Bridgeport Reentry Initiative

Program Model for Creating Change

Presented by Marcia Hughes, Ph.D.Center for Social Research, University of Hartford

September 30, 2009

Stages of Program Implementation(Fixsen, Naoom, Blasé, Friedman, Wallace, 2005)

• Exploration & Adoption: Identify the need for an intervention, acquire information, and mobilize support.

• Program Installation: Active preparation, using and leveraging resources (funding, staff, policy development), hiring staff, secure space

• Initial Implementation: Complexity & change skill levels, capacity, culture of organization; requires time to mature; “awkward stage”

• Full Operation: New learning becomes integrated; fully operational, referrals are flowing; eventually “accepted practice”

• Innovation: New staff under different conditions can lead to program drift vs. innovation; first implement with fidelity to model, then innovate

• Sustainability: need to adjust, maintain program component in shifting ecology - funding, skilled practitioners, political alliances, social problems

Purpose of Today’s Talk

• Articulate the model for creating change• Is everyone on the same page?• If not, need to clarify/modify as needed

• Evaluation of program • Process and Outcome evaluation• Measures and data collection

• Program Focus/Development

• Program Development & Evaluation Questions

Need for Intervention & Purpose of the Project

The “Problem” or Need for intervention:

1. Many people returning to Bridgeport community are not succeeding in term of employment, supporting themselves& families

2. High recidivism rates

3. Little to no transitional support for people being released from prison.

4. Need systemic change; “shift in the culture”

5. Economic downturn; community unprepared

Goal of the intervention:

1. Engage people as soon as possible and equip with tools, skills and resources for successful reentry.

2. Reduce recidivism rates

3. Releasing offender receives consistent and meaningful support and guidance from pre-release to post-release.

4. Develop replicable model

5. Help equip community to give people returning from prison the same consideration given to other citizens.

Ser

vice

s

Pre-Release Services/Post-Release Services

Org

aniz

atio

n P

lan

Department of Corrections

Department of Labor

Project Coordinator(s) Assessment PersonFacility Staff &Community Org.Parole/Probation

Tar

get

Pop

ulat

ion

Male or FemaleUp to 6 mo pre-release30% EOS; no sex offendBridgeport area resident

YorkGatesBergin

Program Process: Organizational & Service Plan

Dysfunctional familiesHistory of TraumaSubstance abuseor dependence

Criminal HistoriesCriminal thinking patterns

- attitudes toward lawCognitive distortions-

anger & hostilitySocial-emotional

deviance

High risk,Multiple needs,

Violent offenders, EOSUninformed on services

Different perspectiveNo role models

Limited resourcesNot succeeding

Need for support, guidance, supervision

Gender difference*

Target Population

US Department of Justice

CT Dept of CorrectionFacility Services

Family Reentry

Pre-Release (including orientation)Post-ReleaseSubcontracts

US Department of Labor

Career Resources Inc.Reentry Works

Orientation OnlyPost-Release

Subcontracts

Organization Plan

“Each agency represents all of us”

~ 100

• Family Re-entry & Fresh Start Reentry• Career Services, Inc• Center for Women & Families• The Co-Op Center/Council of Churches• CT Legal Services

N= 200

US Department of Justice/ US Department of Labor

CT Dept of Correction Facility Services

Family Reentry Career Resources Inc. Reentry Works

Pre-Release (including orientation)Post-ReleaseSubcontracts

Organization Plan“Each agency represents all of us”

Making it seamless:• Facility Coordinator• Community Coordinator

Pre-Release Services

• Orientation

• Assessment

• Re-entry workbook

• Job Center

• Transitional Plan

Post-Release Services

• Utilization of assessment, workbook, transition plan (by case manager, p/p)

• Access & use of community services: case management, employment, social reunification, life skills

Services

Organization Plan

Service Arena

Target Population

Recruitment

Participation

Retention

Stability

Employment

Education

Life Quality

Quality of Relationships

Collaboration

Decrease in Recidivism

IMPACT

PROGRAM PROCESS

Program Focus: Mediators & Moderators

• Collaboration- In order to address the complexity of the issues, need to have collaboration: Process for creating change.

• Quality of Interpersonal Relationships Engagement is critical first step to shaping change; Culture-shift

• Motivational Interviewing- Change-focused; Evidence-based methods do not readily diffuse into practice*

• Moderators/interaction effects- individual/family/friend characteristics, history, resources

Basic Evaluation: Measures & Data Collection

Target Population

Services Outcomes

•Demographics: age, gender, race, education•Release legal status•Scores on assessment scales•History of arrests or incarcerations•History of violent offenses •Family makeup

Timelines- dates of entry through end

Eligibility/admission

Facility, community program, case manager

Participation/pre-release services

# of pre-release contacts

# of case manage contacts

# of p/p contacts

Type/# of referrals for services

Type/# of community services

•Recruitment, Participation & Retention rates•Employment- At 3, 6, 9, 12 mo•Education•Recidivism- arrests (technical or new crime); incarceration

Not enough to say you are making a difference:

Need to know how, in what ways, and for whom.

Other Program Development & Evaluation Questions

1. Program model: What components are necessary? – Re-entry, assessment

2. Collaboration: What does it mean to “link” agencies?

3. What is the process through which the relationship with case manager effects a change?

4. Evaluate utility of assessment tools: Screening, classifying risk, prioritizing treatment and intensity of service

5. For whom is the project working, in what ways, and under what conditions? Who are we not reaching and why?

6. Infrastructure and sustainability: Document “lessons learned” How to replicate the model? Deliberative conversations.

7. How can the partners build community awareness & support?