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The Brief Intervention ToolS (BITS)

The Brief Intervention ToolS (BITS) were created to help corrections professionals who want to effectively address key skill deficits with adult or juvenile offenders in short, structured interventions. The tools can be used as an effective supplement to The Carey Guides; they are also useful to practitioners who do not yet have the skill training or comfort level to follow the longer term case management strategies that the Guides support. They are, therefore, designed for all corrections professionals.

BITS are different from the Carey Guides in that they are

  1. Short: Each tool is only one page (front and back),
  2. Situational: The tools are designed to be used when a spontaneous, “teachable moment” arises. They can also be used to target problematic behavior patterns,
  3. Versatile: The tools focus on six key skill deficits that underlie a variety of manifested behaviors,
  4. User-friendly: Each tool is designed to be straightforward for the corrections professional and to include only a few steps for the offender, to ensure that the lesson is digestible and easy to remember,
  5. Few in number: Sometimes less is more. BITS includes just six tools. This makes it easier for the corrections professionals to select the right tool in the right circumstance, and
  6. "Plug and play:" The tools were designed so that corrections can use them immediately. No manuals to read, no training classes to attend.

BITS Toolkit Versatility

BITS address six offender skill deficits identified through a series of interviews with corrections professionals; these six skill areas were identified as the most versatile (useful under many circumstances) and therefore the most important to teach offenders. The following table illustrates the versatile nature of the six Brief Intervention ToolS by reflecting that a number of tools could be appropriately used for a common case scenario.

Case Example Decision
Making		 Overcoming
Automatic
Responses		 Overcoming
Thinking
Traps		 Problem
Solving		 Thinking
Traps		 Who I
Spend Time
With
Absconding   x x x x  
Dirty UA x x x x x x
Failure to keep
appointment		   x x x x x
Fighting at park x x x x x x
Shoplifting x x x   x x

BITS Toolkit Contents

The BITS Toolkit contains the following

  1. One tablet with 25 tear-off sheets of the tool "Decision Making."
  2. One tablet with 25 tear-off sheets of the tool "Overcoming Automatic Responses."
  3. One tablet with 25 tear-off sheets of the tool "Overcoming Thinking Traps."
  4. One tablet with 25 tear-off sheets of the tool "Problem Solving."
  5. One tablet with 25 tear-off sheets of the tool "Thinking Traps."
  6. One tablet with 25 tear-off sheets of the tool "Who I Spend Time With."
  7. Five client reminder cards for each of the six tools.
  8. A User’s Guide primer on how to use BITS.

BITS Replacement Tablets 6-Packs

Order BITS replacement tablets individually. Each order includes 6 tablets with 25 tear-off worksheets (150 worksheets total).

  1. BITS 6-Pack: Decision Making
  2. BITS 6-Pack: Overcoming Automatic Responses
  3. BITS 6-Pack: Overcoming Thinking Traps
  4. BITS 6-Pack: Problem Solving
  5. BITS 6-Pack: Thinking Traps
  6. BITS 6-Pack: Who I Spend Time With

Each Replacement 6-Pack is $60 plus $10 shipping/handling.
6% tax, Maryland residents only