The research on evidence-based supervision indicates that the knowledge, skills, and abilities of dosage probation officers—and of their supervisors and coaches—are integral to the success of the dosage probation model. A high degree of competence in each of the following areas is critical: understanding “what works” in reducing risk; building and sustaining professional alliance; administering, interpreting, and applying risk/needs assessments; employing core correctional practices; effectively using cognitive-behavioral intervention tools; implementing effective case planning and management; and following a sequenced approach to risk reduction. In addition, staff require a strong grounding in the principles and practices of the dosage probation model.

Essential Skills

Dosage probation officers demonstrate a high degree of competency in each of the following essential skills:

1.    Make clear that the goal of dosage probation is to help probationers succeed.
2.    Provide probationers with choices rather than directing their actions.
3.    Engage in nonjudgmental discussion.
4.    Focus on probationers’ behavior (rather than on their history or personality).
5.    Use conversational dialogue and tone.
6.    Listen more, talk less.
7.    Strictly adhere to assessment scoring guidelines and techniques.
8.    Share assessment results with probationers.
9.    Identify the driver (the criminogenic need most likely driving the others).
10.    Engage probationers in the case planning process.
11.    Develop SMART case plans that address probationers’ most influential criminogenic needs.
12.    Limit case plan goals to the most significant criminogenic and stabilization needs.
13.    Identify specific activities that address case plan goals and that count toward dosage.
14.    Build upon probationers’ strengths when developing case plans.
15.    Address responsivity needs in case plans.
16.    Review and update case plans frequently. 
17.    Structure appointments intentionally.
18.    Conduct appointments of at least 20 minutes.
19.    Focus the majority of appointment time on skill building associated with assessed criminogenic needs.
20.    Teach concrete skills.
21.    Demonstrate skills for probationers.
22.    Use structured tools (worksheets, journals, lesson plans) to teach skills.
23.    Have probationers practice skills; provide feedback.
24.    Provide appropriate take-home assignments.
25.    Effectively review previous take-home assignments.
26.    Increase the difficulty of skill practice over time.
27.    Identify prosocial attitudes and behaviors.
28.    Effectively respond to prosocial attitudes and behaviors through the use of affirmations and rewards.
29.    Identify harmful attitudes and behaviors.
30.    Effectively respond to harmful attitudes and behaviors through the use of sanctions and by linking harmful choices to goals.

Training

The following reflects the recommended sequence of training and skill building for dosage probation officers.

• Evidence-Based Practices Overview
  Dosage probation officers learn about four principles that are key to recidivism reduction—risk, need, responsivity, and intervention—and about strategies for responding to prosocial and noncompliant behavior.
• Professional Alliance
  This training introduces dosage probation officers to traits that contribute to effective professional alliance, or rapport—for example, being people-oriented, authentic, strength-based, and respectful—and to strategies, such as motivational interviewing, to increase probationers’ engagement and follow-through with skill-building and risk reduction activities.
• Risk/Needs Assessment
  In this training, dosage probation officers explore the importance of effectively conducting risk/needs assessments; they practice interpreting and sharing assessment results with probationers; and they examine how to use the results to guide case planning and management.
• Core Correctional Practices
  This training provides dosage probation officers with an overview of four core correctional practices that are key to recidivism reduction: developing professional alliance, effective case planning and management, engaging in skill practice to address probationers’ criminogenic needs, and appropriately using rewards and responses to noncompliance.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Tools
  After discussing the importance of using a cognitive-behavioral approach to help probationers change their behavior, dosage probation officers are introduced to, and practice using, an array of risk reduction tools to address probationers’ criminogenic needs and help them build skills in clear, specific, and structured ways.
• Effective Case Planning and Management
  This training builds upon the introduction to effective case planning and management included in the Core Correctional Practices training. It gives dosage probation officers the opportunity to develop a case plan that addresses a probationer’s risk, criminogenic needs, responsivity factors, strengths, and triggers; helps the probationer build skills that will contribute to their success; meets the SMART criteria; and appropriately targets dosage levels.
• Sequential Steps of Risk Reduction
  In this training, participants are introduced to steps they can follow to help probationers reduce their risk of recidivism—from establishing expectations for success to preparing people for a successful discharge—and to cognitive-behavioral tools they can use to help them achieve each step.
• Dosage Probation
  Training specifically focused on dosage probation is crucial for the success of the model. During Phase 1, the entire staff should be provided with an orientation to dosage probation. Following the orientation, staff should work closely with the Dosage Probation Workgroup to ensure they fully understand the model. Then, when the department is preparing for implementation and knows which officers and supervisors will be participating in dosage probation, these staff members should explore more deeply the model and the department’s policies around dosage.

Coaching and Continuous Quality Improvement
Agencies interested in improving outcomes must commit to an implementation process that ensures that staff receive adequate initial training as well as ongoing encouragement, feedback, coaching, and booster training designed to improve knowledge, skills, confidence, and competency. In fact, research suggests that the amount of time devoted to the change process is an indicator of whether or not superior results will be derived.

The primary goal of a CQI process is to improve outcomes by:

• creating and nurturing an environment characterized by an ongoing desire to learn and improve,
• identifying practices that are working well and those in need of attention, and
• determining the specific enhancements that are needed to support improvements in the quality of service delivery and in outcomes.

For more information on coaching and continuous quality improvement, see the Continuous Quality Improvement and Coaching Guide.