PBIS at DJJ: Elbert Shaw RYDC Employee of the Month Cheyenne Croft

Photo and information provided by Lt. Kristen Nix

Recently, the Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center (Elbert Shaw RYDC) announced that Officer Cheyenne Croft of the Department of Security 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.

According to her co-workers and supervisors, Officer Croft is "dedicated to the team and always volunteers to help out the third shift female staff.  Working the control room, Officer Croft is always positive, polite and encouraging with her fellow staff members. Her commitment to the facility shows itself daily and she has helped during trying times to calm and improve morale for youth and employees alike."

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.

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 for 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. 

To learn more about PBIS at DJJ, visit https://djj.georgia.gov/positive-behavioral-interventions-and-supports-djj.