PBS Strategy Development

Tiered PBS Model

Many organisations focus on developing a small number of key people who have highly developed skills in the assessment and development of interventions for people who are presenting with behaviours that challenge. We have found that this approach is less than ideal. This is because it tends to lead to PBS being developed in pockets of a service and not across the organisation as a whole. It also usually results in burnout of those key people as there are always more ‘referrals’ than they can really cope with; that’s why we recommend the tiered model of PBS. 

Tier 1

Initiatives at Tier 1 support effective communication, social relationships and engagement in purposeful activity, as well as ensuring staff teams have a value base consistent with PBS. Once in place these initiatives reduce the likelihood of people supported presenting with behaviours that challenge. This is achieved through the increase in quality of life through the interventions in place. The initiatives at Tier 1 can be taught and trained through workshops and in situ coaching.

Tier 2

Even with effective Tier 1 practices in place, there will always be some people who present with behaviours that challenge. This is because some people have complex learning histories and/or past trauma. At Tier 2 we work with those staff in the service who are taking responsibility for putting person-centred PBS strategies and plans into place for this small number of people. We train key staff on basic functional behaviour assessment skills and support the development of basic function-based interventions. The focus is on teaching individual and specific skills which replace behaviours that challenge.

Tier 3

Tier 1 and 2 interventions may result in a reduction in behaviours that challenge and an increase in quality of life for people supported. However, when the context and the behaviours are very complex, a more detailed functional behaviour assessment and intervention plan is required. For these situations a high level of academic and clinical training is required. Usually, Redstone professionals complete these more complex assessments and intervention and work with the PBS staff within the organisation to implement them.