Sustainability of PBS Implementation: State-wide Planning in Kansas

1. Sustainability of PBS Implementation: State-wide Planning in Kansas March 27, 2008 Rachel Freeman University of Kansas

2. Defining Sustainability How do you know it when you have it?

3. Stages of Change for PBS Projects • Initial Implementation • Focus on development of systems • Identify and cultivate trainers • Create conditions for success • Establish evaluation systems • Expansion • Reorganize curriculum & training systems • Recruit and train larger numbers of professionals • Redesign evaluation measures to assess expansion

4. Stages of Change for PBS Projects • Sustainability • Evaluation systems identify areas of need • Fidelity of implementation becomes major focus • Focus is on continual renewal of trainers within the system • Continuous improvement of training system • Embedded funding and policy work at state, regional, and local levels

5. How Do We Know? Becoming Aware of Implementation Stages • Questions that are being asked change at different stages: • Initial: implement training • Expansion: expand across state • Sustainability: build into preservice training • Level of energy that you place in evaluation change • Initial: Learn how to use the leadership team checklist for “getting started” • Expansion: add indicators for tertiary systems to the checklist and trainer expansion issues may be added • Sustainability: add preservice indicators to checklist and evaluate link between inservice and preservice • Efforts to embed funding mechanisms assist in sustainability

6. State-wide Interagency Planning: Dynamic Systems & Moving Targets • Multiple PBS projects within state & across different human service systems • Sustainability will be achieved in some places within the state while other programs are in transition • Dynamic nature of state systems require us to expect change • Directors change • Some funding sources end, others begin • Statewide planning processes require us to continually adjust

7. Early Childhood Mental Health & Early Childhood Education Kansas State-wide Positive Behavior Support Planning Mental Health Social and Rehabilitation Services PBS Kansas Interagency Focus Support Across the Lifespan Education SW-PBS Community Support Services (Developmental Disabilities) Children Family Services Collaboration with SRS KIPBS Tertiary of Trainers Program Education Funded SWPBS (8 Districts) Multiple Medicaid Waivers Kansas Institute for PBS (KIPBS) Tertiary Training Program Embed Philosophy & Tools Across State Services Tertiary Trainers of Trainers (KIPBS)

8. What Key Features Must Be Present for Sustainability?

9. PBS Systems Implementation Logic Visibility Political Support Funding Leadership Team Active Coordination Evaluation Training Coaching Local School Teams/Demonstrations

10. Key Features: Fidelity of Implementation & Data-based Decision Making • Fidelity of implementation – monitoring of large scale expansion data is a state investment • Universal • Secondary • Tertiary • Maximize use of limited funds by utilizing interagency training systems • State level data-based decision making systems are established • SWPBS • Across human service programs

11. Key Features: Meeting Structures, Reinforcers, & Flexibility • Dedicated communication systems • Interagency data based decision making regularly occurs • Mechanisms for reporting & celebrating • Educational awareness opportunities embedded within state systems • Functional reinforcer systems for state professionals • Politicians are in the news visiting local schools and organizations implementing PBS • Families are rallying around state professionals celebrating data gathered in an organization or region • Evaluation systems are used to adjust to • constantly changing training needs • Sensitivity to other new initiatives and how they will impact PBS efforts

12. Sustainability Issues • Layers of training systems for different levels of capacity building • Expert trainer level both • Inservice and preservice • District/organizational team level • School/small group Team level • Target population of trainings vary • Teams - Family Members • Coaches - Community • Coordinators - Legislators • Preservice - Administrators • State Professionals - And many others.……..

13. What Shifts Are Needed to Move Towards Sustainability “This is What We Have Always Done”

14. Eight Elements of Sustainability (Fullan, 2005) • Public service with a moral purpose • Commitment to changing context at all levels • Capacity building by networking • Build relationships vertically • “Deep Learning” through data-based decision making for tough problems • Dual commitment to short and long term goals • “Cyclical Energizing” (Sustainability is not a linear process!) • Leaders at all levels

15. PBS is Reflected in State Policy, Language, Culture • Preservice certification systems • Teacher preparation • Social work • Psychology • Counseling • Etc. • Language and use of PBS is part of every day conversation • PBS is no longer just the “public broadcasting system” • Google searches for the acronym pulls up positive behavior support sites • Policy (state, region, local levels) • Medicaid & other funding streams dedicated to PBS

16. Identifying Stakeholders Needed to Increase Sustainability & Assessing Functional Reinforcers

17. Expanding Stakeholders • Consider what reinforcers occasion behavior amongst interagency leaders • What outcome data are these individuals looking for • Substance prevention • Behavioral health • How do these outcomes correlate with PBS efforts? • Connect resources to target regions in need of capacity building • Use data across programs to identify areas that need more intensive community intervention

18. Brown=Auditor, Instructor Red=Student, Facilitator Yellow=Student, Facilitator, Facilitator/Instructor Green=Facilitator Dark blue=Student Gray=Student, Auditor Light blue=Student, Facilitator, Auditor, Facilitator/Instructor Salmon=Student, Auditor, Facilitator Comparing those Seeking PBS Training Across Kansas With Other Initiatives

19. Creating Sustainability When Americans Are Looking for the Next “Big Thing”

20. Data, Systems, Practices: The key to Sustainability • Funding streams flow, dry up, and change • Federal, state, and local pressures vary • Reinforcers for state professionals will also change over time • ABA, PBS, and other terms come and go…but underlying values and core principles remain the same • Focus on strong data-based decision making to facilitate • Consensus driven processes • Systematic training systems