(PS5-B49) Adapting a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Group for a Randomized Control Trial Within a Jail Setting: Implementation Challenges and Lessons Learned

            There are over 12 million admissions into local jails for charges ranging from misdemeanor traffic violations to felony homicide every year. Compared to people incarcerated in prisons, those held in jails face shorter stays, quicker reentry into the community, and elevated rates of reincarceration – a pattern which has led many to view jails as having "revolving doors." People caught in this cycle often have difficulty regulating their emotions, refraining from aggressive and impulsive behaviors, and communicating effectively. Despite the need for interventions to improve community reentry and stem recidivism, jails often lack the resources necessary to develop and then evaluate such programs. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993) has been put forth as a promising evidence-based approach that is particularly well-suited to address the risks and needs of jail populations. By helping incarcerated individuals balance the “dialectic” between acceptance of the present (e.g., coping with current incarceration) and preparation for future change (e.g., planning for community reentry), DBT can help these individuals gain coping skills that are directly related to preventing reoffending. Still, although DBT has been well-validated in non-forensic samples, there has yet to be a randomized control trial (RCT) to evaluate its effectiveness within a correctional setting.

            To address this gap, our research team has been implementing and evaluating a DBT skills group within a local county jail situated within a semi-rural and economically disadvantaged community, with the goal of providing incarcerated persons skills to help them not only cope with their current incarceration but also facilitate their readjustment into the community post-release. The ultimate goal of this project is to improve our understanding of effective, evidence-based programming for jail populations, who remain an understudied and underserved population as well as potentially serve as a model for replication for other “revolving door” settings facing similar challenges of short stays, overcrowding, or repeat incarceration.

            The proposed presentation will discuss our lessons learned from developing, adapting, and implementing our study – both related to adapting DBT for a forensic population and navigating implementation challenges related to conducting an RCT within a jail setting. We will highlight the value of (a) integrating multiple perspectives, (b) working closely with community partners to align goals and overcome logical challenges, (c) ensuring flexibility, and (d) serving incarcerated individuals holistically by tailoring treatments to their strengths, vulnerabilities, and risks. We believe that our experiences can provide practical insights and recommendations for both scholars and practitioners within the field.