Voinovich School partnership recognized for Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) presented the Children of Incarcerated Parents (CIP) program with the Initiative Excellence Award at the second annual Children of Incarcerated Parents Summit in April. The award was presented in recognition of the training and support provided to communities and families impacted by incarceration. 

newbb电子平台的 Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service is proud to share this award with the other members of the CIP Executive Committee: Mansfield Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program, the Pacific Institute for 研究 and Evaluation (PIRE), 和SheRays & 的同事有限责任公司.

A prison visiting room can be an incredibly humbling experience. Residents file in and sit at separate tables. 空气中弥漫着紧张的气氛, and when the residents see their families arrive, 情绪流, 泪水开始膨胀. Younger children race into their parents' arms, while older kids may follow more cautiously, fully aware of the surroundings and what happens when visiting hours are over. 

In the last 50 years, the number of people incarcerated in Ohio prisons and jails has 呈指数级增长. 最新的数据表明 超过27万名儿童 in Ohio have had a parent who was behind bars. In 2015, under then-governor John Kasich and with funding from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), more than 100 people were certified to use an evidence-based program, 建立持久的家庭关系(CLFC), 帮助被监禁的人, 恢复公民, 以及他们的家人. 同年, the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at newbb电子平台, 还有俄亥俄州, 曼斯菲尔德UMADAOP, SheRays & 的同事有限责任公司, and the Pacific Institute for 研究 and Evaluation (PIRE), formed the Ohio Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative (OhioCIP).

的一个组成部分 的OhioCIP 是实践学习社区(COP), which trains boots-on-the-ground community organizations in the curriculum, helps to build administrative and facilitation skills, and instructs organizations on crucial building blocks of organizational capacity. The resulting work has provided a beacon of hope, 促进健康的家庭团聚, improvement in the quality of family relationships, and opportunities for positive development in families impacted by incarceration.

4月16日至17日, 在都柏林, the Voinovich School and their CIP partners hosted the second annual CIP Summit, two days of workshops and breakout sessions designed for community members, 治疗和预防人员, 那些曾经被监禁的人, 以及成年家庭成员.

“It provided an opportunity for people to connect in ways they might not,莱斯利·霍尔曼说, a project manager for the Partnership for Community-based Prevention (P4CBP) at the Voinovich School. Hoylman explained that community organizations are working diligently to serve their communities. “The CIP Summit gave them a chance to network and learn from one another, fostering a sense of community and support with the hopes of increasing their sustainability and capacity within their community.”

活动期间, the Voinovich School was one of four organizations that received the Children of Incarcerated Parents Initiative Excellence Award. This is a special award given by OhioMHAS to organizations that provide exceptional service and contributions to support the initiative. The entire CIP Executive Committee (Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at newbb电子平台, 曼斯菲尔德UMADAOP, 和SheRays & 的同事有限责任公司) was recognized with the award.

The Ohio CIP Initiative was first implemented in three correctional facilities in Ohio to help prepare residents 以及他们的家人 for reentry by creating healthy family connections before release. The program has struck a chord with those behind bars. People who have completed the program have formed an “alumni” group to help support their fellow residents who are beginning the course.

“That support system they’ve built isn’t part of the program,霍莉·莱佛尔说, professor and program director of the P4CBP for the Voinovich School. “That speaks to how important this program is to the participants.”

The CIP program has been shown to impact children profoundly, providing coping strategies and opportunities to bond meaningfully with family members and other youth. 每一次经历都是不同的, but the knowledge that another person has a parent behind bars can provide comfort and a safe space to express their feelings.

“一天结束的时候, their parents are going to be incarcerated until they're released,莱佛尔说. “但是当父母回家的时候, 他们会提高家庭技能, 孩子们也有这些技能. It is beautiful to see the family unit moving forward together.”

More information on 的OhioCIP and the CIP Summit is available 在这个网站.