NIC News & Updates

NIC Virtual Conference on Reentry

Leslie LeMaster — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:53:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is excited to launch its first-ever virtual conference, “Cuff Key to Door Key: A Systems Approach to Reentry.”

Topics covered during the conference will include mental health, sentencing, workforce development, education, mentoring, Thinking for a Change (T4C), and a look at how the challenges of reentry contribute to transforming corrections culture.

Edward Latessa, the interim dean and professor at the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services at the University of Cincinnati, will deliver the keynote address.

The conference site opens June 5 for access to on-demand sessions, discussion forums, and reentry resources.

Live sessions will take place June 12 beginning 11:00 am Eastern to 4:00 pm Eastern.

To register for the conference, use this link:
http://conferences.icohere.com/registration/register.cfm?reg=56&evt=VirtualNIC

To ensure the best virtual experience, test your equipment with this link:
http://www.icohere-meeting.net/WebConference/systemtest/Default.aspx?step=2

As with all NIC services, there is no cost to attend this virtual event!

See you at the conference!

Did You Know: New in NIC's Knowledgebase/Solutions

jgustfsn — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:41:00 GMT

Got stress? Inmates too hot? Preparing PREA Policy? These are among 12 topics added to NIC's Knowledgebase/Solutions in the last 30 days. They join another 80 defined topics. All of the topics are listed here, and you may want to add this page to your Bookmarks or Favorites toolbar.

Get to Know NIC: Adria Tafoya

jgustfsn — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:02:00 GMT

Meet Adria Tafoya, Registrar for the National Institute of Corrections (NIC). Ms. Tafoya joined the staff of NIC in 2006 as a Management Assistant in the Academy Division, where she provided support for a variety of programs and activities, including NIC satellite and distance learning broadcasts, Academy budgets, and staff time and attendance. Ms. Tafoya was appointed to her present position as NIC Registrar in August of 2011.

Responsibilities at NIC

"As Registrar for NIC" she said, "I probably have as much if not more interaction with the field than most staff." A lot goes into getting program participants from Point A to Point B, and Adria is there from start to finish to help. She manages the hotel and airline contracts, posts training announcements to the website, manages applications, troubleshoots technical problems with enrollments, sends out invitations to attend, produces class lists and name tags, and provides logistical support during the training. Adria's advice to applicants, "make sure your email address and phone number are up to date when creating your account and profile in the NIC Learning Center." This is the most common error that she sees made by applicants and it can create delays if NIC needs to send any follow-up emails..

To update your account information go to the NIC Learning Center, make sure you are logged in, click the "My Learning" tab, and go to "my account information."

Professional Interests

Ms. Tafoya believes in serving the NIC constituency and takes pride in her professional interaction with participants. She really tries to take the time to ensure they have complete information about their training program, including all of the logistics, and are equipped with what they need for a successful experience with NIC.

Fun Facts and Hidden Talents

Prior to joining NIC, Adria was employed by the St. Vrain Valley School District, in the Athletic Department. One of her most enjoyable tasks was officiating women's high school volleyball games all up and down the Colorado Front Range.

See attached Event Registration Instructions April 2013 (below)

Get To Know NIC: Amanda Hall

Tom Reid — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Amanda Hall is a correctional program specialist in the NIC Academy Division. Before joining the National Institute of Corrections in June 2012, she was a 10-year employee of the Indiana Department of Correction. While at IDOC, she held a variety of positions including director of training (Parole Division), program director (Community Corrections Section/Grant Act), and director of case management (statewide). She has a strong background in juvenile services. Ms. Hall was a regional field coordinator (RFC) in the central region under the NIC Regional Training Initiative for three years, and returned as an RFC alumni facilitator for the region. Ms. Hall also has experience as a technical resource provider for NIC. She is a graduate of Indiana University/Purdue University (Indianapolis) with a degree in criminal justice, and is an honorably discharged veteran of the United States Navy. She holds memberships in a wide variety of professional organizations.

