PBIS at DJJ: Elbert Shaw RYDC Employee of the Month Victoria Baylock

Photo and information provided by Lt. Kristen Nix

Recently, the Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center (Elbert Shaw RYDC) announced that Officer Victoria Blaylock 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 Blaylock is "is a hardworking and dependable officer. She thinks outside the box to find better and more efficient ways to do her duties. She takes her job very seriously and truly cares about the youths in the facility. She is willing to take on extra duties as needed and is always willing to give a helping hand to her coworkers at Elbert Shaw. Officer Baylock is very deserving of this award.

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.