Cross Roads to Success is our multi-week Program for teen girls who are on probation in the Greater Saint John community. This Program is generally done in partnership with UNBSJ, as they provide us a co-facilitator who is completing her degree in a related field (psychology, criminology, sociology, education, etc.). This past session, we had Robyn Jones, a UNBSJ Bachelor of Education student co-facilitate the program. Robyn has been a volunteer with E. Fry for a little while now, and has assisted in other Programming, but this was her first time working with youth in this capacity.
We began the Program with 6 participants, and on October 7th, we completed it with 6 participants! It was GREAT!! Both Robyn and I were ecstatic that we had finished with all the girls we began with. We are extremely proud of the participants!
About the Program
This is a multi-week Program for female youth in Saint John who are currently in conflict with the law. Each participant is referred to the Society by Youth Probation Services (Department of Public Safety, Government of New Brunswick). The Society, with referrals from Youth Probation Services, has facilitated three sessions of this Program.
Currently, it is the only program in the city that is facilitated by females for females only. All other programming in the city is currently co-ed.
Some of the topics covered in the Program are:
- Youth justice (the consequences of a youth criminal record, the criminal justice system, being on probation, being incarcerated as a youth, reactions to law enforcement and other authority figures).
- Communication styles (assertive, aggressive, passive aggressive; how to communicate properly/successfully).
- Anger & Stress Management (proper techniques for management of anger & stress as well as other emotions, consequences of anger & stress, depression/suicide, etc).
- Problem Solving (assessing situations, dealing with peer pressures, good decision making).
- Women in Society (women’s current and past roles in society, developments in women’s rights, social justices for women, etc).
- Self Esteem (self-worth, self-esteem, empowerment, image manipulation, media, body facts and fiction).
- Relationships (proper & improper relationships, friendships, romantic relationships, relationships with family).
The Program is extremely adaptable, and is often edited to include more materials as needed by the participants. Surveys are taken with each participant in order to figure out the needs and desires of the groups to determine what should be included.
Synopsis of Program
Once per week the session is facilitated by two coordinators (one volunteer, one paid staff). Each participant is given a participant journal which includes all activities and many hand outs.
Each section of the participant’s journal focuses on a different topic, which is predetermined by the facilitators. Each week begins with a discussion about the previous week, a question and answer period, and then the new topics/discussions begin. The sessions are two hours in length, with a short break for supper/snack. The Program consists of group and individual activities, group discussions, individual assignments (to be completed during the two hours), as well as open discussions about the topics and how they relate to the participants current or past situations.
The Program is conducted on Wednesday afternoons from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Facilitators meet at 3:00 p.m. to go over the topics, discuss any issues or concerns, and prepare for the session.
Guest speakers have been included in the session, if deemed necessary by the facilitators.
Local agencies are solicited approximately two months in advance of the Program to gather pamphlets and information on the resources available to female youth. This information is distributed to the participants.
Program Evaluation
The Program is evaluated weekly by the facilitators and the participants. Each participant is given an evaluation form at the conclusion of each session. She can, anonymously, evaluate the Program, the content of the session, the facilitators and offer her comments or suggestions. She can also use this time to make suggestions about topics she would like to see in the Program. The facilitators do their best to accommodate all requests.
Goals of Program
- Assist female youth in obtaining the information needed to assist them in completing their education (high school or GED).
- Provide support and mentorship to female youth in the Greater Saint John community.
- The Program’s most important aim is crime prevention. It is the hope of the Society that with the proper knowledge and support, the participants will not become engaged in illegal activity anymore.
Targeted Group
The age of the participants varies. The Program is adaptable to all ages, learning capacities, and needs. The Program has been facilitated for female youth ranging in age from fourteen to sixteen.
Number of attendees expected
The Department of Public Safety, Youth Probation Services, refers ten (10) female participants to the Society. The Society then schedules intake assessments with each potential participant. Thus far, each Program has consisted of approximately six to eight participants.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
What is an Outreach Worker?
My name is Erin McLaughlin and since April 2008, I have been on contract (on a month to month basis) with The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc. I am self-employed, and contract myself to the Society on a month to month basis, which is dependent on funding. If there's no funding, there is no position for me.
