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Materials: We have produced a manual (see document box to the right) that provides staff with information and tools to integrate the GPDR/R framework into their existing programs.  The manual includes information on the principles and concepts underlying the model, and materials for implementing GPDR/R inlcuding staff guides, participant tools and instructions for workshops and group activities.  The manual is available as a word document so that you can tailor the materials to fit the needs of your program.  The manual will be updated as we develop new materials.

If you have any questions about GPDR/R or would like to share your experience using the materials, please contact LaDonna Pavetti (pavetti@cbpp.org)

Agenda

Attendee List

Attendee Bios

Logistics

Meeting Pre-Reading

Coaching Guide Introduction

The Effects of Trauma

Executive Skills and Coaching – A Brief Introduction

Overview of Financial Coaching

Encouraging Motivation to Change: Am I doing this right?

The Effects of Trauma

Alleviating Poverty Doesn’t Have To Be So Hard, And Behavioral Science Can Help

Guiding Principles of Trauma-Informed Care

Follow Up Resources & Materials

Coaching for Economic Mobility– a report by Crittenton Women’s Union to clarify what they mean by “coaching”, its basic elements, and how it is practiced in their programs. 

Poverty Interrupted: Applying Behavioral Science to the Context of Chronic Scarcity– a white paper by ideas42 discussing the application of behavioral science to the cycle of poverty. The paper also includes specific recommendations for programs and providers who are hoping to improve program design and engagement.  

Poverty Interrupted Executive Summary

Executive Function Webinar Series– Six webinars that help define executive function skills, why they matter to human service programs, and how they can be used to inform program design and a goal achievement framework.

Trauma-Informed Organizational Toolkit– designed by American Institutes for Research, this toolkit gives programs a roadmap for becoming trauma-informed, offering guidelines and an organizational self-assessment.

Coaching Toolkit for Child Welfare– from the Northern California Training Academy and Casey Family Programs, this toolkit was designed for agency leadership, learners, coaches, and supervisors. It provides research on coaching as well as tools and strategies for implementing coaching practices.

TuaPath Contact Information

Motivational Interviewing Pocket Guide– this introduction to motivational interviewing provides basic concepts and the steps of MI. You can also access a short video on MI here. Additional resources can be found on the MINT site. If you have trouble accessing materials here, contact Tom Jaeger at tjaeger@rise.org

Additional Resources:

2014 BIAS Report- Technical Supplement

2015 SBST Annual Report

Webinar Slides

The goal of each intervention was to increase participant attendance at an optional informational meeting for Paycheck Plus, an earnings supplement program in which participants had previously enrolled. These meetings gave clients an opportunity to review the program requirements and the incentives for work.

The study found that:

• Behavioral messaging led to a significant and quite large increase in the percentage of participants who attended the meeting.
• Sending text messages in addition to postcards was more effective than sending postcards only.
• Offering the meeting over the phone instead of in person did not have any effect on the participation rate.

These findings demonstrate the promise of using behavioral insights in the design of marketing materials and that using text messages – a low cost communication tool – can be effective at reaching people. Additionally, the surprising finding that reducing the hassle of attending the meeting in person did not increase participation reinforces the importance of testing to see what behavioral insights work in particular contexts.

The Power of Prompts: Using Behavioral Insights to Encourage People to Participate
Research Snapshot
Executive Summary
Full Report

In This November 2015 Issue

Using the Executive Skills Profile

Previous Webinar: Administering & Administering and Using the Adult Executive Skills Profile (Recorded)

December Webinar: Improving Program Engagement: Insights from Behavioral Economics

Topic and Resource of the Month: What Does Behavioral Economics Have to Do with Executive Function Skills?

Using the Executive Skills Profile

In our October webinar we provided an introduction and guidance on how to use the Adult Executive Skills (ES) Profile providing information in on each skill, why an individual’s profile matters, and how to discuss the skills and the profile with participants. As part of the webinar we also posted Guidance on Administering the Executive Skills Profile, which gives direct service staff a starting point for discussing the profile.

• An important part of administering the profile is making sure that staff have completed it for themselves so they understand each of the skills. Having firsthand knowledge of the profile, and being able to discuss one’s own strengths and weaknesses is often the key to making a participant feel more at ease with the process. In order to get accurate results, it is imperative that anyone using this tool is open and honest. The following are tips to use when administering the ES Profile:
• Remember that we are hoping to identify areas of strength and possible modifications for areas of weakness.
• This tool can help frame discussions of future planning with participants- e.g. knowing that someone has a sustained attention weakness can prompt you to plan shorter sessions that are more goal-directed on a regular basis.
• The guidance we created is meant to be a starting point, but should be adapted to fit your population and your style of coaching or case management.

