Transitioning Forensic Clients Back into the Community

So I’m out of prison… Now what? Transitioning Forensic Clients Back into the Community ACLAIMH Conference November 3, 2010 Olga Brito, LMSW, Maria Nicolai, MA, Carmen DeJesus, CASAC and Suzette Sclafani, LMSW

Agency Mission:
To change lives, by offering health, hope and opportunity to the most vulnerable in our community.
We offer a comprehensive range of evidenced-based rehabilitative services including mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, vocational training, job placement, healthcare, education, and creative arts therapies.

The Bridge Outpatient Programs
Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS)
Clinic Services
Vocational Services
OASAS Program

Overview of Residential Programs
Supervised Community Residence (Super CR)
Apartment Treatment
Community Residence/Single Room Occupancy (CR/SRO)
Community Care/Supported Housing, a.k.a. “Permanent” or “Graduate”
Multiple Scatter-Site and Congregate Programs in Manhattan & The Bronx
Sheridan Hill House, Iyana House

Iyana House: Program Characteristics
Permanent Supported Housing
16 Studio Apartments
Gender Specific
24/7 Staffed residence
F/T Case Manager
F/T Peer Counselor
P/T Substance Abuse Counselor

Iyana House: Program Goals
Permanency
Parole Completion
Reduction of Recidivism
Community Reintegration
Family Reunification

What is the selection process?

Inreach
Pre-release Group
Referral from CUCS RCS (Reentry Coordination System)
Interview Process
Acceptance
Individualized Pre-Release Counseling

The First 30 Days: Engagement Services
Pickup
First visit to Parole
“ Bonding” Period
Coordinating Medical and Psychiatric Services
Benefits Counseling
Visitor’s Policy

Unique Challenges for this Population
Identifying and de-programming prison culture
Breaking other maladaptive habits
Over- or mis-medicated, undiagnosed medical issues
Staff training (SPECTRM, Harm Reduction)
Boundaries and limit-setting
Transitioning clients to more independent housing

Obstacles to Recovery
Substance abuse/addiction
Medication and treatment noncompliance
Limited resources, finances
Unrealistic vocational goals
Unrealistic expectations around family reunification
Boredom

What we have learned…

How we have adapted our services to this population
Integrating the Parole Officer into the treatment team
Foster a collaborative as opposed to adversarial relationship between consumer and Parole Officer
Fostering Personal Responsibility
Advocacy*

Parole Release Preparation
Case Planning
Rehearsing for release
Conferencing with treatment team and family members
Assertiveness Training/Empowerment

Contact:
The Bridge
248 West 108 th Street
New York, NY 10025
(212) 663-3000
[email_address]

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Transitioning Forensic Clients Back into the Community

by bridgeny on Nov 17, 2010

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Transitioning Forensic Clients Back into the Community — Presentation Transcript