DCJS
Office of Probation and Correctional Alternatives
Fundamentals of Community
Corrections (FCC) Training -
Supporting Evidence-Based Practices in all ATI Programs
NYAPSA Conference
October 21, 2013
Yvonne J. Behan
ATI/Re-entry Manager

OPCA - An Office within DCJS
OPCA plays a critical role in New York’s
Criminal Justice System:
 Funds and Regulates the State’s 58 County and City of New York Probation Departments
 Funds nearly 250 ATI programs -- in addition to
Probation Departments
 Manages the interstate transfer of 5,000 probationers between NYS and all other states
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OPCA provides funding and oversight for nearly 200
ATI and Re-entry programs across NYS including:
• Community Service
• Defender-Based-Advocacy
• Pre-Trial Release
• Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities
(TASC)
• Specialized/Drug & Alcohol
• Probation Violation Residential Centers
• Six ATI/Re-entry Programs funded via ARRA
• 19 County Re-entry Task Forces
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Pursuant to New York Executive Law Section 267 with regard to Article 13A,
DCJS is required to submit an Annual Report to the Governor. The 2012
Annual Statistical Reports for Alternative-to-Incarceration (ATI) Program
Models highlight the following :
• Community Service Programs (37) report that 84.6% of participants successfully complete the service.
• Pretrial Services Programs (44) report 31,066 releases with an overall Failure to Appear Rate of 2.8%.
• Specialized Drug and Alcohol Service Programs (46) report 9,876 individuals placed in programs with 70.9% completing.
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• Defender-Based Advocacy Programs (11) prepared 2,256 individualized client-specific plans and 2,045 were accepted by the
Courts.
• TASC Model Programs (15) report 5,406 placements and 3,481 successful completions.
• CRTF – (19) - 3,623 Track I intakes reported by the 19 County Reentry Task Forces for the program year of July 2012 thru June 2013.
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• In 2005 - Published the Community
Services Sentencing Standards
• In 2007 - Published New York State Pretrial
Standards
• In 2008 - Published New York State TASC
Standards
• 2010 – Published New York State
Defender-Based Advocacy Standards
Visit http://dcjs.ny.gov for copies and additional information.
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• Provide Technical Assistance
• Site Visit Monitoring
• Quarterly Progress Reports
• Annual Focus Groups
• Review Recidivism Rates – Required
Submission of Tracking Logs
• Annual Plan/Contract Review
• Quality Control Audits
• Training – FCC, T4C, OWDS etc.
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OPCA trains probation officers--required 70-hour
Fundamentals of Probation Practice (FPP), a nationally recognized training curriculum that was accredited in
2008 by the American Probation and Parole Association
(APPA) -- Evidence-Based Practice Skill Building learning modules were developed by Orbis Partners.
However, professionals working in community corrections programs were receiving varied training that was not standardized or supported by evidence based practices. The need for the FCC training was evident.
Programs began asking for such training.
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 Provide community corrections program staff with the opportunity to learn and practice the fundamental skills that will be needed to successfully work with individuals in the community corrections program.
 Provide information on the evidence based practices and “What Works” research that has proven to work effectively in bringing about change and success.
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The FCC curriculum was developed by a workgroup
comprised of ATI professionals from each of the five ATI models, Pre-Trial Services, Community Services,
Defender-Based Advocacy, TASC and Specialized/Drug and Alcohol Services Programs and DPCA Staff.
The FCC includes the latest information on screening, assessment, motivational interviewing and case planning.
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• FCC was drawn from Fundamentals of Probation
Practices which was influenced by the “What
Works” Movement
• EBP Modules in the FPP were developed under contract with Orbis Partners, Inc.
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 The FCC also includes learning modules on highly- effective programs and the rights of the program participant.
 The FCC includes methods which are based on the principles of adult learning.
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An Introduction to the Fundamentals of Community
Corrections –
(FCC) Manual
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 Module 1: Welcome and Introduction to
Community Corrections
Introduction Activities
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Name
Program and geographic location
Something of interest about the county/location where program is located
Something that others at the table don’t know about you
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 Module 2: Justice System and the Law
Subsection: Accessing Criminal History Records
 Module 3: Rights of the Program Participant –
Unique to FCC – produced by the Legal Action Center
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The Rights of the Program Participant focuses on the role of the ATI and community corrections professional in helping program participants understand and address issues pertaining to: legal and due process rights consequences of criminal convictions mitigating collateral consequences voting rights of the individual certificates of relief from disability
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 Rights of the Program Participant details the questions that employers are allowed to ask about criminal convictions.
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 Explains New York laws that protect individuals with criminal histories from discrimination and protect the confidentiality of drug and alcohol records.
Exercises include:
Examining the Rap Sheet and determining inaccuracies and instruction on how best to correct them
Detailing information that must be provided on employment applications or during employment interviews
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 Module 4: What Works
Case Activity #1 – Case Profiles that continue through curriculum
Prediction Activity
 Module 5: Fundamentals of Assessment -
Expand NYCOMPAS Access to ATI’s
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 Module 6: Cultural Awareness
 Module 7: Interviewing
 Module 8: Case Planning Strategies
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 Module 9a and 9 - Strategies for Highly
Effective Programs – Developed with the assistance of the National Institute of
Corrections (NIC) and Dr. Faye Taxman
 Module 10: Ethics
 Module 11: Stress Management for
Community Corrections Professionals
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 Module 11: Stress Management for
Community Corrections Professionals
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Future Trainings scheduled in 2014:
• Westchester
• Albany
• Adirondack Region
• Central New York
• NYC
Questions???????
For more information contact:
Yvonne Behan, (518) 485-5153 yvonne.behan@dcjs.ny.gov
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