Responsibilities at NIC

Ms. Hall manages a variety of NIC Academy Division training programs including Management Development for the Future, Unleashing Your Leadership Potential, and Essential Skills for New Supervisors. She also manages the southern region of the NIC Academy Division’s Regional Training Initiative. Under the Division’s Learning and Performance Initiative, she authored “Correctional Learning and Performance: A Vision for the 21st Century”and served as a trainer/facilitator for NIC satellite/internet broadcasts and webinars on learning and performance for correctional staff. She is now developing a leadership/management program for custody managers, and is adding additional blended delivery strategies to Management Development for the Future. Ms. Hall also manages technical assistance events in her area of expertise.

Professional Interests

Ms. Hall has a passion for making a difference. She came to NIC as an opportunity to reach a wider audience for sharing the vision of what can be, and to influence and assist a greater correctional community. She wants to be in the forefront of further professionalizing the corrections industry, particularly through the power of training. Ms. Hall says, “Everybody calls it training, but it is really learning and performance. Learning and performance always need to be linked if we hope to make a difference. The key is in the design. If you want to hit the target of changing performance, you need to design it in up front!” Her focus is in applying the thinking behind evidence-based practice to the training environment, especially the design phase, so it yields “research and evidence-based learning.”

Fun Facts and Hidden Talents

Amanda Hall is deathly afraid of heights. In the Navy, she was a parachute rigger and had to jump out of an airplane with a parachute she had rigged herself. She did. Once. Only once. But she passed her proficiency test. Her hidden talent is planning events like weddings and parties, and she is a wiz at arranging artificial flowers (since they don’t object to hot glue guns like real flowers might.)

Join the Event – What's Blooming at NIC!

Susan Powell — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:14:00 GMT

On May 15 and 16, 2013, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) will hold four 50-minute online workshops on learning and performance. These interactive workshops are intended for professionals responsible for any and all aspects of learning and performance in the corrections field.

Day One – May 15

Plant the Seeds for Learning and Performance
Master Gardeners: Leadership Cultivates Performance

Day Two - May 16

Learning Plans and LMS: Your Farmer’s Almanac
Grow Your Learning Garden

Download flyer for additional details

Enroll in NIC's Learning and Performance Spring Thaw VILT Series!

Leslie LeMaster — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:27:00 GMT

Enroll in NIC's Learning and Performance Spring Thaw VILT Series!

Registration is now open in the NIC Learning Center (http://nic.learn.com ) for our two day Learning and Performance Spring Thaw - What's Blooming At NIC Virtual Instructor Led (VILT) event scheduled for May 15 and 16, 2013 (see descriptions below)! The two, 50 minute sessions each day will tap into some of the latest thinking into practice in the Learning and Performance field and cultivating the resources to tap into them! Register for one, two or all four VILTS - it's your choice!

To enroll in this VILT event, log onto http://nic.learn.com and Log-in (upper right hand corner of the screen) (or create an account if you don't already have one). Then, click and follow the Catalog drop down menu at the top of the screen to the virtual instructor led training program you wish to register for in the Learning Center. Click on the course name you are interested in, and click Enroll and follow the required procedures. If you need help, click the Help/Support drop down menu at the top of the screen. As with all NIC Virtual Instructor Led Training, there is no cost for your participation.

To participate effectively in NIC's WebEx virtual training requires a telephone, preferably with a headset, and a computer with an internet connection. We ask you to join each training session at least 10 minutes prior to the start, in the event you encounter connectivity issues.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Day One - May 15, 2013

"Plant the Seeds for Learning and Performance"

13A6103

8am PT / 9am MT / 10am CT / 11am ET

A Virtual Instructor-Led Training via WebEx

Audience

This virtual instructor led training is intended for professionals responsible for any and all aspects of learning and performance in the corrections field.

