Treatment Group Type
The kind of treatment offenders receive often predicts whether they will have lower or higher recidivism rates. Most treatment agencies, when asked what kinds of services they deliver, use terms like “cognitive-behavioral” or “psycho-educational.” Some say they follow curricula and use styles of interaction that are based on research. But how does this really translate to the group setting? How can your agency know that the treatment offenders actually receive matches treatment models that are proven to reduce recidivism rates?
J-SAT developed the Group Process Inventory (GPI), an 87-item instrument that captures the specifics of the following aspects of group:
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Group/Class Setup
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Specific Skill Cultivation
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Classroom Management
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Learning Domains
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Gatekeeping & Dosage
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Participant Involvement
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Documentation / Accountability
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Class/Group Spatial Setting
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Curriculum/Lesson Plan
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To complete this instrument, J-SAT analysts have a brief conversation with group facilitators about their lesson plans and then sit in on one group for each facilitator in each agency within the study. Alternatively, facilitators may videotape their group and send it to J-SAT for evaluation.
In addition to the above measures, rated on a 0-4 scale, J-SAT analysts assign clinical skill codes to each verbal interaction facilitators have with their group throughout the session. These are totaled and graphed to generate a “skill-balance” level that can be compared to norms recommended by research.
The scores and skill balances are submitted in a written report that provides narrative feedback for the facilitator. Following research on reinforcement and change, J-SAT staff ensure that feedback is at least 50% positive (80% if possible) and that suggestions focus on ways facilitators can better align their group delivery style to Evidence-Based Practices.
In addition to these facilitator reports, J-SAT will submit a summary report to specified agency contact persons, detailing average skill levels and observed delivery modes of the observed treatment groups. We will offer suggestions about ways that your system may work to improve offender to treatment matching and treatment delivery. We may also suggest additional treatment types or locations that would best help to reduce recidivism for the offenders in your jurisdiction.
Our Experience in Group Type & Skill Level Analysis
Within the past two years, J-SAT conducted two separate waves of GPI observations and reports on 120 facilitators in the Connecticut Judicial Branch CSSD Adult and Juvenile Probation and Provider Network. This sizable number of observations (over 240) has given us a unique appreciation for the variety of group delivery types and the challenges facilitators face.
Our two-wave process of observation allows us to commend facilitators for improvements they have worked hard to make between first and second observations. We can offer them on-going feedback and quality assurance help as they seek to deliver groups in ways that are proven to reduce recidivism.
Setting Up a Group Type & Skill Level Analysis
Before you contact us about setting up a Group Type & Skill Level Analysis for treatment groups serving your agency, you may want to think through some of the following questions, as we will need this kind of information from you to tailor our services to your needs:
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How many treatment agencies will be involved in the analysis?
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Approximately what number of individual facilitators will be involved?
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Would direct group observation or video recording best serve the needs of facilitators and clients?
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What unique permission processes and HIPAA applications will your agency need to work through to allow observations to occur?
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Who will be responsible for explaining the process to treatment agency staff and management and helping J-SAT to access current group schedules?
Other Services That Can Accompany Group Type & Skill Level Analysis
Provider Yellow Pages Software—allows referring agency personnel to view treatment groups by delivery mode, target risk-level, and location in seconds!
Motivational Interviewing Training—helps treatment or probation staff to interact with offenders in ways that enhance their intrinsic motivation to change and encourage long-term change.
System Flow Analysis—helps your agency to see current channels for offender referral, highlighting areas that might be changed to ensure better offender to treatment matching.
Offender Outcome Analysis—allows your agency to see which treatment agencies or treatment delivery modes show the greatest reductions in recidivism over time.
Juvenile or Adult Assessment Training—teaches referring agency personnel to conduct risk assessments that provide research-based classifications of offender risk levels and criminogenic needs (areas that, when treated, reduce recidivism), for better offender to treatment matching.
Automated Case Planning Software—streamlines the assessment to treatment matching process for juvenile offenders, ensuring that case planning strategies follow Evidence-Based Practices.
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