PBIS at DJJ: Recent Elbert Shaw RYDC Employees of the Month

Photos and information provided by Lt. Kristen Nix

The Elbert Shaw Regional Youth Detention Center (Elbert Shaw RYDC) announced that Officer Katherine Blackstock and Special Education Teacher R.D. Noren were named recent Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Employees 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.


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According to her co-workers and supervisors, Officer Katherine Blackstock is "is a team player and is highly respected among the kids. She is fair, firm and consistent. She is flexible and does what she is supposed to do without being told to do so. Officer Blackstock has a servant's heart. She is super flexible and adapts at the blink of an eye. She can relate to these kids and I've witnessed her getting on their level more than once. She is willing to help whether it be stay over or to do extra tasks. She never complains."

Special Education Teacher R.D. Noren is "is a very valuable employee at Elbert Shaw. He is success driven and always has a positive attitude. Constantly, he is revising new methods of teaching to hold our youths' attention and gain feedback. Students have approached staff constantly excited with something new learned in his class that day. He makes learning fun yet keeps students focused and on-task."

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.