Course Description:

Just as seeds require certain elements- sun, soil, water- to become plants, a successful learning program requires certain elements to produce performance. This workshop will explore research regarding learning and how we can use the research to improve corrections training practices.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Master Gardeners: Leadership Cultivates Performance"

13A6104

9am PT / 10am MT / 11am CT / 12pm ET

A Virtual Instructor-Led Training via WebEx

Audience:

This virtual instructor led training is intended for professionals responsible for any and all aspects of learning and performance in the corrections field.

Course Description:

What is correctional leadership's role in staff development and performance? Through the book: DRiVE by Daniel H. Pink we will explore what motivates staff performance. We will look at how leadership can support the heart of motivation- autonomy, mastery, and purpose- through the mechanism of learning and performance. And we will discuss how learning is supported through your leadership and agency culture.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Day Two - May 16, 2013

"Learning Plans and LMS: Your Farmer's Almanac"

13A6105

8am PT / 9am MT / 10am CT / 11am ET

A Virtual Instructor-Led Training via WebEx

Audience:

This virtual instructor led training is intended for professionals responsible for any and all aspects of learning and performance in the corrections field.

Course Description:

NIC has been expanding the way it uses its Learning Management System (LMS) to better serve the needs of our constituents. The goal is to allow customers to create their own learning experience, much like backyard gardeners choose what to plant and harvest. NIC's innovative Learning Plans are customized to guide learners through professional development.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"Grow Your Learning Garden"

13A6106

9am PT / 10am MT / 11am CT / 12pm ET

A Virtual Instructor-Led Training via WebEx

Audience:

This virtual instructor led training is intended for professionals responsible for any and all aspects of learning and performance in the corrections field.

Course Description:

Join this session so you can make the most of NIC's resources by digging into the NIC website and cultivating a garden of learning resources at your fingertips! We will explore what is available to you at the touch of a mouse click; What and how you can request resources from NIC; How to join and participate in our online corrections communities; How to subscribe to updates to the NIC website; How to access the NIC Knowledgebase; and how to cultivate your own resource garden by browsing NIC Projects links!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Boston Marathon -- Aftermath Assistance

Susan Powell — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:14:00 GMT

By Donna Ledbetter, Research and Information Services Division, Writer/Editor

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing earlier this week, NIC would like to provide you with resources to find assistance in coping with the tragedy and assisting investigators who are trying to find the source(s) responsible for the bombing.

For crisis counseling, contact the Disaster Distress Helpline sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration by calling 1-800-985-5990, by texting TalkWithUs to 66746, or by visiting http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov.

Marathon attendees with information or visual images of the explosion are asked to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation by e-mail at Boston@ic.fbi.gov.

In addition, there are resources available from NIC to help with crisis intervention and response should an emergency situation occur in a correctional facility. Please consult these resources for more information:

Training

Crisis Intervention Teams: A Frontline Response to Mental Illness in Corrections

Leadership in Times of Critical Incidents (e-course)

Video

Crisis Intervention Teams: An Effective Response to Mental Illness in Corrections

Systematic Approaches to Emergency Preparedness Affecting Correctional Communities

Publications

Crisis Intervention Teams: A Frontline Response to Mental Illness in Corrections (Lesson Plans and Participant Manual)

Corrections and Mental Health: An Update of the National Institute of Corrections (Crisis Intervention Teams)

A Guide to Preparing and Responding to Prison Emergencies: Self-Audit Checklists, National Survey Results, Resource Materials, Case Studies

A Guide to Preparing and Responding to Jail Emergencies: Self-Audit Checklists, National Survey Results, Resource Materials, Case Studies

Responding to a High-Profile Tragic Incident Involving a Person with a Serious Mental Illness: A Toolkit for State Mental Health Commissioners (article)

---------------------------------------------------------

For additional resources on Crisis Intervention

Get To Know NIC: Panda Adkins

Tom Reid — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:00:00 GMT

Panda Adkins is a correctional program specialist in the NIC Jails Division. Prior to joining the National Institute of Corrections in December 2012, she was a 16-year employee of the Davidson County Sheriff’s Department Corrections Division, where she began her career as a corrections officer. She next served as a case manager, and then became the Davidson County work release manager. Panda has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree from Tennessee State University, and a Master of Science from Cumberland University. She is a Certified Jail Manager with the American Jail Association, serves as an accreditation auditor with the American Correctional Association, and is certified as a Global Career Development Facilitator.

