Decision Points: An Open Entry, Flexible Dosage Cognitive Behavior Program

SESSION INFO

Tuesday, February 27, 2024
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Session Type: Workshop

This workshop will provide an overview of Decision Points, a cognitive behavior intervention program designed for delivery with youth and adult populations. Built on the principle of the “Strategy of Choices”, Decision Points equips participants with alternative ways to examine their thinking and the actions that lead them into trouble. The program is structured so that it accommodates open-entry and exit from the program which maximizes program utility and effect. Decision Points can be delivered as a short-term intervention or as a longer duration program based on participants’ needs. The workshop will focus on how the Decision Points can be facilitated in-group and how the skills can be supported by an array of professionals working with participants to support pro-social change. Individuals from Washington State Department of Corrections and Ohio’s Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and will share their experiences delivering and supporting implementation of the program.

SESSION PRESENTERS

Dionne Addison
Program Administrator, OH Department of Rehabilitation and Correction


Dionne Addison has over twenty-eight years of experience in corrections. She is responsible for continuous quality improvement and quality assurance for evidence-based practices and serves as grant administrator for various BJA grants. Dionne is a certified trainer in Decision Points as well as other EBP curriculum utilized at ODRC. Dionne Addison she serves in the position of Program Administrator for the Quality Assurance/ EBP/ Grant section in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction ODRC) . She is responsible for continuous quality improvement and quality assurance for evidence-based practices and serves as grant administrator for various BJA grants.


Mark Belaney
Parole Officer, OH Department of Rehabilitation and Correction


Mark Belaney is a parole officer with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, and is an experienced Decision Points facilitator. Mark recently received the 2023 Scotia Knouff Line Officer of the Year Award presented by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA). The award is the association’s most prestigious and competitive practitioner award. Mark Belaney is a parole officer with the ODRC, and is an experienced Decision Points facilitator. Mark recently received the 2023 Scotia Knouff Line Officer of the Year Award presented by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA).


Brian McElfresh
Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CBI) Fidelity Manager, WA State Dept of Corrections


Brian is responsible for overseeing a dedicated team of statewide quality assurance and continuous quality improvement staff that includes services such as training, coaching, boosting and fidelity monitoring for various CBI’s (Decision Points, Thinking For a Change, Moving On, Beyond Violence). His inclusive and integrated approach to help shape practice through policy, coaching, data collection and fidelity monitoring has been instrumental in developing a sustained approach to the programs and their associated outcomes in Washington State since 2012.


Dr. Juliana Marie Taymans
Author, Decision Points Authors, LLC


Juliana Taymans has worked extensively with cognitive-behavioral interventions for youth and adults involved in the justice system. She has co-authored four corrections programs, Thinking for a Change, Decision Points, the VIP Domestic Violence Program and Problems Solving Skills in Action. She has also developed an array of professional development programs for corrections and adult education professionals. She is a professor emeritus in Disability Studies at the George Washington University in Washington, DC.


Ted Teske
Corrections Specialist - CBI Fidelity Unit, WA State Dept of Corrections


Ted Teske has over 15 years of adult corrections experience with the Washington State Department of Corrections. He has worked in numerous prison facilities and is currently a member of the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CBI) Fidelity Unit providing support to 60 dedicated WA State DOC CBI facilitators. Ted has an extensive history of facilitating CBI programs in both the community and prison settings. In addition to being a certified Decision Points trainer, he has been trained in and facilitated Aggression Replacement Training, Thinking For a Change, and Decision Points. Ted’s responsibilities also include creation and implementation of CBI “boosters” that have been delivered both in person and virtually, coordination of state-wide data sharing reports, and individualized assessment and mentoring of staff.