that someone from the facility explained to them what trauma is and why it matters; and

• Nearly ninety percent of staff who completed the Staff Supplemental Trauma Survey reported that safety plans, crisis plans and/or calm down plans are developed for youths proactively.

The recent survey results shared in this issue brief offer an exploratory look into youth, staff and family perceptions of how facilities and programs across the country provide TIC by integrating trauma-informed approaches into their policies and procedures.

For additional publications, visit the PbS issue briefs resource page.

On December 13, 2018, Congress passed a resolution reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA).

From the Coalition for Juvenile Justice announcement:

Today we join with our members and allies in celebrating the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA)!

On December 13, 2018, Congress passed H.R. 6964 with broad bipartisan support. It marks the first time the Act has been reauthorized in nearly 16 years.

H.R. 6964 updates and reauthorizes the country's primary federal legislation on juvenile justice and strengthens the JJDPA's four core protections for youth. It changes the long-standing Disproportionate Minority Contact requirement to ensure that states address Racial and Ethnic Disparities within the justice system. It also ensures that young people awaiting trial in adult court will not be housed in adult facilities, and requires that credits earned while in detention transfer back to the student's community school. To learn more about the changes to the JJDPA, click here.

H.R. 6964 will be sent to the President for signature before becoming law.

Congress' action today could not have happened without you! We extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our members who helped attain this victory! You have worked tirelessly, meeting with members of Congress, testifying before the House and Senate, and never giving up in your fight on behalf of our country's youth! We thank you for your efforts on behalf of young people and hope you will join us in celebrating today's hard fought victory!

This September, PbS was selected as the recipient of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) 2018 grant for Improving Juvenile Reentry Programs’ Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting. The 2018 grant is designed to increase the capacity to collect, analyze and report reentry data as identified by two previous OJJDP projects: The Initiative to Develop Juvenile Reentry Measurement Standards, awarded to PbS, and the Juvenile Justice Model Data Project, awarded to the National Center for Juvenile Justice (NCJJ). Long-time partners PbS and NCJJ have joined together to use both organizations’ expertise and experience to lead the new project to provide training and technical assistance to increase the capacity of state and local agencies and reentry programs to collect, analyze and report reentry data. PbS and NCJJ have assembled a uniquely qualified team of the Council of State Governments (CSG), American Institutes for Research (AIR), American Probation and Parole Association (APPA), Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) and Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA). The project will span three years and the team will complete four objectives:

1. Develop training opportunities for multiagency, multidisciplinary teams composed of key stakeholders who are involved in the collection, sharing and use of data related to the reentry process at the state and/or local level;
2. Provide technical assistance at the state and local levels to implement effective strategies for cross-agency collaborations in data-sharing and measuring reentry services and outcomes, including best practices for measuring reoffending;
3. Develop and widely disseminate documents, tools and other resources in a variety of media to promote the data improvement recommendations; and
4. Promote ongoing coordination with OJJDP, the National Reentry Resource Center and site teams, including any research and evaluation partners.

PbS will build on its first reentry grant developing national standards to guide agencies and programs as they prepare youths for reentry at two points in the juvenile justice continuum: release from secure commitment facilities and release from supervision. The new capacity-building project will help agencies and reentry programs collect, analyze the new reentry standards and data promoting the adoption of principles of accountability, fairness, family and cross-system collaboration and the implementation of the evidence-based practices for assessment, reentry planning, case management and quality assurance. Implementation of the principles and practices, which are grounded in research, will be measured and assessed by examining youth outcomes in the areas of education and employment, wellbeing and health and community connection and contribution.

The need for this grant emerged from a report by the National Academy of Sciences, which laid out the framework for reentry reform. This framework aims to enable juveniles to make a successful, prosocial transition to adulthood, while holding them accountable for their wrongdoing, treating them fairly and protecting society from further offending. As shown by adolescent developmental research, all youths need opportunities to grow in a variety of ways, including fostering healthy relationships, gaining a sense of self-efficacy, and having gradual independence. PbS’ project seeks to find ways to integrate this research, and adolescent experiences, into juvenile justice.

