The Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation’s (AOCP) Advanced Coaching for Excellence (AC4E) initiative is focused on taking Evidence-based Practice to the next level by focusing on four core strategies for behavior change and recidivism reduction: 

• Assessment, Case Management, Case Planning;
• Skill Train with Direct Practice;
• Engagement to Enhance Motivation; and                                   
• Incentives and Sanctions

The priority strategy for 2020 is equipping specialized officers to engage the clients they work with in targeted skill practice for behavior change.  To do this, the AOCP sought out national experts in probation case management and risk reduction strategies.  The Carey Group was selected last year to assist with phase one training on enhanced case planning, specifically identifying the top criminogenic domain influencing an individual’s behavior.  This is referred to as the Driver, from which an individualized success plan is developed to guide the individual’s time on probation and target interventions. 

This year the partnership continues with The Carey Group.  Their experts and the AC4E administrative team developed a Nebraska specific curriculum to enhance specialized probation officers ability to skill train with directed practice with their clients.  Research is clear that modeling, practicing and reinforcing positive behavior and life skills leads to long term behavior change, thus reducing recidivism.  The curriculum teaches specialized probation officers how to implement this skill training with both adult and juvenile individuals on probation. This is critical as skill building strategies with youth and adults are different based on adolescent brain development research. 

On February 14th, thirty staff representing every probation district attended a one day Skill Training class in Lincoln.  From that group, twenty-four were selected to become trained trainers.  This training for trainers, scheduled for March, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The administrative AC4E team worked with The Carey Group to come up with an alternative plan for providing the Training for Trainer virtually.  In July, two sessions of “Reducing Recidivism 10 Minutes at a Time” Training for Trainers were held, one for specialized juvenile trainers and one for specialized adult trainers.  This training will now be delivered to specialized probation officers statewide, along with case planning/driver and success plan booster sessions this fall. 

Photos:  Adult and Juvenile probation trainers and administrative staff attended the “Reducing Recidivism 20 Minutes at a Time” kick off training in Lincoln on February 14th.