This reflects the portion of a LEND training grant devoted to Home and Community based positive behavior support in Minnesota. In 2010, the State Operated Services Division of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) contracted with the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota (a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, UCEDD) to develop a statewide initiative in Positive Behavior Support (PBS). This partnership has evolved into the Minnesota Positive Behavior Support Initiative (MNPBSI), which currently includes two staff training and technical assistance programs with statewide reach in the public and private service sectors, as well as a family-centered clinical service funded through the University of Minnesota’s LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disorders) training grant. Subsequent funding to carry the staff training initiatives through 2017 is being provided by the Disability Services Division (DHS) via subcontract under Minnesota’s Money Follows the Person demonstration program. Each program is described briefly below and in detail in the presentation. Staff training and clinical case data will be presented. 15-month staff training: Based on a model developed by the Kansas Institute for Positive Behavior Support, the program includes independent online study, classroom instruction, and on-site mentoring. This intensive, competency-based training prepares staff to work with people, regardless of their diagnosis, whose challenging behavior is a barrier to full participation in their desired lives. Pre- and post-test data from the first cohort (N=12) will be displayed, highlighting substantial gain across trainees in knowledge of PBS principles and practices. Competency testing is underway. 8-week interdisciplinary team building: This program involves workshop and on-site mentoring to teach PBS principles and practices to teams of residential, day/vocational, and related staff/professionals around a single individual who exhibits severe problem behaviors regardless of diagnosis. Emphasis is placed on data-based decision-making for optimal integration of multiple treatment modalities. On-site mentoring ensures treatment integrity and contextual fit. Initial participant recruitment is underway. Family-centered clinical service: In the first year of operation a 10-week clinical model was developed and piloted in partnership with the U of M Autism Spectrum Disorders clinic, which referred children with autism and challenging behavior who would likely benefit from a parent-focused intervention. Five families (N=6 children) were served in that time. Parent-generated observational data (N=4 children) will be displayed that suggest the effectiveness of this brief and resource-limited intervention for the decrease of challenging behavior and increase in desirable behavior in routines identified as problematic by the family. Discussion will include a description of the clinical model, the role of graduate trainees, and transition to an on-campus clinic to enhance the efficiency of clinical and training activities and to facilitate the involvement of research groups across disciplines. Evaluation component: Summative from participants and partnering organizations, annual reporting to state agencies. In the future more in depth formative monitoring will occur for evaluative purposes.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database (AFD)