Committed to continuous improvement, the Performance-based Standards (PbS) Learning Institute convened a panel of national experts and practitioners to review the standards for PbS for Community Residential Programs. PbS held the meeting on Sept. 18-19, 2018 in Boston.

Following the success of PbS to improve conditions of confinement and the quality of life in youth correction, detention and assessment centers, PbS for community residential programs was developed and launched in the spring of 2008. Over the past 10 years, the program has helped state, local and private agencies measure and monitor the services provided to juvenile justice youths in residential care in the community. It has been updated and revised slightly over the years as requests were submitted. Last month’s review was two days devoted to going standard-by-standard, considering the changes submitted by PbS participants, the most recent research and also lessons learned from PbS’ project developing reentry measurement standards. The panel’s thoughtful consideration, extensive experience and insightful input resulted in two new areas of goals and standards – Family and Community Connections and Education and Employment – and many helpful revisions that ensure PbS for community residential programs continues to be meaningful to the field. The revised standards will be available to PbS participants for additional comments through the end of the year.

The community standards model – a set of national standards for operations, conditions and quality of life in community residential programs that is continuously measured and monitored with high-quality, comparable data – was developed working with community residential providers, agency leaders and on-the-ground program teams, as well as field testing in several jurisdictions before launching nationally. The model incorporated the lessons learned from PbS’ award-winning model for correction, detention and assessment facilities launched in 1995 by the US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). PbS community standards address the areas of safety, security, behavior management, programming and education, reentry, family, health and behavioral health and justice and offer on-line data collection and reporting, including automatic data collection using PbS kiosks and/or the application program interface (API). PbS provides a voice for youths, staff and families through surveys that many participants have used to ensure youths have a positive experience (a known contributor to continued delinquency and crime), engage families in treatment and discharge planning and ensure staff feel trained, supported and safe.

Currently programs implementing the model to ensure the youths are achieving the intended outcomes and receiving the expected services are located in seven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, North Dakota and Rhode Island. Agencies use PbS for community programs largely as part of the contracting process to hold providers accountable for the services and outcomes expected for juvenile justice youths. Providers and program leaders use PbS to monitor and continually improve the services, practices and quality of life in their programs for youths, staff and families. For some examples, watch the PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award winners’ videos. The programs were selected for best exemplifying PbS’ vision that all youths in custody are treated as one of our own.

For more information, please visit the PbS website.

Community Residential Standards Review Panel and PbS Staff, from left to right: Patricia Rafferty, PbS; Alan Klein, RFK Children's Action Corps; Kim Godfrey, PbS; Brian O'Neal, PbS; Akin Fadeyi, PbS; Brendan Donahue, PbS; Lisa Bjergaard, North Dakota DJS; Simon Gonsoulin, American Institutes for Research; Samantha Harvell, Urban Institute; Jonah Schennum, PbS; Tom Woods, Annie E. Casey Foundation; Daniele Rose, Massachusetts DYS; Timothy Allen, Massachusetts DYS; Barry Stoodley, PbS

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

At Crossroads Juvenile Detention Center in Brooklyn, barbed wire and tall unclimbable fences enclose the housing building, basketball courts and outdoor areas, like in every jail or prison. Detention hardware and security cameras are all over the place, like in every jail or prison.

Yet, says the facility director, Louis L. Watts, Crossroads is anything but a jail or a prison.

“When parents come, they see the outside and they tell me, ‘Oh my god, my son is in jail,’ but when they come inside and see, they say, ‘Wow, I could sleep here!’ They see that here their kids are taken care of,” Watts said.

As part of a campaign to highlight the role of the city Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) in the implementation of raise the age, legislation raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18, city officials gave news media a rare tour of the facility, offering an insight into what New York’s juvenile corrections will look like in the future.

The state will now divert young offenders away from prisons and jails where they’ve been sent for decades and to alternative-to-detention facilities like Crossroads. Youth under 18 will now be processed through Family Court rather than the criminal courts, offering them a better chance to turn their life around.

