The American Probation and Parole Association is pleased to announce
their partnership with SSB, Inc. ( www.ssbinc.com
) of Northern Virginia. SSB, Inc. is a technology firm with experience
in developing and delivering web-based training for staff of adult and
juvenile agencies and institutions.SSB has recently developed a
web-based re-entry/transition program for adult and juvenile
offenders. This program is called the Career Assistance and Planning
System (CAPS), and consists of 91 lessons designed to teach offenders
how to find a job, get a job, keep a job, and get along with others.
Approximately half of the lessons are specifically designed to teach
life skills. Each lesson has a set of objectives and a final set of
questions that determine whether the learner has understood the
lesson. Prior to entering his/her answers the learner can return to
the text and review the material to see if the answer is correct. When
the learner successfully completes the lesson, he/she can print a
signed certificate of completion. The offenders have access to the
program for a full year and are able to go back and retake any lesson
at any time.
The lessons include exercises
that are intended to reinforce the lesson objectives, and also offer
links to other sites for additional information related to the course.
The exercises can also be used in one-on-one or small group sessions
that give the participants a chance to share their feelings and
questions while reinforcing important concepts. The combined course
features provide information needed for successful re-entry into
society and the world of work.
The CAPS program comes with a
learning management system (LMS), which allows the agent or supervisor
to monitor the progress of all his/her clients. The agent can monitor
which lessons each client has started, how many lessons they have
successfully completed, and the number of times the learner has
attempted to finish a lesson. Having this and other reports at their
fingertips allows agents more time to focus on skills needing personal
reinforcement. CAPS courses help the agent teach the skills needed for
the offender’s successful re-entry.
Registering your agency for the
CAPS courses also financially supports APPA. CAPS courses are offered
to the agency rather than the individual and there is no limit to the
number of users. You can access the program and support your
Association by clicking on the CAPS icon located below.
APPA’s contact at SSB, Inc. is Bill Taylor, who has over 25 years of
experience in professional development in training and technical
assistance with the American Correctional Association (ACA).
Sincerely,
Carl Wicklund
Executive Director
Online Offender Reentry Training
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