Corrections_Today_May_June_2020_Vol.82_No.3

nEWS & vIEWS

outcomes including team members working together toward a mutually beneficial outcome (Biglan, 2015). Given these potential benefits, group-based ABA interventions may be a perfect fit for training staff members that work in correctional facilities. Juvenile justice agencies strive to create and support environments that promote the rehabilitation of youth, and reduce the use of restric- tive interventions. Competent and confident front-line staff are the foundation of this effort. The ABA team is currently determining the extent to which training using ABA procedures increases staff members’ competencies and positive interac- tions with students, and in turn, influences the entire unit of students’ appropriate and disruptive behavior in the dormitories. These trainings are designed to teach staff members to (a) model respectful behaviors (e.g., using manners, avoiding cursing, using appropriate social gestures), (b) praise and acknowl- edge appropriate behaviors (e.g., to say “I appreciate your patience.”), and (c) offer leisure items during recreation periods. Though the out- comes of this project are pending, we have seen some increases in staff members’ praise delivery follow- ing students’ appropriate behavior. In addition, most staff members report the trainings are enjoyable, agree that strategies reviewed are important, and indicate they would like to learn more about behavioral strategies. To this end, residen- tial staff need additional training. Often, staff members see their role as solely monitoring the safety of the students and rarely as an agent

of potential change for the students’ lives. However, through behavioral training, we hope to give staff mem- bers a stronger sense of personal efficacy, which is a predictor of on the job stress (Wells, Minor, Angel, Matz, & Amato, 2009). In sum, the ABA team advocates for the use of quality, behavioral trainings that enhance staff members’ repertoires and simultaneously reduce student disruptive behavior and increase ap- propriate student behavior. Conclusions and future directions Although we have described several commonly implemented interventions that have proven to be successful for all students who participated in them, we continue to explore new procedures for addressing other common behav- ioral deficits. Some of these deficits include impulsive decision-making, limited social and academic skills, among others. In addition, enhanc- ing training modules for staff based on ABA principles can give new staff tools to experience early suc- cess in their interactions with youth that can lead to improved job satisfaction and retention. The ABA team plans to continue to ad- dress both student and staff needs on individual and group levels to improve quality of life for incarcer- ated youth and the staff responsible for them. Author’s Note: The authors would like to thank the Alabama Department of Youth Services for their support. Please address correspondence to John T. Rapp, Auburn University, Department of Psychology, 226 Thach, Auburn, AL 36849-5214. Email: jtr0014@auburn.edu.

References Behavior Analyst Certification Board (2019). Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Retrieved from https://www.bacb.com/bcba/ Biggam, B. H., & Power, K. G. (1997). Social support and psychological distress in a group of incarcerated young offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 41 , 213–230. Biglan, A. (2015). The nurture effect: How the science of human behavior can improve our lives and our world. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Brogan, K. M., Falligant, J. M., & Rapp, J. T. (2017). Interdependent group contingencies decrease adolescents’ disruptive behaviors during group therapy: A practitioner’s demonstration. Behavior Modification , 41(3), 405-421. doi:10.1177/0145445517693812 Brogan, K. M., Rapp, J. T., Edgemon, A. K., Niedfeld, A. M., Coon, J. C., Thompson, K. R., & Burkhart, B. R. (in press). Behavioral skills training to increase appropriate reactions of adolescent males in residential treatment. Behavior Modification. Brogan, K. M., Rapp, J. T., Niedfeld, A. M., Coon, J. C., Everhart Newman, J. L., & Burkhart, B. R. (2017). Increasing quiet compliance by detained male adolescents. Behavior Modification ,  41 (6), 788-807. https://doi. org/10.1177/0145445517716675 Brogan, K. M., Richling, S. M., Rapp, J. T., Thompson, K. R., & Burkhart, B. R. (2018). Collaborative efforts by the auburn university applied behavior analysis program in the treatment of adolescents adjudicated for illegal sexual behavior. Behavior and Social Issues ,  27 , 11-15. https://doi.org/10.5210/bsi.v27i0.8267 Burkhart, B.R. (2017, November). DYS/AU Accountability Based Sex Offender Program (ABSOP): What has been learned over the past 15 years and what approaches to consider moving forward. Presentation at the 36th annual conference of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, Kansas City, MO. Burkhart, B. R., Peaton, A., & Sumrall, R. (2009). Youth services teams with universities for sex offender programs. Corrections Today , 71 (3), 93-94. Caldwell, M. F. (2016). Quantifying the decline in juvenile sexual recidivism rates. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law , 22 (4), 414. doi: 10.1037/ law0000094 Chinnappan, B. Rapp, J. T., & B. R., Burkhart. (2019). Effects of rules and feedback on classroom behavior of adolescents in a residential treatment setting. Behavior Modification.

26 — May/June 2020 Corrections Today