“Juveniles should be treated as juveniles. Young people should be treated as young people,” said David Hansell, ACS commissioner, during the tour of the center. "We in New York are on the cusp of one of the most far-reaching and progressive reforms in juvenile justice in decades and that’s raise the age.”

This article was originally published on Juvenile Justice Information Exchange.

The Campaign for Youth Justice and the National Association of Social Workers have published a new brief examining the role of race in juvenile justice rates.

Juvenile arrest rates have fallen sharply in recent years, but black youth are disproportionately represented in adult court at some of the highest percentages in 30 years, according to a joint report from the Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

The new report, “The Color of Youth Transferred to the Adult Criminal Justice System: Policy & Practice Recommendations”, discusses how this egregious practice, which is rooted in our nation’s past and ongoing racism, has had a devastating impact on black youth and the black community. Black children sent to adult jails and prisons are more likely to die by suicide, suffer from mental illness, and recidivate when they return to the community.

The brief outlines how black youth end up at the front door of adult courts through three state case studies of Oregon, Florida, and Missouri. We dive into the historical context of racial terror inflicted on black communities that has shaped the foundation of systemic policies, practices, and procedures that compound disproportionality.

Fifty juvenile justice leaders from 32 states convened earlier this month for the Performance-based Standards (PbS) annual Agency Coordinators Training in Minneapolis. This year’s theme was Daring Greatly, to recognize the coordinators and leaders who continually rise to the challenges that face their agencies and to provide a network and resources to help them along the way.

Executive Director Kim Godfrey kicked off the welcome reception with a round of introductions and thanks to all for coming together. The reception continued with poster presentations prepared by staff around various aspects of PbS to create an open dialogue with circulating attendees. Program Manager Brendan Donahue, Project Coordinator Patricia Rafferty, .Net Web Developer Loura Coons and Program Assistant Jonah Schennum presented on topics including PbS’ continuous feedback process, publications, new technology and recent data.

To kick off the first full day, guest speaker Joseph Dominick, Executive Director of Florida Parishes Juvenile Justice District in Louisiana, led a plenary session entitled, “Challenges and Achievements of Staff Motivation and Retention.” He engaged the crowd with real examples of how he and his team recruit staff and persistently strive keep motivation and retention high.

Following the opening plenary, attendees split into breakout groups to focus on identifying regional challenges and achievements. Within the Midwest, Northeast, South and West regions, participants addressed challenges facing their own agencies and worked together as a group to determine creative strategies to overcome the noted issues. Mr. Dominick moderated the report-out session to provide additional insight on some of the presented challenges and strategies.

Kim Godfrey and PbS staff followed the lunch break with the annual State of PbS Report, to share important project updates about various initiatives and to show off some new survey and website technologies before they are announced to the field. Attendees then split into pairs for a partner activity focused on continuing the discussions from the morning sessions with someone new for an additional perspective.

The afternoon continued with a motivational panel of agency coordinators including Judy Davis of IL, Jack Fitzgerald of CT, Joe Marchetti of AK and Velvet McGowan of SC. Each presented on their areas of expertise, including charity events with staff, PREA, quality assurance and crisis management.

As the Agency Coordinators Training wrapped up for the day, everyone was looking forward to the CJCA and PbS Awards Night, a night of inspiration and appreciation for all these dedicated leaders that dare greatly.

The final morning of the training commenced with PbS Implementation Director and Coach Akin Fadeyi leading the regional groups into another breakout session to focus on staying connected. Each group communicated how they prefer to stay organized and continued discussion from the previous day while determining their upcoming schedules.

As a final session, a panel of PbS Coaches took to the stage to present on some strategies for additional challenges that face agencies. PbS Coach Karl Alston moderated as panelists Russ Jennings, Dan Maldonado, Barbara Chayt, Joyce Burrell and Janice Shallcross shared their vast knowledge on various topics including gang training, leader engagement, trauma-informed care, FIP development and behavior management programming.

