The Developmental Stage System (DSS), the Program Component of the LA Model

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Albert Banuelos is the Executive Staff Director to the Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles County Probation Department. As an Executive Staff Director, Albert manages the development and implementation of the LA Model and the Developmental Stage System (DSS) Cognitive Behavior Program throughout all juvenile and SYTF (SB 823) facilities in Los Angeles County. In addition, Albert generates responses or notifications to the Board of Supervisors/Board Justice Deputies on facility and field operational matters and also manages and facilitates the department’s Professional Development Academy. As a 21-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Probation Department, he has served as Director over the flagship residential treatment facility known as Campus Kilpatrick, managing a $58 million facility with 140 Deputized Officers under his scope. While at Campus Kilpatrick, Albert developed and implemented the DSS to better support the LA Model and managed the implementation of external community organizations providing programming to young people. Albert has served as CORE Consultant over the department’s Adult Field Services/CORE bureau, implementing an EBP supervision model throughout the adult division and advising Executive Management regarding EBP best practices. Albert holds a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis on Organization Leadership.

William Brigges is a Deputy Probation Officer II with the Los Angeles County Probation Department. As part of the EBP/LA Model Staff Support and Development team, William helps bridge the service gap and ensure fidelity of practices through quality assurance, collaborative training, and utilization of the DSS App, an innovative software application. William has over 14 years of public service experience working with at-risk youth, justice involved individuals, families, and communities in the greater Los Angeles area, yielding a wide range of practice efficacy and cultural competence. William has blended his education and work experience through practical application, linking theory and principles to community-based problem solving with direct implementation of evidence-based practices. William was part of the original group that opened Campus Kilpatrick and implemented the L.A. Model’s small group treatment program. William rolled out the initial launch of the Developmental Stage System (DSS) and its cognitive behavior program. During his 7 years of service with the Probation Department, William has worked as a frontline deputy in the juvenile institutions and as a lead trainer and subject matter expert in numerous fields. William holds a BA in Sociology with concentration in Criminology and Criminal Justice from California State University Northridge.

Cynthia Galaz is a Deputy Probation Officer II with the Los Angeles County Probation Department. As a member of the EBP/LA Model Staff Support & Development team, Cynthia develops operational procedures to align with departmental policy and Evidence-Based Practices (EBP), trains Probation personnel, county partner agencies, and community partners in the LA Model, the DSS Tri-Responsive Approach and the revolutionary DSS application (app), and conducts audits, research, analysis and program evaluations of services provided to the department. A big believer in EBP, along with care-first, holistic approaches in the juvenile justice system, Cynthia supports the implementation of the LA Model and the use of the DSS app to track CBI dosage and to ensure program fidelity. With over fourteen years of experience with the Los Angeles County Probation Department, Cynthia has been assigned to various roles in both the juvenile and adult sector, including juvenile institutions, CA Assembly Bill 109 and the Staff Training Office. Cynthia has vast experience in training, having trained over 1,500 sworn and non-sworn personnel and holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Master of Public Administration with a focus on Organizational Leadership from National University.