As an Outreach Worker, I have many tasks. I assist with women and youth who drop into our office for various reasons (looking for information or assistance, needing hygiene items, needing someone to chat to, etc), I assist women who are currently incarcerated at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre and Nova Institution for Women via the telephone, and I spend a great deal of time seeking funding.
On a daily basis, I assist women and youth who are incarcerated and who live in our community. I provide them with information, assistance, referrals, someone to talk to, educational materials, put them in touch with other agencies/organizations in our city who can provide assistance for them, and provide them with personal hygiene items should they need them. I have assisted women in obtaining information on their children (how they're doing, etc), finding information on rehabilitation centres in other provinces, getting them in touch with the Ombudsman or The College of Physcians and Surgeons, providing them with information in regards to future court appearances, or information on where they can get assistance once released into the community.
I also maintain the office, and can be found there Monday to Friday. Where I'm self-employed, I do not keep regular office hours, but am there about 30 hours per week, and am available by email (efry@nb.aibn.com) and telephone at all times! Most recently, I have included a package on our door for women to write their names and telephone numbers on, which they can slide under the door, if I'm not in the office when they drop in. This way, even if I'm not in the office when they get there, I can return their call as soon as I'm back. Typically, I am in the office 4 days a week.
Some of the other things I'm involved in:
- The Rebels Committee 2009. I was the Chair of this committee and did the organizing and planning of the event, which was great! The 2010 Rebels Committee is well underway. If you want to volunteer, please call our office at 506-635-8851 or shoot me an email at efry@nb.aibn.com.
- Cross Roads to Success. This is the multi-week all-female program for teenage girls who are currently on probation. I have facilitated this Program twice now, with great results. This past session had a 100% success rate so congrats to the girls!
- Court Work Program. For the past year, I have facilitated the Court Work Program. I attend Provincial Court, when requested, to assist women who are appearing before a Judge. I also do all the paper work for the Program, as well as meet with women who will be facing charges to assist them in preparing for what appearing in Court will entail. I also created our training manual for this Program and have facilitated the training of our volunteers (as well as summer students).
- Anti-Shoplifting Program. Currently, I am assisting in the Anti-Shoplifting Program. Our volunteer, Wanda Cosman, goes into grade five classrooms in school districts 6 & 8, and delivers this Program to the students. This Program is incredibly successful and has been facilitated by our Society for eight years!
- Summer Student Supervisor. For the past two summers, I have supervised our Summer Students, provided to us by SEED. It has been great to have the extra help around the office!
- Seeking funding. I spend a lot of time writing proposals for funding. The Society is in desperate need of sustainable funding! We have been granted funds for many of our Programs, but are now in need of funding to keep the Society operational.
Some other things I've been involved in:
Facilitated social programming, Mother/Child Read Aloud and mentorship programming at The Saint John Regional Correctional Centre to assist women in need.
Supervisor of Fine Option Program in partnership with Department of Public Safety- Adult Probation. This included supervising adults on probation while they completed community service hours.
Worked in partnership with Nova Institution and Canadian Families & Corrections Network in assisting women who are federally incarcerated with their pre-release plans and follow up once released in the community.
Completed safeTalk Suicide Intervention training through Mental Health.
Completed week long Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training.
Completed week long Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training for Facilitators (qualifications to train others).
Attended two day conference on Mental Health, Housing and Homelessness in Ottawa as the Atlantic Elizabeth Fry Representative.
Worked with local IT group to create and design the Society’s website and now have moved on to create this blog.
Made a presentation to Government of New Brunswick Officials on Legal Aid reform. The information I provided was later used in their published report.
Basic office work (word, excel, outlook, internet, fax, phone, filing, etc).
Created the annual newsletter for 2006 & 2007.
So in a (very large) nutshell, that is what I do as an Outreach Worker!
As an Outreach Worker, I have many tasks. I assist with women and youth who drop into our office for various reasons (looking for information or assistance, needing hygiene items, needing someone to chat to, etc), I assist women who are currently incarcerated at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre and Nova Institution for Women via the telephone, and I spend a great deal of time seeking funding.