To wrap up a successful two days of daring greatly, Kim Godfrey led the closing remarks as PbS Coaches handed out challenge coins to the coordinators. As challenge coins represent honoring and supporting one another, by carrying these coins PbS and participants are recognizing themselves and each other as the one in the arena.

As Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

PbS Agency Coordinators, Coaches and Staff

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

The 2018 CJCA and PbS Awards Night on August 3 in Minneapolis marked the culmination of another excellent year in juvenile justice work. Opening words from CJCA Executive Director Mike Dempsey and PbS Executive Director Kim Godfrey echoed the inspired feelings shared by attendees as they thanked all for coming. “We love seeing you all,” said Godfrey, “and we love celebrating all our successes and feeling the energy from so many dedicated, awesome supporters of PbS and CJCA together in one room.”

The night’s refrain of support and appreciation for the work juvenile justice professionals do every day continued in a funny and touching way with the PbS Kids Got Talent Group Performance winning video, created by eight youths from Snowden Cottage in Delaware. They produced a news team complete with green screen and intro jingle to give advice from youths to both youths and staff. Some wise advice for the staff in particular struck home and cracked up those attending the awards night: “Don’t let kids tell you how to do your job, and if you don’t know what you’re doing ask another staff for help!”

Among the many awards given out and announced was the PbS Employment Matching Award for youths, which reflects PbS’ belief that stable and fulfilling employment serves as a bridge back to community and adult life when youths leave facility care. PbS matched the hard work nine winning youths from four agencies will do over the summer in everything from forestry and landscaping to teaching and camp counseling. Additionally, PbS announced the winners of the Reentry Award and the Scholarship Award which further recognize the effort youths put in to stay on track as well as the great work done by the exceptional staff and leaders who support them in their journeys.

Before dinner was served, the first of three PbS Barbara-Allen Hagen Award winners was announced. Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex – West Female from the Kansas Department of Corrections, Juvenile Services was the winner in the Correction category. The other two winners were announced throughout the night: White’s Residential and Family Services from the Indiana Department of Corrections, Division of Youth Services was the Community Residential winner, and Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility from the Sacramento County Probation Department was the winner in the Detention/Assessment category. As PbS has done for the past three years, a video was shown for each winner showcasing their facility and improvements and it was amazing to see the emotions and sense of accomplishment all around the room as staff accepted their awards.

Later in the night, CJCA presented the President’s Award and the Edward J. “Ned” Loughran Outstanding Administrator Award. Chris Blessinger, Executive Director for the Indiana Division of Youth Services received the 2018 CJCA President’s Award, reflecting her energy, commitment and dedication to all juvenile justice systems and to the youth entrusted to her care. The 2018 Edward J. Loughran Outstanding Administrator Award this year was presented to Lisa Bjergaard, Director of the North Dakota Division of Youth Services, President on the CJCA Board of Directors and Vice President on the PbS Board of Directors. Lisa truly embodies Ned’s advocacy and compassion for youths, staff and families across the country, championing the Developmental Approach for youths and supporting CJCA in its mission and vision.

The night’s energy swelled with the debut of the 2018 Kids Got Talent Finalist Montage, and then peaked as this year’s Kids Got Talent Live Performer took to the stage. Kaitlyn C. from Echo Glen Children’s Center arrived on stage with her guitar and her voice to cheers and applause, and performed an incredible original song. All attendees knew she was talented from her multi-instrumental Kids Got Talent submission video, but it was another thing entirely to see her perform in person and hear her powerful voice. Kaitlyn received a standing ovation, not least of which from her Residential Counselor Jacob, who she thanked on stage for his help and support the entire time she has been at Echo Glen. That moment truly captured the essence of the night – showing appreciation for the superstar juvenile justice staff and the youth whose lives they make a positive difference in every single day.

CJCA and PbS extend warm congratulations to all finalists and award winners, and thanks to all who came together in celebrating the wonderful and inspirational work done by youths and staff in the juvenile justice field!

