PSY1APP: Week 11

Support Workers and Learning

• Support workers can help people with intellectual disabilities learn appropriate social behavior.
• They can implement programs that focus on skill development, reinforcement schedules, and cognitive behavioral therapies.

Assessment of Risk

• A Forensic Risk Assessment determines the likelihood of recidivism.
• The assessment uses both static and dynamic factors.
  • Static Factors: Characteristics that do not change (e.g., age at first offense, number of times the individual has been to prison)
  • Dynamic Factors: Factors that can change (e.g., mental health, substance use, coping skills, employment).

How the Good Lives Model (GLM) Fits

• The GLM focuses on developing a person's skills to live a good life.
• Risk assessment helps identify factors that need to be managed to ensure safety while developing skills.
• Strategies to implement the GLM include:
  • Increased support work hours
  • Allied health services
  • Purposeful activities (e.g., education and employment)
  • Secure accommodation

Psychological Theories and the GLM

• Psychological theories play a crucial role in understanding and managing sexualized behavior.
• Important theories include:
  • Social Theory: Focuses on what is socially acceptable and appropriate.
  • Cognitive Distortions: Examines errors in thinking that contribute to problematic behavior.
  • Offending Risk Theory: Identifies factors that increase the likelihood of reoffending.
  • Developmental Theory: Examines the stage of development the individual is at.
  • Operant Conditioning: Explores how to change behavior through reinforcement.
  • Good Lives Model: Assumes individuals are driven by inherent needs and focuses on fulfilling those needs in healthy ways.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• CBT is a common treatment modality for offenders.
• CBT is adapted for individuals with cognitive impairment to be responsive to their needs.
• The “Old Me, New Me” treatment model uses CBT for forensic disability clients:
  • Old Me: Represents negative thinking patterns that lead to offense.
  • New Me: Focuses on replacing negative thoughts with more positive and healthy alternatives.

Components of the Old Me, New Me Model

• The model incorporates:
  • Thoughts/Cognitions: What the person thinks about.
  • Feelings: How the person feels emotionally and physiologically.
  • Behaviour: How thoughts and feelings influence actions.

Roles Involved in Forensic Disability Work

• Various professionals collaborate to address sexualized behavior in individuals with intellectual disabilities:
  • Support Workers: Provide outreach, accommodation support, and behavioral support.
  • Behavior Support Practitioners: Guide behavior change.
  • Coordinators: Facilitate communication and services.
  • Psychologists: Assess cognitive functions and provide therapy.
  • Corrections Officers: Manage and monitor individuals within the criminal justice system.
  • Social Workers: Connect individuals to resources and services.
  • Occupational Therapists: Help with daily living skills.

Good Lives Model: Primary Goods

• The GLM identifies primary goods that individuals strive to achieve:
  • Healthy Living and Functioning: Maintaining physical and mental health.
  • Skills in Work: Achieving a sense of mastery in their chosen work.
  • Skills in Play: Engaging in hobbies and recreation that provide enjoyment.
  • Skills in Agency: Experiencing autonomy and self-direction.
  • Freedom from Emotional Turmoil and Stress: Managing emotions and reducing stress.
  • Community Relationships: Building meaningful connections with others.
  • Creativity: Expressing themselves through artistic or other creative outlets.
  • Spirituality: Finding purpose in life and connection to something bigger than themselves.
  • Pleasure: Experiencing joy and satisfaction in their life.

Good Lives Model: Secondary Goods

• Secondary goods are the ways in which individuals achieve the primary goods.
• To reach these goods, individuals may need to develop skills in:
  • Knowledge: Acquiring information and understanding.
  • Excellence in Work: Performing well in their work.

Good Lives Model: Problems Evident in a Person's Life

• The GLM identifies four types of problems that can prevent individuals from living a good life:
  • Capacity: Lacking the skills or abilities to achieve something.
  • Scope: Having limited opportunities or choices.
  • Means: Not possessing the resources to achieve something.
  • Coherence: Having a mismatch between the individual's values and their actions.

Friendship and Relationships in the GLM

• Individuals with disabilities have the same need for meaningful friendships and social connections as anyone else.
• It is essential to consider the GLM when working on building relationships for individuals with disabilities.
• Recognizing the importance of social connections and friendship can help individuals with disabilities develop and maintain these relationships.

Sexualized Behavior in Individuals with Disabilities

• Individuals with disabilities may use inappropriate sexualized behavior to meet their needs.
• Understanding the various psychological theories involved in sexualized behavior can help support workers understand and guide individuals towards more appropriate ways of meeting their needs.