Adult Executive Skills Profile 

Guidance for Administering the Executive Skills Profile

Digital Version- Adult Executive Skills Profile
A digital version of the ES Profile is available online. The advantage is that it will automatically calculate a participant’s score and highlight the areas of skill strengths and weaknesses.

Previous Webinar
Administering and Using the Adult Executive Skills Profile
Richard Guare, Ph.D., D-BCBA, Neuropsychologist and board certified Behavior Analyst 

This webinar provided information on tools for integrating EF principles and concepts into programs, as well as information about each of the 12 executive skills.

Click here to access the complete EF Webinar series through Building Better Programs

December Webinar
Improving Program Engagement: Insights from Behavioral Economics
Crystal Hall, Assistant Professor, University of Washington, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs
December 9, 2015, 2:30 PM EST

In this webinar, Crystal Hall, will provide an introduction to behavioral economics, describe strategies that are commonly used to improve program outcomes and will provide specific examples of how this information can be utilized to improve program engagement – a challenge that many human service programs face.

Topic and Resource of the Month
What Does Behavioral Economics Have to Do with Executive Function Skills?

Based on the BIAS Project report “Behavioral Economics and Social Policy: Designing Innovative Solutions for Programs Supported by the Administration for Children and Families” 

As we learned in the last webinar, everyone – regardless of their income level– have executive skill strengths and weaknesses.  But we also know that if the mind is focused on one thing, other abilities and executive skills—attention, self-control, and long-term planning—often suffer.  Because they don’t have enough resources to make ends meet, individuals living in poverty often devote most, if not all, of their limited attentional resources to meeting their basic needs, leaving few resources left for focusing on the taking the steps necessary to achieve their long-term goals.

Behavioral economics is a burgeoning field that provides insights into ways in which we can use insights from psychology and economics to take into account the realities of how people think and behave in order to achieve better program outcomes.  Unlike traditional economics that assumes individuals are rational actors who are calculated decision makers who use all available information to make the best decision possible, behavioral economics acknowledges that human decision-making can be imperfect and imprecise – and that the environment plays a significant role– in shaping people’s choices and their decisions.

Regardless of their economic circumstances, people procrastinate, get overwhelmed by choices, miss details, lose their self-control and permit small changes in the environment to influence their decisions.  The behavioral view—applied to poverty and social policy—is an opportunity to bring new tools to old social problems and dilemmas about human behavior. It can help better understand the range of challenges related to program service delivery and success from the perspective of administrators, front line workers and clients (take-up, engagement, retention). You can learn more about how these tools are being applied in human service programs here. The webinar on December 9^th will provide an introduction to behavioral economics and provide concrete ideas for how you can use these principles to improve program engagement.

In This September 2015 Issue

Executive Functions and Social Connections

Previous Webinar: Administering & Using the Adult Executive Skills Profile (Recorded)

Executive Functions and Social Connections

In her webinar last year, Adele Diamond noted that one of the factors that negatively impacts executive functions is loneliness.  This suggests that helping individuals to build social connections may improve their cognitive functioning.  Two programs leading the way in the use of executive function concepts and practices in their work — the New Haven (CT) MOMS Partnership and Crittenton Women’s Union Mobility Mentoring program – have both built in explicit practices to help program participants build and strengthen their social networks.

A descriptive study by researchers at Howard University provides evidence of the relationship between social connections and executive function skills.¹  The researchers studied the link between social connections and two core executive functions — cognitive flexibility (ability to switch or alternate attention between tasks) and inhibitory control (ability to suppress impulsive responses)—among middle-aged African Americans.  The researchers used the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List to measure four different types of support:

• Belonging support;  perceived availability of individuals with whom one can do things
• Appraisal support:  perceived availability of someone to talk to about problems
• Tangible support:  perceived availability of material assistance and assistance with activities of daily living
• Self-esteem support:  perceived availability of having a positive comparison when comparing one’s self to another.

They found that greater overall support and greater levels of each kind of support had a positive influence on inhibitory control; the strongest relationship was with tangible and belonging support.  Tangible support also was associated with greater cognitive flexibility but the other types of support were not.  The availability of tangible support meant that individuals had more resources to draw upon to solve the problems they encountered.  Functional support (the combination of the four types of support) was found to protect individuals from the detrimental effects of high levels of stress.