PbS Executive Director Kim Godfrey addressing the room

CJCA Executive Director Mike Dempsey

Kids Got Talent Live Performer Kaitlyn on stage

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce White’s Residential and Family Services in Wabash, IN as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the community residential category. White's was selected for their forward-thinking improvement plan to strengthen staff and youth relationships by empowering youths.

After reviewing their PbS data, White’s Residential and Family Services’ residential team knew they wanted to focus on the amount of youths who felt that staff showed respect for their next Facility Improvement Plan (FIP).

To learn more from the youths, the residential team created a survey to help identify the specific areas of opportunity within each cottage and program. The survey was composed of 20 qualitative and 5 quantitative questions focused on better understanding the youth’s experience. The information gathered was split into cottage and program specific responses to allow the team to further evaluate how to best proceed. From there, it was identified that the cottages that were struggling the most were missing some programmatic components that others had: specifically, they did not have a cottage council or a clear behavior reward system. The team saw it as imperative that they consistently implemented these items across campus.

To implement cottage council, the residential team turned to the youth who were leading cottage councils successfully in other cottages. These youth became the advocates and trainers for cottages that were starting to implement cottage councils. Consisting of an elected president, vice president and delegate of youths who are progressing and at a certain point in treatment, the cottage council teams not only work to address issues in the cottage but also advocate for the cottage.

Additionally, White’s team of program managers worked to identify a cottage reward system that would be consistent across campus and worked with youths to develop and implement the process. They introduced and rolled out the concept of cottage bucks that rewarded positive behaviors in the cottage milieu and each cottage was given the opportunity to determine how cottage bucks could be spent.

Through this strategic process, the residential team met and exceeded their FIP goals.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

Residential staff team

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Sacramento County Youth Detention Facility (SCYDF) in Sacramento, CA as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the detention category. SCYDF was selected as a finalist for their coordinated and thoughtful approach to reducing the use of force and injuries.

The facility leadership team, in partnership with line staff, established a cutting-edge culture reinforcement program based on Probation’s mission statement, Supporting Positive Change, through the successful implementation of the Culture Card and Behavior Motivation System (BMS). The Culture Card is used to guide and create a path that promotes growth within the facility by empowering the staff to cultivate a safe and positive environment through teamwork and communication. The BMS is a strength-based system, which rewards positive behavior and allows youth to earn rather than lose points.

Additionally, SCYDF management established a team that meets monthly to discuss the Early Warning System (EWS) data and discuss how improvements can be made to increase the safety of staff and the youth in the facility. The PbS reports and EWS data drives decisions to implement several robust programs to address and improve PbS and internal outcome measures. Each resulting program is uniquely designed to help educate, stimulate, and expand young minds and encourage them to make better decisions in the future by resolving issues in a positive and productive manner. These programs additionally assist youth to promote healthy relationships with each other and staff within the facility; thus, creating a safer and healthier environment for both staff and youth.

The team has seen their efforts and commitment to support positive change make an impact already and is hopeful to see long term sustainability through the significant improvements made over the years.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

Mural in the garden

Sacramento County PbS Team

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Southwest Utah Youth Center- Long Term (SUYC) in Cedar City, UT as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the correction category. SUYC was selected as a finalist for their innovative methods of improving youth reentry processes.

The team members at SUYC discovered that the results of the April 2016 data collection were less than ideal and decided that Community Reintegration needed to be the focus for their next Facility Improvement Plan. Outcome Measures at that time indicated that only 56% of the youth knew that they were going into a community service/agency program upon release, leaving 44% unsure of their transition plans and unaware of services available to them.

Following in-depth discussions, it was decided to implement the position of Transition Support Specialist (TSS). This allowed for a dedicated staff to prepare each youth for community reintegration, enhancing reentry services. Within 90 days of their projected parole date, youth began to participate in the TSS group, which allowed them to clearly identify their plans for transition, including educational and vocational opportunities, with family and community engagement at each possible step. This also gave youth the ability to familiarize themselves with the facility or placement via photos, and identify and apply for jobs ahead of release.