Responsibilities at NIC

Ms. Adkins manages services to Indian Country jails and the following training programs: Jail Administration, Jail Resource Management, and Jail as a Part of County Government. She also coordinates a variety of technical assistance for local jails.

Professional Interests

Panda is an advocate of education and training for jail practitioners. She has conducted corrections-related training for her own agency, her community, and national audiences. She has seen first-hand how education has empowered jail practitioners to make effective decisions in meeting their challenges and moving their jails forward.

Panda sees the jail as an integral part of the community. She believes community members need to be more aware of the jail and its potential for having a positive effect on the local community. Panda enjoys involving local organizations and citizens in the jail--from basic volunteer work with inmates to using inmate labor for community projects and providing services to inmates to help them reintegrate into the community after release.

Virginia Hutchinson, NIC Jails Division Chief says, “Panda is a welcome addition to the NIC staff. She has a passion for corrections, and she looks forward to working with jail practitioners nationwide. Her expertise, experience, positive energy, and love for training make her a tremendous asset to NIC and the jails we serve.”

Fun Facts and Hidden Talents

Yes, her first name is Panda. It is not a nickname. She was once offered a recording contract (for a single and a video) as a rapper as the result of a “rap” she wrote as part of a creative writing class she conducted with offenders.

Did You Know: NIC's Knowledgebase / Solutions

jgustfsn — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:18:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections responds to thousands of requests for corrections-specific information every year. When we get questions that we think others might find of interest, we add the answers to our Knowledgebase Collection.

A knowledgebase is a centralized repository for related information about a particular subject. A Knowledgebase is not written in stone. New articles are added and old articles that are no longer relevant are retired on an on-going basis. An NIC Knowledgebase is comprised of current, concise, and digital documents that provide a brief introduction to a subject. Our Knowledgebase Collection is always accessible on-line so you can find the information you need, when you need it. This means that you can learn about issues faster, retrieve solutions you’ve found before, and ensure that you are using your time productively.

Currently there are over 80 entries with more being added every week. Recent additions have addressed:

Some of the more popular topics are:

Suggestions are always welcome. If you know of an item that would be a good addition to an existing Knowledgebase, send us an email at support@nic.zendesk.com. If you are having difficulty locating information on a particular subject, please let us know. You may find your answer in our next Knowledgebase!

Motivational Interviewing: Join the Conversation

Tom Reid — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 15:19:00 GMT

It’s all about opening communication. It’s all about opening a pathway for the potential for change. It’s all about trying an alternative interaction style with offenders in the appropriate situation.

Motivational Interviewing Basics

Motivational Interviewing (MI) emerged out of the health/mental health services and substance abuse treatment milieu of the 1980’s. In those areas, it is an evidence-based practice used to address, and hopefully overcome, ambivalence toward personal change. It is not treatment, but it can get patients, clients, and offenders ready to achieve positive outcomes based on their own motivation, which can include readiness for treatment and life change. Some might call it a counseling technique, communication method, or a conversational style that is applied in the proper circumstances to tip the balance toward change and away from ambivalence for those experiencing problems in their lives. A key is listening for “change talk”, and to reinforce it whether it has to do with weight loss, quitting smoking, addressing substance abuse problems in the health/mental health care and addiction field, or, in terms of the criminal justice system and corrections, wanting to address issues that led to and facilitated criminal behavior and lifestyle.

Central to it all is the transfer of the motivation to change from the agent/officer/counselor to the offender so that it is client-based, not officer-based, motivation. This can involve a mindset adjustment in corrections professionals where previously the primary tools applied might have been confrontation, authority, surveillance, control, suspicion, and autocratic direction to now allowing a conversation to flow that internalizes the motivation to change in the offender/client. It is not used all the time, nor at any time, but at the right time.

