Transcript SW Practice with Organizations & Communities

Prisoner Reentry Institute
Occasional Series:
Children of the Prison Boom
Interventions to Promote Positive Development
Jean Kjellstrand
Columbia University School of Social Work
[email protected]
Presentation
Key influences that affect development of
youth
 Existing interventions
 Next steps for moving forward
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BACKGROUND
INFLUENCES
Economic
Factors
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Neighborhood
poverty
Family Poverty
Liveable wage jobs
Education &
Vocational training
• Parenting
•
Family
Functioning
•
Mentors
Physical,
Social,
Emotional,
Intellectual
Health Issues
•
Physical, Mental
Health, Family
Support, Substance
Abuse
Access to affordable
and health services
and resources.
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HEALTHY
CHILD
OUTCOMES
Parenting and
Mentoring
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Social
Environment/
Neighborhood
IMMEDIATE
INFLUENCES
Education
and Care
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Affordable/quality day care
Quality Instruction
Positive environment
•
Peer
Environment
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Pro-social
Healthy
opportunities
Reduced
exposure to
AOD, violence
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Prosocial norms
Informal social
control
Healthy community
norms
Community
Integration &
connectedness
Social Support
Physical
Environment
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Quality housing/buildings
Neighborhood design
Land use
Absence of toxic influences
Access to nutritious
food/activity
Existing Interventions
Good news and bad news
 Varied and delivered in many settings
 Tend to focus on 3 main areas
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 Child
adjustment
 Parenting/Family functioning
 Broader personal/community context
Child Adjustment - Goals
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Intervene to boost children’s resiliency
Environment to safely discuss feelings
Provide support around difficult
situations/emotions
Help develop healthy coping and problem
solving skills
Child Adjustment
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Mentoring
Support groups
Youth advisory programs
Day camps
Individual therapy
Peer leadership
Tutoring
Job readiness training
Parenting/Family Functioning
Increasingly popular (within correctional
setting and in community)
 Focus on communication and
interpersonal relationships within families
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 Promote
positive development
 Encourage family support post-release
 Decrease likelihood of recidivism
Parenting/Family Functioning
Parenting classes
 Visitation/remote contact
 Prison nurseries
 Alternatives to incarceration
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Personal and Community
Context
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Pre-release/ Post release programming
 Employment
 Health
(physical, mental, substance use)
 Relationships
 Housing
Personal and Community
Context
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Comprehensive community initiatives
 Byrne
Criminal Justice Innovation Program
 Promise Neighborhoods
 Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative
 Housing and Urban Development: Choice
Neighborhoods
Next Steps for Moving Forward
1.
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Evaluate existing programs
Disseminate results
Adapt existing evidence-based programs
Develop new programs (cost/effective,
sustainable)
Link interventions to create multilevel strategy
that can be tailored to address individual and
family strengths and needs.
Principles of Effective
Preventive Programs
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Comprehensive
Varied teaching methods
Sufficient dosage
Theory driven
Promote positive relationships
Appropriately timed
Socioculturally relevant
Well-trained staff
Outcome evaluation
(Nation et al., 2003)
Model and Promising Programs

http://www.blueprintsprograms.com/allPrograms.php
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http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolenc
e/prevention.html
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http://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/stryve/strategy_pdf.html
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http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/
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http://www.preventviolence.info/evidence_base.aspx