The team’s commitment to competency and efficiency through effective training is what led to the success of this facility improvement. By the end of the October 2017 data collection period, SUYC exceeded their goal with 80% of youths indicating they knew they were going into a community service/agency program upon release. The team reports that youth are leaving SUYC with feelings of preparedness and excitement for community reintegration.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

PbS team at Southwest Utah Youth Center

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce South Hadley Girls Treatment in South Hadley, MA as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the community residential category. South Hadley was selected for their efforts to increase communication throughout the program.

The Facility Improvement Plan (FIP) of focus began in 2016 when the data showed that staff was reporting that communication was lacking throughout the program. At that time, the PbS team created buy-in from staff by giving them the opportunity to suggest how to increase ways of communication.

Feedback provided suggested a two-pronged approach to change processes for staff and for youths. Staff wanted to increase staff meetings to twice a month and alternate the times of the staff meeting from morning meetings to late afternoon meetings. Staff requested that staff meetings be posted two months in advance in an area that is accessible to everyone as well as to have continued administrative presence in shift change meetings. Weekly membership meetings were implemented to help communication with youths. This includes all youths, staff from first and second shifts and all administrators and teachers. The purpose of this meeting is to give feedback to each youth of their successes and their areas of needed improvement. This was important when it came to communication to staff about where the youth is in meeting treatment goals.

The changes that have been sustained throughout the FIP have increased the program’s Staff Climate Survey responses from 36.36% agreeing that communication was good to 76.92% agreeing that communication is good.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

South Hadley Girls Treatment staff

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center (FPJDC) in Covington, LA as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the detention category. FPJDC was selected as a finalist for their multi-dimensional plan to improve safety.

Through the years of working with PbS and their coach, the PbS team at FPJDC learned the importance of data collection and the need for continuous improvement, year round, in order for a facility to succeed. Through daily data collection, FPJDC noticed an unusually high amount of assaults and fights. It was important to them to make this a facility-wide improvement plan to align with their commitment of providing a safe and secure detention experience to all detained youth and their families.

They started by implementing a new youth orientation class and by meeting with new youth weekly. Weekly meetings provided opportunities to explain the facility rules and programming and to answer any questions or concerns. After each class, the new youth would receive a quiz to ensure the information was taught effectively.

Additionally, the PbS team created a multi-disciplinary mentor committee to focus on youth involved in a various number of incidents. All departments were involved to help develop one-on-one mentoring of youth and setting goals for improving their behavior while teaching rational ways to overcome issues.

Lastly, they implemented a mediation process; engaging youth with disagreements designed to teach them how to problem-solve appropriately before issues escalated to fights.

Overall, these goal-focused plans helped the youth find outlets to discuss issues before resorting to fighting. Constant support from staff in understanding the program and individual mentoring help each youth to succeed daily.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

Multi-disciplinary committee meeting

Staff with PbS Coach Lois Jenkins

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is pleased to announce Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility (LJCF) in Logansport, IN as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the correction category. LJCF was selected for their multi-faceted approach to reduce the use of physical restraints.

The PbS team at LJCF noticed they had nearly tripled their use of physical restraints in a review of their October 2014 data and immediately started interactive conversations with staff regarding reducing restraints and improving the facility culture. Volunteers from each department comprised a Focus Group that met to develop ideas. These volunteers then met with students to get their ideas on how to reduce use of restraints. Management staff met with families during family activities to share information and seek suggestions for improvement. They encourage open communication at all levels for youth, staff and families and many of the ideas that were generated were implemented almost immediately. It was a total team effort.

The most significant change was involving the family in the physical force debriefing process. Although there were initial concerns among staff about discussing the physical confrontations with family members, this step has proven to be a positive factor in changing the youth’s mindset and has greatly improved the communication process between youth, staff, and family members. Using physical restraint footage as a staff training tool has also been effective in reducing the number of physical confrontations.

The PbS team at LJCF attributes their success to improved communication between staff, youth and their families, along with staff’s willingness to try new ways to positively interact with youth.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

Fall activities at Logansport

Concert for youths

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Snowden Cottage in Wilmington, DE as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the community residential category. Snowden Cottage was selected for their comprehensive efforts to ensure fairness throughout the program.