This study suggests that increasing social connections could potentially help program participants to control their impulsive responses (which can lead to job loss).  Providing tangible support such as child care or transportation assistance may reduce their stress level and thereby increase their ability to problem solve.

¹Sims, R.C., Levy, S. A., Mwendwa, D.T., Callender, C.O., & Campbell, A. L. (2011). The influence of functional social support on executive functioning in middle-aged African Americans. Neuropsychol Dev Cogn B Aging Neuropsychol Cogn. 2011 Jul; 18(4): 414–431. doi:  10.1080/13825585.2011.567325

Previous Webinar

Administering & Using the Adult Executive Skills Profile
Presenter: Richard Guare, Ph.D., D-BCBA, Neuropsychologist and board certified Behavior Analyst

This is the first in a series of webinars that will provide information on tools for integrating EF principles and concepts into programs.

The adult executive skills profile can be used to help an individual understand their strengths and weaknesses and to help program staff better anticipate where additional support may be needed to help individuals set and achieve their goals.

Watch a recording of the webinar and view a copy of the slides here.

In this webinar, Richard Guare, Ph.D., discusses how the adult executive skills profile can be used to help an individual understand their strengths and weaknesses and to help program staff better anticipate where additional support may be needed to help individuals set and achieve their goals.

ES Profile Webinar Slides

In This August 2015 Issue

Executive Function and Scaffolding

Previous Webinar: Using an Executive Function-Informed Goal Achievement Framework to Redesign Employment and Related Human Service Programs (Recorded)

Resource of the Month: Crittenton Women’s Union’s Bridge to Self Sufficiency

Executive Function and Scaffolding

“Scaffolding” is a practice that is used often in executive-function-informed practice, especially in education settings for students with learning disabilities.  It is equally relevant, but rarely used, in employment and related human service programs. Scaffolding refers to the practice of facilitating an individual’s ability to solve a problem, complete a task or achieve a goal that they cannot complete without some assistance.  It involves  breaking tasks into smaller steps and providing tools and supports to help an individual achieve each step. Scaffolding may also involve providing environmental modifications to compensate for weak executive function skills or allow a person to practice her skills in an environment that facilitates success. 

• Scaffolding decreases the initial demand, real or perceived, when beginning a new task. Task demands are greatest when they are new or unfamiliar or if the person does not have or does not believe she has the resources—past experiences or skills—to complete the task.    Breaking the task into small steps can help facilitate success.  For example, to lower the demand of securing child care, especially for someone who is fearful of leaving their child in someone else’s case, caseworkers can break the task down into several steps and provide guidance where necessary. The first step could be to collect documentation, and step two could be to apply for child care assistance or to visit a few child care centers to find a good fit.
• Scaffolding is designed to be temporary with more support provided in the early stages of skill building. The support can be gradually faded over time as the individual gains more experience and demonstrates the ability to independently use the skill.   Clients new to a goal achievement process may require more support than a client who has achieved several goals already.  Staff often underestimate the initial level of support needed and often don’t assess the individual’s independent ability to use the skill as the essential criterion for deciding when to reduce the support provided.  Withdrawing support too early for fear of enabling or creating dependency can result in the individual failing and undermining their confidence in their ability to achieve success. 

Previous Webinar

Using an Executive Function-Informed Goal Achievement Framework to Redesign Employment and Related Human Service Programs
Presenter: LaDonna Pavetti, Vice President of Family Income Support at CBPP

Pavetti discusses why we should focus on Goal Achievement and says it is a new approach to service delivery that is grounded in science and shifts the emphasis from what we do to what we achieve and how we achieve it. She highlights the steps in the Goal Achievement process–goal setting, planning, acting, and review/revising–and each step’s associated executive functions. An EF-informed, Goal Achievement Framework is different in from current front line practice in several ways:

• Assessment with a purpose – what is going to get in the way of success
• More explicit emphasis on goal setting and achievement — how goals are set matters
• More intentional and specific approach to planning — break goals down into manageable steps with a specific plans for achieving them
• “Living” plans that are regularly reviewed and revised
• Different approach to providing support — creating “scaffolds” that break tasks into small steps

Watch a recording of the webinar and view a copy of the slides here.

