FACULTY

Abe French, Principal, Cognitive Consulting & Programming

Abe French, the “practitioners’ trainer” is Program Director at Community Interventions.  He has specialized in behavioral change approaches for more than fifteen years.  Abe has worked as a consultant and technical assistance provider for state, federal and private agencies.  Engagements have included program development, quality assurance, organizational development, peer training programs, cognitive behavioral program training and a variety of other services.  He has delivered programs directly to offenders as a corrections officer in state prisons and as a contracted service provider in jail and community based corrections settings.  Abe continues to work with program development focused upon reducing recidivism and enhancing prison and jail reentry efforts. 

He has worked with staff from Virginia, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Michigan, South Carolina, Oregon, Indiana and Arizona.  Abe has provided technical assistance to such diverse program approaches as paramilitary “boot camp”, substance abuse treatment venues and therapeutic communities.  As a National Institute of Corrections technical assistance consultant, Abe has helped develop programs in Ohio at the Lucas County Correctional Treatment Facility. 

His background includes motivational interviewing, cognitive reflective communication, thinking report engagement, problem solving, social skills and cognitive restructuring.  He has received training from The National Institute of Corrections, the Thought Institute and The Change Companies.  Among others, he has received training from Dr Jack Bush, Dr. Juliana Taymans, Dr. Barry Glick, Brian Billodeau, Mark Gornik and Steve Swisher.  Abe is a trainer for Thinking for a Change, OPTIONS: A Cognitive Self Change Program, Thinking Matters and Thinking Report Engagement

Abe’s work is both evidence-based and innovative.  He developed Thinking Matters and Thinking Report Engagement programs.  Thinking Matters is a flexible work sheet based cognitive behavioral approach that teaches a basic set of cognitive behavioral skills.  It can be used as an introductory model or expanded into a more intensive model.  Thinking Report Engagement is a five step facilitator skills approach that teaches facilitators to engage program participants to exercise objective self reflection.  These approaches provide cognitive skills that encourage individuals to progress through the change process and motivate lasting pro-social change on a personal level.

Mr. French studied Criminal Justice at Lansing Community College.  He also attended Central Michigan University where he earned his B.Sc. degree in Community Development and M.Sc. in Public Administration.