The PbS team at Snowden Cottage noticed a low percentage of youths reported the rules were fair on their surveys and decided to focus on improving this measure. To get to the root of the issue, the team held meetings with staff and youths along with a special review and follow up on grievances and complaints. They determined youths were struggling to understand the rules of the cottage due to confusion over their Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) programming. To start, all staff were refreshed on the state policies and the youth’s cottage handbook expectations during staff meetings and individual supervision meetings. Families were also informed about PbS and this improvement plan to demonstrate Snowden’s commitment to improving the overall performance of the treatment they provide.

For youths to feel that the rules of Snowden Cottage were fair, all staff took part in implementing and achieving three successful interventions. The first intervention was an informative focus. Management met with staff to discuss the issue. The staff and youths designed poster boards of rules to display throughout the Cottage. The second intervention included refresher activities for staff and youths such as: Cottage Bingo, Cottage Jeopardy, Who Knows the Cottage Best and Cottage Millionaire. During these activities, youths were able to accept directives from staff, take accountability and promote leadership qualities without feeling like they were being treated unfairly. The third intervention was recognition. Staff recognition was given in various ways via email, kudos, performance evaluations, a quarterly employee award and the residential cottages newsletter to show appreciation for hard work.

Thus far, the interventions outlined in this improvement plan have more than doubled the percentage of youths reporting the rules are fair, reaching almost 100%.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

Staff at Snowden Cottage

Staff team-building

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Cache Valley Youth Center in Logan, UT as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the detention category. Cache Valley was selected as a finalist for their improvement plan focusing on helping youths to develop positive external supports in the community. They used a number of different approaches to reach their goal of 100% of youths reporting that they have at least one person at home or in the community they will talk to when they need to talk or need help working out a problem.

Cache Valley Youth Center worked on improving communication with youth and their families. This allows youths to more easily identify people in the community that they can talk to when they are having problems. It also improves the relationship between staff and families. Team members provide updates and answer questions which enables the families to feel validated and that they have a voice in the process.

Their team has done an exceptional job at finding opportunities to seek a safe avenue for youth to identify and talk to people the youth trust in the community when they are released from detention, including calling a trusted team member at the facility.

Programs like yoga give the youths an opportunity to feel comfortable and talk about pressing issues. Gaining trust in the team, youths are more likely to share, identify, and talk about personal concerns, and are also more likely to reach out after release if they need support. Team members are always looking for an opportunity to help the youth identify adults in their life they can trust with their fears and worries.

Incorporating community partners in activities and programs also gives youth more opportunities to identify individuals in their community as supports. Team members also take every opportunity to counsel with youth regarding individuals in their own lives that they can talk to when they are having problems.

The team at Cache Valley Youth Center has been developing and working on this improvement plan for a year now and continues to learn how to best help youths develop social supports in preparation for their release.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

Cache Valley Youth Center Team

Community Partners Participate in a Basketball Activity

The submissions are in for the 2018 PbS Kids Got Talent Contest and again, there are many rock stars, comedians, poets and creative artists within the walls of PbS facilities. We received a total of 86 entries, slightly short of our goal of breaking 100 in our fourth year hosting the contest, but all showing passion for performing and plenty of talent.

After careful consideration and a lot of video-watching, the internal Performance-based Standards (PbS) judging team selected 15 awesome performances as finalists:

