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Interpersonal Skills

Research-based practices designed to appropriately engage the person under supervision in the change process while enhancing the skills and training of professional correctional staff.

Motivational Interviewing

Motivational interviewing is a well-accepted interviewing strategy, effective when the individual is guided to actively engage in exploring personal ambivalence as well as motivation to engage in a positive change process.

a person writing Motivational Interviewing on a white board

De-escalation Techniques (Verbal Judo)

Verbal judo, coined by George Thompson Ph.D., in 1983, when used by trained probation staff, has the potential to improve the management of tense situations by engaging participants in the process of weighing options and identifying practical solutions toward de-escalation or resolution.

magnetic refrigerator letters on a wood table that spell verbal judo

  • Verbal Judo: Talk Your Way Through Confrontations

    Date: August 2000 
    This article from Police Magazine gives good advice for officers to avoid confrontations.

  • The Verbal Judo Institute

    Date: ND 
    This site from Verbal Judo Institute, a fee-based services, provides resources for a host of information regarding de-escalation situations and trainings available.

  • Crisis Prevention Institute - Crisis Prevention Institute Verbal Diffusion Skills

    Date: N.D. 
    The Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), a for-profit organization, provides this training programs of strategies and various training techniques and programs for personnel in all settings, including those working in correctional and juvenile facilities. The safety of staff and persons under supervision is paramount, and crisis intervention should be understood for community supervision staff.

  • CPI's Top 10 De-Escalation Tips

    Date: 2020 
    This publication and resource from the Crisis Prevention Institute outlines guidance for de-escalating a crisis.

Core Correctional Practices

Core correctional practices (CCP), initially introduced in 1980, address "relationships skills, effective use of reinforcement, effective use of disapproval, effective use of authority, prosocial modeling, cognitive restructuring, social skills training, and problem-solving skills." When delivered by trained staff and reinforced during the supervision process, the potential for increased positive outcomes including the support and encouragement of behavior change for persons under supervision’s part is enhanced.

a woman interviewing a man

EPICS

Acronym for Effective Practices in Community Supervision. Within the framework of the risk, need, and responsivity (RNR) principles, EPICS employs a structured approach to train community corrections staff to operationalize both the elements of effective interventions and core correctional practices with community corrections persons under supervision. Additionally, EPICS I was developed to train individuals influencing community corrections persons under supervision, such as mentors, coaches, spiritual leaders, and teachers.

a typewriter with the words Probation Officer written on the paper

  • Effective Practices in Community Support for Influencers (EPICS-I)

    Date: 2017 
    University of Cincinnati Describes This Training for Officers. This one-page overview describes how the EPICS model can guide community supervision staff in applying the core principles of effective interventions through prosocial supports and teaching such "influencers" how to enhance offenders' core skills for success.

  • Targeting Antisocial Attitudes in Community Supervision Using the EPICS Model:

    An Examination of Change Scores on the Criminal Sentiment Scale 
    Date: December 2013 
    This 2013 article from the US Courts outlines the study of criminal attitudes of justice-involved individuals when EPICS was utilized and comparison to STICS and STARR methods.

     

STICS

STICS, an acronym for Strategic Training Initiative in Community Supervision, is a training initiative designed for community supervision officers to apply the principles of risk, need, and responsivity (RNR) of adult persons under supervision.

Victim Services and Community Supervision

The criminal justice system is complex and multifaceted, particularly in regard to how to interface with victims. Victims often have different or changing needs at various times within the system (i.e. pretrial, sentencing, reentry, post release) that need to be considered and responded to by you, as the PPO.

Trauma Informed Practices

There are various models for incorporating Trauma-Informed Practices across organizations, but a “trauma-informed approach incorporates three key elements: (1) realizing the prevalence of trauma; (2) recognizing how trauma affects all individuals involved with the program, organization, or system, including its own workforce; and (3) responding by putting this knowledge into practice”(SAMHSA, 2012, p. 4).

Trauma-informed organizations are invested in their staff and adopt trauma-informed principles; including establishing and providing ongoing support to promote a trauma-informed approach in practice and in addressing secondary trauma and implementing processes that reinforce the safety of the staff.

a man saying hello to a woman

  • Trauma Informed Approaches Across the Sequential Intercept Model

    Date: August 2022
    This report from the Council of State Governments Justice Center describes the impact of trauma among people in the criminal justice system and provides tangible action approaches during different criminal justice intercepts, from community services and law enforcement to community corrections.

  • ACE – Adverse Childhood Experiences

    Date: N.D.
    Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur before a child reaches the age of 18. Such experiences can interfere with a person’s health, opportunities and stability throughout his or her lifetime—and can even affect future generations.

Other

Additional examples of skill building with staff could include building cultural competence with populations experiencing mental health challenges and strengthening supervision relationships between staff and persons under supervision.

a man saying hello to a woman