The Impact of Coaching on Staff Acquisition and Use of EPICS-Related Skills

• In Event: The Role of Practitioner-Driven Science

Abstract

Recent initiatives incorporating the use of core correctional practices within community supervision have been shown to be effective in reducing recidivism. Recent research has also shown that the effectiveness of an intervention or model is not the only important aspect in reducing recidivism with offenders. Instead, implementation and coaching processes after the initial training on an intervention or model have been shown to be just as important. This paper reports on data collected as part of the evaluation of the Effective Practices in Community Supervision (EPICS) project across ten residential correctional programs. This paper employs a pre-test/post-test design by measuring case manager use of core correctional practices before EPICS training and coaching and again after a 5-session coaching process. In addition, coaching format (video versus face-to-face) and length of time before coaching began were varied to determine the best combination to produce staff fidelity to the EPICS model and core correctional practices.

Authors

• Cara Thompson, University of Cincinnati

• Myrinda Schweitzer, University of Cincinnati

• Kimberly Sperber, Talbert House Center for Health and Human Services Research