Having the Right Ingredients
Baking soda or baking powder? Make sure you check your recipe card before you go dumping in the wrong one. My husband was so kind to make me his first batch of chocolate chip cookies one evening… while I was pregnant and it was urgent that I had some. Let’s just say, he used the wrong one and even though they didn’t taste quite right, I still ate several. What does this have to do with community based corrections you ask?
It’s also important to have all of your key ingredients when completing a case plan with your client. Almost universally in the community based corrections world, there is a risk assessment used to help case managers assess the top criminogenic (crime creating) needs. Setting goals in your case plan to address these high-risk areas increases the chance of reducing this risk. Criminogenic needs and goals are usually required ingredients in a case plan.
We've Got You Covered
The CorrectTech community corrections software has both and much more. Our software company is lucky enough to have been created and incubated in a progressive state for community corrections programs. A couple of years ago, the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) put together a “Community Corrections Progression Matrix” with the goal of lowering recidivism based on all they knew about the evidence based practices. CorrectTech’s own Alexandra Walker had a direct influence in the creation of the Progression Matrix and its implementation across the state. Guess what, CorrectTech just implemented this new model directly into its case planning software. Now you can manage a client’s case plan and ongoing progress 100% inside the software making EBP implementation easier than ever. There is total flexibility to create additional (or fewer) “ingredients” for agency case plans outside of the Progression Matrix model used by Colorado.
Making the Grade
Here are some other Ingredients that our customers can choose from to create super impactful case plans that make the GRADE:
Goals
Long-Term Goals: To begin with, good practice suggests goals are linked directly to a client’s criminogenic risk factors. Goals help a client “envision” the end result. What is the ultimate goal? It may be living a healthy lifestyle, living clean and sober. Envision what would be ideal in one year or at the end of the program.
Short-Term Action Steps: What are the steps I need to begin taking to reach those goals? These can be first steps, second steps, etc. You need to be sober a week before you can be sober a year right? Preferably, start with simple steps that you can measure and celebrate; then add more challenging goals as the client gains confidence.
Our case plan software also gives you the option to add goals and steps for program requirements that help get the client stabilized and behavioral requirements that are part of being in the program. You can add goals as often as you would like on any level or phase of the case plan.
Reinforcement
Measure Progress & Reinforce Positive Behavior: It is important to review goals and steps frequently and encourage clients for positive progress. Checking something off a list is a great way to feel accomplishment. Creating a case plan and never reviewing it again is like setting a New Year’s resolution and forgetting what it was by Valentine’s Day (we all have been there).
Accomplish
Keep it Moving: A level/phase system is incorporated in our case plan. This is another way to give clients a feeling of accomplishment, give them bigger challenges and maybe even greater freedoms as the levels increase. Our case plan tool has the ability to set target dates, continue goals or steps to the next level, and incorporate some basic level requirements. You can even have different case plan templates for different client types with different level requirements.
Document
Keep Track of Completed Goals & Steps: How many times have you heard the term “if it isn’t documented it didn’t happen.” Often times this is how community corrections programs’ staff spends a vast amount of their time. The good news is our case plan software makes documentation less than half the work it used to be. The case manager can document the client progress on their case plan during their meetings. All the notes they take become AUTOMATIC case notes for that meeting, eliminating double entry and creating a great documentation flow for the client’s progress! If a goal is waived or continued, you have the documentation to go with it. And, of course, you will need to give your client a copy of the case plan and progress as you go. No problem, just a click of the button and you can create a nice pdf of the whole package, and even have the client electronically sign the case plan via their fingerprint.
Everyone
Make it a collaborative effort/engage the client: Alex Walker’s blog: What Does a Personal Trainer and Case Manager Have in Common? really speaks to this step.
As well, a Colorado program held a panel recently to get client feedback on the Progression Matrix. Just a few of the client comments were:
- “It’s all about me, very individualized and personalized”
- “Forced my case manager to think about me and listen to me”
- “Helped me realize areas I didn’t know were problems”
Just like adding a little cinnamon or using honey instead of sugar, people like to be able to make recipes their own. As long as you target criminogenic risk factors, set goals and measure progress, you shouldn’t end up with a barely edible cookie, er, I mean case plan. Whatever template or plan you choose, the CorrectTech case plan software will make the GRADE (the cookies got a C-)!