Resource of the Month

Crittenton Women’s Union’s Bridge to Self Sufficiency – Scaffolding to Self Sufficiency
Crittenton Women’s Union’s Bridge to Self Sufficiency is a multi-faceted approach to economic mobility. Not only is it their theory of change, it represents clear program requirements and expectations. In terms of scaffolding, the bridge breaks down each of their five pillars to self sufficiency into smaller chunks, allowing clients to see where they are and the steps it will take to move them towards self sufficiency. Coaches work with clients to break down the steps further and provide guidance and support to moving along the bridge towards the clients’ goals.   

Bridge to Self Sufficiency

In This July 2015 Issue

Environmental Changes to Improve Planning and Self-Control
Upcoming Webinar: Using an Executive Function-Informed Goal Achievement Framework to Redesign Employment and Related Human Service Programs (Recorded)
Previous Webinar: Applying a Rapid-Cycle Learning Approach to Accelerate Progress in Employment and Related Programs (Recorded)
Resource of the Month: Behavioral Economics and Social Policy – Technical Report

Environmental Changes to Improve Planning and Self-Control

Behavioral research has shown that small changes in the environment can improve planning and self-control and produce positive outcomes despite a heavy “bandwidth tax” that causes a drain on individuals’ executive function skills.  Changes in the environment can take on many different forms including, for example:

• Well-timed reminders.  Sending a text message reminder of an upcoming appointment with a caseworker or to complete an application on time that is delivered far enough in advance to provide the individual with enough time to prepare but not so far in advance that it may be forgotten before the deadline can help clients to complete agreed upon tasks on time. Evidence shows that well-timed reminders can be as effective as more costly program supports and can even support progress toward long-term goals like saving money.

• Immediate rewards for interim progress towards a larger goal.  Offering small, immediate rewards to complete training assignments rather than waiting for a larger reward upon completion of the program can help to keep participants engaged in the program.  Research shows that regular, modest incentives provide a signal that the current activity is important and reminds the individual that progress today is associated with longer term goal.

• Simplifying application processes and procedures.  Removing the hassle of a seemingly complex application process for benefits or services can reduce time demands on participants and increase application completion rates.  Personalized assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form resulted in increased college enrollment for two consecutive years for participating families.

Upcoming Webinar

Using an Executive Function-Informed Goal Achievement Framework to Redesign Employment and Related Human Service Programs

Date: July 22, 2015
Time: 1:30 pm EST
Presenter: LaDonna Pavetti, Vice President of Family Income Support Programs, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities 

The rapidly growing scientific knowledge on self-regulation and executive function skills provides new information that employment and related human service programs can use to redesign their programs with an eye towards improving outcomes for individual program participants who have not benefited from current approaches. In this webinar, LaDonna Pavetti from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities will provide a goal-oriented framework that human service programs can use to reshape their programs using this new knowledge. The webinar will include examples of programs that are already using executive function principles to guide the design and delivery of their programs.

A recording of the webinar and a copy of the slides are available in the link below:
Watch Here

Previous Webinar

Applying a Rapid-Cycle Learning Approach to Accelerate Progress in Employment and Related Programs

Presenter: Corey Zimmerman, Senior Project Manager, Frontiers of Innovation, Harvard Center for the Developing Child

Zimmerman provided an insightful explanation of the connection between core executive function skills and building adult capabilities to achieve “breakthrough outcomes” for children and why “rapid-cycle learning” is a critical component of getting to these breakthrough outcomes.

The webinar explained that:

• Rapid cycle learning is a way to introduce a new idea and intervention and requires:
  • An innovation mindset
  • That program administrators are clear about who the intervention will target and how it will work: What behaviors do you expect to change?  What were clients’ experiences?
  • Using a fast-cycle learning process to update your ideas about what the program will accomplish—your theory of change.
  • Continued attention to how and for whom the program is working well or not.
  • An intention to share what you’ve learned.

A recording of the webinar and a copy of the slides are available in the link below:
Watch Here

Resource of the Month

Behavioral Economics and Social Policy: Designing Innovative Solutions for Programs Supported by the Administration for Children and Families

Insights from behavioral economics, which combines findings from psychology and economics, suggest that a deeper understanding of decision-making and behavior could improve human services program design and outcomes. Research has shown that small changes in the environment can facilitate behaviors and decisions that are in people’s best interest. However, there has been relatively little exploration of the potential application of this science to complex, large-scale human services programs.

This technical report provides a description of 12 commonly applied behavioral interventions identified through a review of the literature.
Read Here
Additional Resources