Motivational Interviewing in Action

Elizabeth Craig, a member of MINT ( Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers), says, “MI is a very successful technique to help people work through their own thinking about something that is bothering them. The agent/officer needs to resist the urge to jump right in with a solution, but be patient to allow them to arrive at a conclusion. It can work amazingly well, since it has more staying power than if it was my idea.” Craig continues, “MI is a skill to be included with a whole range of professional skills to be applied at the right time. The hardest thing for us is to fight the urge to tell clients what to do, but instead to allow them to arrive at a similar conclusion through a focused conversation.”

Michael Guevara, Correctional Program Specialist at the National Institute of Corrections, calls MI “simply a way to interact with folks to help them on the road to change. The goal is to get them to talk about it. It took the burden for change off of me as their probation officer, and placed the burden for change on them. My role changed: now they do the work and I help them explore the possibilities. My role is in listening more. I’m now in the helper role as they do the work.”

Motivational Interviewing is an Acquired Set of Skills

Like all skills, it might not come naturally to everybody. It can’t be learned in a 3 hour symposium; but you can learn “about it” that way. Acquiring the skill set takes a minimum of 5 days in training, then applying it while a skilled observer evaluates, critiques, and coaches, followed by on-going peer check-ins. Elizabeth Craig recommends “practice, practice, practice” and further feels “it is a perishable skill and you need to watch for ‘skill drift’ where you might start to rely on old habits when MI could work.”

Learn About MI

There are many resources available concerning the use of MI in corrections. Take a look at the items below as you begin to learn about Motivational Interviewing in corrections:

NIC Resources:

Motivating Offenders to Change: A Guide for Probation and Parole

Motivational Interviewing in Corrections: A Comprehensive Guide to Implementing MI in Corrections

Exercises for Developing MI Skills in Corrections

Motivational Interviewing (with a Criminal Justice Focus) Annotated Bibliography

Implementing Motivational Interviewing in Correctional Settings (DVD set)

Motivational Interviewing: An Introduction [Lesson Plan and Participant's Manual]

Motivational Interviewing Training (Lesson Plans)

Two Probation Officer/Offender Contact Sessions (DVD or view on-line)

Motivational Interviewing Resource Page

Motivational Interviewing: Overview (E-course)

Information Center Library Search: Motivational Interviewing

Other Resources:

Change Talk: Using Motivational Interviewing Techniques in Jail Programs

Ten Things that Motivational Interviewing Is Not

The Motivational Interviewing Page: Resources for Clinicians, Researchers, and Trainers

Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT)

Motivational Interviewing: Resources for Trainers (MINT)

Motivational Interviewing

New in the Library: Evidence-Based Practice Resources

Susan Powell — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:10:00 GMT

What Is the Evidence? Evidence-based policy and practice is focused on reducing offender risk, which in turn reduces new crime and improves public safety. Of the many available approaches to corrections, a few core principles stand out as proven risk reduction strategies. Though not all of the principles are supported by the same weight of evidence, each has been proven to influence positive behavior change.

This bibliography is selection of EBP citations based on questions we receive at the NIC Information Center. They are organized according to:

Introduction: In the Beginning.

Principles 1 and 3: Assess Risk and Needs and Target Interventions--Risk, Need, Responsivity (RNR), and Dosage;

Principle 2: Enhance Motivation to Change;

Principle 4: Skill Training with Directed Practice (CBT);

Principle 5: Increase Positive Reinforcement (See Incentives and Sanctions/Contingency Management);

Principle 6: Engage Ongoing Community Support;

Principles 7 & 8: Measure Relevant Processes and Practices and Measurement.

Download the full document

For additional information on NIC’s EBP Resources and Evidence-Based Decision Making Initiative

Health Webinar: Periodontal Updates for the Correctional Provider

Susan Powell — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:17:00 GMT

Join this National Institute of Corrections (NIC) free webinar, Peridontal Updates for the Correctional Provider, on Wednesday, April 3rd.

