The Relational Inquiry Tool: Using Social Networks to Enhance Prisoner Reentry Columbus, OH June 2008

Warm Up In Groups, answer the following questions on the provided paper: STEP ONE: What are some benefits to working with families?

Warm Up In Groups, answer the following questions on the provided paper: STEP TWO: What are some challenges to working with families?

Warm Up In Groups, answer the following questions on the provided paper: STEP THREE: What are some examples of when you currently work with families?

The Bodega Model ® : An Introduction

Disciplines Influencing the Bodega Model Family Systems Strength-based Approach Case Management Community Partnership

Family Systems

Strength-based Approach

Case Management

Community Partnership

Three Core Concepts Consider people in CONTEXT . Build on FAMILY INTERACTIONS . Focus on STRENGTHS of individuals, families, and communities .

Consider people in CONTEXT .

Build on FAMILY INTERACTIONS .

Focus on STRENGTHS of individuals, families, and communities .

Context

Consider People in CONTEXT People are complex Dependence vs. independence A web of connections

People are complex

Dependence vs. independence

A web of connections

Families in a web of systems Community Household Individual

Family-Focused

Defining “family” broadly Allow individuals to define their families Traditional Extended Elected

Allow individuals to define their families

Traditional

Extended

Elected

Shifting to a family-focused lens Reinforces connections within social network Reminder that families have expertise in supporting each other Family-focused Approach Focus on incarcerated person or person under community supervision Individual Approach

Reinforces connections within social network

Reminder that families have expertise in supporting each other

Focus on incarcerated person or person under community supervision

Why work with families? Families are experts in their own lives Family is a natural support system for early crisis intervention Families provide motivation for their loved ones to comply with mandates

Families are experts in

their own lives

Family is a natural

support system for early

crisis intervention

Families provide motivation

for their loved ones to comply with mandates

Families can improve reentry outcomes Family contact during incarceration can result in improved behavior in prison and better parole outcomes. (Holt, 1972) During 6 months of family case management at La Bodega de la Familia, arrests dropped 11% as compared to 21% among comparison group. 90% resolved medical-service needs and 80% resolved social-service needs. (Sullivan, 2002)

Family contact during incarceration can result in improved behavior in prison and better parole outcomes. (Holt, 1972)

During 6 months of family case management at La Bodega de la Familia, arrests dropped 11% as compared to 21% among comparison group. 90% resolved medical-service needs and 80% resolved social-service needs. (Sullivan, 2002)

Ohio Family Support (26%) Time with Kids (9%) Employment (8%) Finding a place to live (7%) Abstaining from substance abuse (4%) Family Support (63%) Time with Kids (46%) Employment (90%) Finding a place to live (84%) Abstaining from substance abuse (72%) Post-Release Pre-Release

Family Support (26%)

Time with Kids (9%)

Employment (8%)

Finding a place to live (7%)

Abstaining from substance abuse (4%)

Family Support (63%)

Time with Kids (46%)

Employment (90%)

Finding a place to live (84%)

Abstaining from substance abuse (72%)

Strength-Based

Strength-based Approach Recognizing that all people are motivated. Operating with the belief that everyone possess talent, abilities, capacities, and past successes. Drawing on strengths to motivate behavior change.

Recognizing that all people are motivated.

Operating with the belief that everyone possess talent, abilities, capacities, and past successes.

Drawing on strengths to motivate behavior change.

Focus on Strengths What we cannot do What we do not have Where we fail Problems What we can do What we have Where we succeed Possibilities Traditional Focus Strength Focus

What we cannot do

What we do not have

Where we fail

Problems

What we can do

What we have

Where we succeed

Possibilities

Learning Task 1 Applying a Strength-Based Approach

Applying a Strength-Based Approach

Bodega Model Tools

Bodega Model Tools Support Inquiry Active Listening Relational Inquiry Tool ©

Support Inquiry

Active Listening

Relational Inquiry Tool ©

Supportive Inquiry

Supportive Inquiry A creative process of information gathering Relies on asking nonjudgmental open-ended questions New insights into family strengths, productive behaviors, and positive coping mechanisms

A creative process of information gathering

Relies on asking nonjudgmental open-ended questions

New insights into family strengths, productive behaviors, and positive coping mechanisms

Goals of Supportive Inquiry Build relationship Stimulate insight and self-awareness Collect information Set goals

Build relationship

Stimulate insight and self-awareness

Collect information

Set goals

Supportive Inquiry Imagine you go to sleep tonight and a miracle happens: the problem(s) that brought you to the facility are solved. When you wake up tomorrow, what will you notice first that tells you a miracle has happened and things are different?

Follow up to Miracle Question Focus in on small, specific behavioral goals What will be the smallest sign that this [outcome] is happening? The first sign? What will you be doing instead of the problem behavior? What do you know about [yourself, family, past] that tells you this could happen for you?

Focus in on small, specific behavioral goals

What will be the smallest sign that this [outcome] is happening? The first sign?

What will you be doing instead of the problem behavior?

What do you know about [yourself, family, past] that tells you this could happen for you?

Supportive Inquiry

Supportive Inquiry How have you survived? How do you keep going? Survival Questions

How have you survived?

How do you keep going?

