DDS PBS Universal Supports - A Guide for Agencies Implementing Positive Behavior Supports - Revised 2014

Sep 1, 2026

DDS PBS Universal Supports provides positive, preventative, proactive and responsive environments for all individuals served by an agency. It defines Universal Supports as practices always in place that enhance quality of life by aligning routines, activities and expectations with individual preferences, needs and goals. The guide outlines physical and social environment standards, core PBS principles such as prevention, teaching, treatment integrity and evidence-based practice, plus monitoring and person-centered involvement to reduce later need for targeted or intensive support.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryPaper Templates

FormatDOCX

Pages22

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

Introduction

Key principles of Universal Supports

Universal Support Team

Team membership and meeting process

PBS Universal Supports A Guide for Agencies Implementing Positive Behavior Supports Department of Developmental Services October 2013 Revised August 2014 DDS PBS UNIVERSAL SUPPORTS Universal Preventive Interventions Goal: Healthy & Responsive Environments I. PURPOSE Universal Supports provide positive, preventative, proactive, and responsive environments for all individuals. II. INTRODUCTION Universal Supports are the foundation of PBS work. If Universal Supports are implemented well, the need for more intensive interventions will be reduced. Great care should be taken in selecting, training, implementing, and evaluating Universal Supports. Interventions selected will, over time, become a part of the agency culture. Universal Supports are practices that are always in-place supporting every individual. Universal Supports are intended to enhance the quality of life by ensuring that all activities, plans, and routines reflect the preferences, needs, and goals of individuals who live and work in a setting. Universal Supports ensure that sensible expectations are developed in all settings, socially appropriate behavior is reliably encouraged, individuals are given choices and have ample opportunity to engage in preferred activities, and that staff are caring and skilled in their work. When an individual needs additional support, possibly at the Targeted or Intensive level, Universal Supports are maintained. Universal Supports provide physical environments that are pleasant to be in; they are attractive and would not be seen by any person as an unsafe or undesirable place to live, work or recreate. If the environment stands out from others near-by, it is in a positive way. Universal Supports provide social environments that are positive and responsive to the people supported in them. All staff working and interacting with an individual recognize and support an individual’s preferences for communication, socialization, and relationships. Universal Supports are guided by key principles: Prevention: Considerable effort is dedicated to ensuring individuals are provided with positive, preventative, proactive, and responsive environments in which they are less likely to engage in problematic behavior due to lack of access to preferred activities, boredom, frustration, or an unrecognized health problem. Teaching: Teaching adaptive, functional skills plays a central role in all PBS work. The focus of PBS is on teaching or strengthening adaptive, functional behavior rather than diminishing challenging/problem behavior. Treatment integrity: PBS has an ongoing emphasis that all interventions are implemented as planned. Continuous effort is made in the assessment of treatment integrity in a PBS program. Evidence-based clinical practices: Strategies based on procedures, assessments and interventions that are validated through peer-reviewed research. Extensive research has identified practices with evidence of success with similar populations. PBS embraces available evidence-based practices that do not have coercive elements. Data-based decision making: Objective data based on important behaviors, practices, and outcomes will be reviewed and used for decision making with the goal of improving outcomes over time. Team-supported process: PBS is a team-based system where contributions from all members (individual, involved family, direct, support staff, etc.) are valued and welcomed. Willingness to change physical or social environments: Environmental redesign can be a key component of Universal Supports. Environments should be safe (e.g. free of physical obstacles, provide clear visual paths, and adequate lighting, etc.) and appealing (e.g. clean, attractive, etc.) On-going monitoring of individuals: Regular and frequent screenings identifying individuals who may need additional supports possibly at the Targeted or Intensive Support level is a critical component of the Universal Support level. Person-centered emphasis: Universal Suppo

FAQs

What are Universal Supports in PBS?

Universal Supports are practices that are always in place for every individual. They create environments where healthy, responsive routines and sensible expectations support adaptive, functional behavior.

How do Universal Supports prevent the need for more intensive interventions?

Well-implemented Universal Supports reduce later escalation by proactively addressing barriers like lack of access to preferred activities, boredom, frustration, or unrecognized health problems.

Who participates in the Universal Supports Team and how is team structure decided?

The agency Leadership Team determines the number of universal teams based on the number of individuals served and available resources. Teams may be combined across support tiers, and separate meetings are recommended for different tiers.

Sep 1, 2026

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