Course Description:

The National Institute of Corrections has partnered with CAPT Phillip Woods, DDS, MPH, National Periodontal Consultant, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to provide an informational session incorporating the following:

(1) A review of current classification and diagnosis of periodontal diseases;

(2) A review of the CPITN, a periodontal screening tool;

(3) An exploration of periodontal diseases risk management protocols as presented in the 2012 BOP Preventive Dentistry Clinical Practice Guide*; and

(4) A discussion on the concept of Periodontal Medicine focusing on the Diabetes-Periodontal bidirectional relationship.

Date/Time: April 3, 2012, 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. EST

Download flyer to register

For additional information from NIC on Corrections Health Services

Did You Know: NIC’s Correctional Trainers Forum

Tom Reid — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:19:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections provides a variety of discussion forums on its Corrections Community networking site. One of the most active and interesting forums is the Correctional Trainers discussion forum. The forum’s operating philosophy is sort of like that penny dish you always see at checkouts: when you need a penny take one, but in return, leave a few when you can. Trainers are in constant need of resources, new information, better approaches, and innovative instructional techniques, but they are also very willing to share.

Recent posts have addressed de-escalation skills, PREA in-service training, and resources for a train the trainer course. The forum also serves as a communications conduit for NIC staff for reaching out to correctional trainers, so participants in the forum will always have the latest information about NIC broadcasts, new additions at the NIC Learning Center, and upcoming events in NIC training.

If you are involved in training, you will want to check out the NIC Correctional Trainers forum. You can view the forum at any time, but you need to join the NIC Corrections Community in order to post and reply. Joining is a simple process at “Register and Join our Community”. So you can be an active participant, you might want to subscribe to the Correctional Trainers forum. You will then get e-mails of all Correctional Trainers forum posts.

While you are exploring the Correctional Trainers forum, don’t forget to visit the NIC Workplace Learning and Staff Performance Enhancement page as well as the items in the NIC Information Center library that are directly relevant for trainers - Click on “personnel” once you are on the library General Topics page.

Become a Regional Field Coordinator

Susan Powell — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:05:00 GMT

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is looking for energized and qualified candidates to join our team of Regional Field Coordinators (RFCs). As volunteer trainers, RFCs fill a critical need for NIC by extending and customizing training for their local areas.

Ideal candidates for RFC work are training directors, administrators, coordinators, or senior trainers in adult or juvenile corrections agencies. They have experience in developing, delivering, and/or coordinating training in their home agencies and have support from their chief executive officer for completing RFC duties.

Each RFC must agree to volunteer time to develop and deliver region-focused training in their local areas.

Download RFC Application and Flyer

For more information on NIC’s Regional Training Initiative

New in the Library - Addressing Sexual Violence Against Youth in Custody

Susan Powell — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:15:00 GMT

Now available in the NIC Library, “Addressing Sexual Violence Against Youth in Custody: Youth Workers’ Handbook on Identifying and Addressing Sexual Violence in Juvenile Justice Settings” is a first step in reaching out to staff in juvenile justice settings to help them identify, address, and appropriately respond to incidents of sexual abuse by staff or between youth.

Chapters include:

The Landscape of Juvenile Justice Agencies.
Sexual Abuse of Youth in Custody.
Youth in Custody: The Role of Adolescent Development in Preventing Sexual Abuse.
Culture of Youth Facilities.
Identifying Inappropriate Staff-on-Youth and Youth-on-Youth Relationships.
Medical and Mental Health Care for Victims.
Investigating Sexual Abuse of Youth in Custody: Duties of a First Responder.
Rights of Staff when an Allegation of Staff Sexual Misconduct Is Made.
Legal Liability and Sanctions for Sexual Abuse of Youth in Custody.
Prevention Strategies.

Download the full document

Find more on this topic at NIC Inmate Sexual Assault and Juveniles.