• Norman B., Marquis J., Jeremiah L., Quinton M., Darrell R. from Bridge City Center for Youth, Louisiana Youth Services, Office of Juvenile Justice
• Ronald A. from Central Oklahoma Juvenile Center, Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs
• Kaitlyn C. from Echo Glen Children's Center, Washington Juvenile Justice and Rehabilitation Administration
• Luis O. from Echo Glen Children's Center, Washington Juvenile Justice and Rehabilitation Administration
• Hailey M. from Geneva Youth Rehab. & Treatment Center, Nebraska Office of Protection and Safety
• Naudia S. from Geneva Youth Rehab. & Treatment Center, Nebraska Office of Protection and Safety
• Aurora K. from IYC – Warrenville, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
• Derrius W. from Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex, Department of Corrections, Juvenile Services
• Hunter H., Braxton S. from Mill Creek Youth Center, Utah Division of Juvenile Justice Services
• Amir W. from Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility, Oregon Youth Authority
• Brendon B., Saul C., Marcus D., Matt D., Nicholas F., Alfonso K., Daniel S., Dustin W., Jalen W., Justice Y. from Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility, Oregon Youth Authority
• Saul C. from Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility, Oregon Youth Authority
• Elijah C., Jason C., Jorden D., Kai G., Jamie G., Sati L., Elijah R., Treveion R. from Snowden Cottage, Delaware Youth Rehabilitative Services Division
• Jordan C. from Southwest Utah Youth Center-Long Term, Utah Division of Juvenile Justice Services
• Jamarius C., Absalon R. from Ventura Youth Correctional Facility, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Congratulations to the finalists and all performers. Performing takes not only talent but confidence and commitment and you all rocked!

Next, our Kids Got Talent Contest judges will watch all the performances and vote. Each video is about three minutes long and the competition is tight. The winner will perform live at the annual Awards Night, this year Aug. 3 in Minneapolis.

Thanks to our judges:

• Nate Balis, Director, Juvenile Justice Strategy Group, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Jozy Bernadette, Contestant, The Voice
• Sanzanna Dean, Senior Policy Advisor, OJJDP
• Patrick Griffin, Senior Program Officer, Criminal Justice, MacArthur Foundation
• Chyrl Jones, Deputy Administrator, OJJDP
• Mary Ann Scali, Executive Director, National Juvenile Defender Center
• Marc Schindler, Executive Director, Justice Policy Institute

Thank you also to the many staff who helped produce the videos and submit them to PbS and to the agency directors who supported this effort to treat all youths in custody as one of our own.

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.

Performance-based Standards (PbS) is very pleased to announce Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex- West Female (KJCC) in Topeka, KS as one of the finalists for the 2018 PbS Barbara Allen-Hagen Award in the correction category. KJCC was selected as a finalist for their comprehensive Facility Improvement Plan (FIP) to develop a more effective, responsive and attentive suicide precaution program.

The administrative team at Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex has long understood the importance of suicide assessment, detection, and prevention. However, it wasn't until 2012 that serious efforts were made to improve all aspects involved in this process. After significant consideration and planning, the team narrowed its focus down to six (6) critical points. The team found deficiencies in several areas and decided to focus on these areas to improve suicide prevention precautions.

1. Implementation of a proactive and creative approach to managing crises to include daily Behavioral Health living unit rounds and offering every youth the opportunity to talk to a behavioral health professional every weekday. This implementation has been very successful in deflecting crisis level behavior before it occurs.

2. The provision of dedicated resources on the living unit to include an on-unit Behavioral Health Professional, along with a full-time Activity Therapist. The specific focus of the increased Behavioral Health Professional's presence is to provide a more timely and accurate response to any sort of potential self-harming or suicidal behavior.

3. The implementation of evidence-based curriculums focusing on gender-specific topics and trauma.

4. The administration adopted a plan for culture change that included the notion that limiting the use of room confinement, isolation and restricted housing would decrease the frequency and volume of self-harming and suicidal behavior.

5. Improvement of overall awareness in the facility by requiring all staff to participate in an eight hour Mental Health and Juvenile Justice training with a serious focus on youth suffering from issues related to mental health, suicidal behavior and trauma.

6. An increased emphasis and utilization of multidisciplinary teams to better understand each and every youth on an individual basis.

The team at KJCC has been working diligently on this improvement plan for over five years and continues to see positive results in their data.

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. 3, 2018. Stay tuned for more blogs about the 2018 finalists.

Behavioral Health Team

Executive Staff and PbS Team

This article was originally published on the CJCA blog.