A Pilot Study: Positive Behavioral Support Assessment and Intervention for Individuals With Serious Mental Illness and Criminal Justice Involvement

Impact Statement This article explores the use of Positive Behavioral Support to address behaviors of concern among adults who experience serious mental illness with criminal justice system involvement. Findings indicate the utility of Positive Behavioral Support to decrease concerning behaviors and thus reduce interactions with the criminal justice system. Individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) are consistently interfacing with the criminal justice (CJ) system. They are overrepresented in our nation's prisons and jails rather than being in appropriate treatment settings. They also exhibit behavioral challenges in such CJ settings that result in rule violations leading to punitive consequences, such as segregation and isolation, which have deleterious effects on their mental health and well-being. Individuals with SMI who are incarcerated also make up the majority of suicide attempts and stay longer than those without SMI. Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) is a form of assessment and intervention with demonstrated efficacy for mitigating disruptive behaviors in individuals with SMI. This article describes a pilot study aimed at evaluating the efficacy of implementing PBS to decrease behaviors of concern (BOC) by those who experience SMI and interface with the CJ system. Findings indicated that PBS has a positive impact on reducing the frequency and severity of challenging behaviors and consequentially reducing interactions with the CJ system. Implications of this intervention are explored as a mechanism to support recovery and build lives of meaning.