Supportive Inquiry Exception Questions Were there times recently when the problem did not occur? When was the most recent time when you were able to [perform the desired behavior]? How did that happen? What was different? Who was involved?

Were there times recently when the problem did not occur?

When was the most recent time when you were able to [perform the desired behavior]? How did that happen? What was different? Who was involved?

Identify resources with open-ended questions What are you good at? What do you like to do? Who helps you? Who do you help? When things are going well, what keeps you on track? What is working best in your life right now?

What are you good at?

What do you like to do?

Who helps you? Who do you help?

When things are going well, what keeps you on track?

What is working best in your life right now?

Learning Task 2 Supportive Inquiry in Practice

Supportive Inquiry in Practice

Active Listening

Make eye contact Limit nonverbals and “paraverbals” Engage everyone Limit nodding and “uh-huhs” Allow silence; don’t interrupt Paraphrase Active Listening

Make eye contact

Limit nonverbals and “paraverbals”

Engage everyone

Limit nodding and “uh-huhs”

Allow silence; don’t interrupt

Paraphrase

Active Listening Desire to listen as a receiver, not as a critic, and desire to understand the other person rather than to achieve either agreement from or change in that person. Desire to be other-directed, rather than to project one's own feelings and ideas onto the other.

Desire to listen as a receiver, not as a critic, and desire to understand the other person rather than to achieve either agreement from or change in that person.

Desire to be other-directed, rather than to project one's own feelings and ideas onto the other.

Learning Task 3 Putting It All Together

Putting It

All Together

Relational Inquiry Tool

Relational Inquiry Tool Goals User-friendly method of recognizing and reinforcing positive connections to family and social networks during and after incarceration Build rapport between the professional using the tool and the incarcerated individual

User-friendly method of recognizing and reinforcing positive connections to family and social networks during and after incarceration

Build rapport between the professional using the tool and the incarcerated individual

Positive Feedback from Pilot Testing Openness between staff and prisoners increased Staff (74%) report level of openness as “fairly open” or “very open” due to tool Increase in staff’s understanding of prisoner Of those did no know the prisoner, 74% noted having an improved level of understanding Corrections staff and prisoners find the tool would useful in reentry planning 80% of the tools were marked as useful for reentry planning 82% of prisoners felt the tool would help them plan for reentry

Openness between staff and prisoners increased

Staff (74%) report level of openness as “fairly open” or “very open” due to tool

Increase in staff’s understanding of prisoner

Of those did no know the prisoner, 74% noted having an improved level of understanding

Corrections staff and prisoners find the tool would useful in reentry planning

80% of the tools were marked as useful for reentry planning

82% of prisoners felt the tool would help them plan for reentry

Positive Feedback from Ohio Openness between staff and prisoners increased “ It could give us a better relationship and way to find out the issues and concerns they (inmates) have” Increase in staff’s understanding of prisoner Helps the inmate “…remember that they’re part of a society and part of a family, and…that they have support out there, but also that they can be supportive too.” Corrections staff and prisoners find the tool would useful in reentry planning “ Triggered them (incarcerated individuals) to think about things they maybe haven’t thought about much before”

Openness between staff and prisoners increased

“ It could give us a better relationship and way to find out the issues and concerns they (inmates) have”

Increase in staff’s understanding of prisoner

Helps the inmate “…remember that they’re part of a society and part of a family, and…that they have support out there, but also that they can be supportive too.”

Corrections staff and prisoners find the tool would useful in reentry planning

“ Triggered them (incarcerated individuals) to think about things they maybe haven’t thought about much before”

Relational Inquiry Tool Start in the future Revisit past experiences Come into the present Move back into the future

Start in the future

Revisit past experiences

Come into the present

Move back into the future

Learning Task 4 Relational Inquiry Tool in Practice

Relational Inquiry Tool in Practice

Implementing the Tool What about the Relational Inquiry Tool will be helpful with your job? What about the tool will be difficult? How might the tool be useful for parole?

What about the Relational Inquiry Tool will be helpful with your job?

What about the tool will be difficult?

How might the tool be useful for parole?

Family Case Management

Family Case Management Inclusive process Engages individual, family (broadly defined), and practitioners Strength-based Solutions-focused

Inclusive process

Engages

individual,

family (broadly defined),

and practitioners

Strength-based

Solutions-focused

Best Practices Start where the participant is Listen actively Validate Look for strengths

Start where the participant is

Listen actively

Validate

Look for strengths

Best Practices Ask what has worked before Facilitate goal setting as a collaborative process Use family and community resources Follow through on commitments to families

Ask what has worked before

Facilitate goal setting as a collaborative process

Use family and community resources

Follow through on commitments to families

Jennifer Onofrio, Research Associate, Family Justice Welcomes you to Module 4 Family Case Management Goal Statements S pecific M easurable A chievable R elevant & Realistic T ime Limited S trength-based (states the desired behavior)

Learning Task 5 Planning to Integrate a Family-Focused, Strength-Based Approach

Planning to Integrate a Family-Focused, Strength-Based Approach

[email_address] Ryan Shanahan Training & Technical Assistance Project Director [email_address] (212) 475-1500 www.familyjustice.org Margaret diZerega Training & Technical Assistance Project Director