PBIS at DJJ: Elbert Shaw RYDC Employee of the Month Greg Cooper

Recently, the Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center (Elbert Shaw RYDC) announced that Sergeant Greg Cooper of Community Services and Intake was named the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Employee of the Month for the facility. The PBIS Employee of the Month award is open to all in fields of Safety & Security, Medical, Counselors, Mental Health, Education, Food Service, Maintenance, Business, Personnel, Support Staff and Administration.

To become the PBIS Employee of the Month at the Elbert Shaw RYDC, employees must:

• Possess a positive attitude towards work responsibilities, co-workers, youth and be willing to serve as a role model for others.
• Show a willingness to exercise servant-leadership, take initiative and accept and carry out additional responsibilities beyond the regular job assignments for the good of DJJ.
• Be consistent, dependable and punctual in reporting for duty.

According to his co-workers and supervisors, Sergeant Cooper is "one of the most dedicated employees in the building. He really cares about doing his job to the best of his ability. He is focused on caring for the youth in the Elbert Shaw RYDC and tries to help them learn things that can keep them from coming back to the facility. He will help anyone to do anything if asked and is determined to make sure that the facility is run in a well-organized manner. He lifts people up instead of pushing them down and is very dependable. Thank you for all that you do, Sergeant Cooper."

PBIS is an evidence-based, data-driven framework proven to reduce disciplinary incidents, increase a school’s sense of safety and support improved academic outcomes. More than 23,000 U.S. schools are implementing PBIS and saving countless instructional hours otherwise lost to discipline. The premise of PBIS is that continual teaching, combined with acknowledgement or feedback of positive student  behavior, will reduce unnecessary discipline and promote a climate of greater productivity, safety and learning. PBIS schools apply a multi-tiered approach to prevention, using disciplinary data and principles of behavior analysis to develop school-wide, targeted and individualized interventions and supports to improve the school climate for all students.