On a daily basis, I assist women and youth who are incarcerated and who live in our community. I provide them with information, assistance, referrals, someone to talk to, educational materials, put them in touch with other agencies/organizations in our city who can provide assistance for them, and provide them with personal hygiene items should they need them. I have assisted women in obtaining information on their children (how they're doing, etc), finding information on rehabilitation centres in other provinces, getting them in touch with the Ombudsman or The College of Physcians and Surgeons, providing them with information in regards to future court appearances, or information on where they can get assistance once released into the community.
I also maintain the office, and can be found there Monday to Friday. Where I'm self-employed, I do not keep regular office hours, but am there about 30 hours per week, and am available by email (efry@nb.aibn.com) and telephone at all times! Most recently, I have included a package on our door for women to write their names and telephone numbers on, which they can slide under the door, if I'm not in the office when they drop in. This way, even if I'm not in the office when they get there, I can return their call as soon as I'm back. Typically, I am in the office 4 days a week.
Some of the other things I'm involved in:
- The Rebels Committee 2009. I was the Chair of this committee and did the organizing and planning of the event, which was great! The 2010 Rebels Committee is well underway. If you want to volunteer, please call our office at 506-635-8851 or shoot me an email at efry@nb.aibn.com.
- Cross Roads to Success. This is the multi-week all-female program for teenage girls who are currently on probation. I have facilitated this Program twice now, with great results. This past session had a 100% success rate so congrats to the girls!
- Court Work Program. For the past year, I have facilitated the Court Work Program. I attend Provincial Court, when requested, to assist women who are appearing before a Judge. I also do all the paper work for the Program, as well as meet with women who will be facing charges to assist them in preparing for what appearing in Court will entail. I also created our training manual for this Program and have facilitated the training of our volunteers (as well as summer students).
- Anti-Shoplifting Program. Currently, I am assisting in the Anti-Shoplifting Program. Our volunteer, Wanda Cosman, goes into grade five classrooms in school districts 6 & 8, and delivers this Program to the students. This Program is incredibly successful and has been facilitated by our Society for eight years!
- Summer Student Supervisor. For the past two summers, I have supervised our Summer Students, provided to us by SEED. It has been great to have the extra help around the office!
- Seeking funding. I spend a lot of time writing proposals for funding. The Society is in desperate need of sustainable funding! We have been granted funds for many of our Programs, but are now in need of funding to keep the Society operational.
Some other things I've been involved in:
Facilitated social programming, Mother/Child Read Aloud and mentorship programming at The Saint John Regional Correctional Centre to assist women in need.
Supervisor of Fine Option Program in partnership with Department of Public Safety- Adult Probation. This included supervising adults on probation while they completed community service hours.
Worked in partnership with Nova Institution and Canadian Families & Corrections Network in assisting women who are federally incarcerated with their pre-release plans and follow up once released in the community.
Completed safeTalk Suicide Intervention training through Mental Health.
Completed week long Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training.
Completed week long Sexual Assault Crisis Intervention Training for Facilitators (qualifications to train others).
Attended two day conference on Mental Health, Housing and Homelessness in Ottawa as the Atlantic Elizabeth Fry Representative.
Worked with local IT group to create and design the Society’s website and now have moved on to create this blog.
Made a presentation to Government of New Brunswick Officials on Legal Aid reform. The information I provided was later used in their published report.
Basic office work (word, excel, outlook, internet, fax, phone, filing, etc).
Created the annual newsletter for 2006 & 2007.
So in a (very large) nutshell, that is what I do as an Outreach Worker!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Christmas Party at the SJRCC
The Elizabeth Fry Society will be hosting a Christmas Party at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre in a few short weeks. We are in need of donations of the following items:
- Face cloths
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body Wash
- Bars of Soap
- Tooth paste
- Tooth brushes
We cannot accept items that contain alcohol (ie- mouth wash, perfume, etc), baby powder, or things that can be used as a weapon (ie- mirrors in make up compacts, strings, laces, etc).
Should you have a donation, please contact us at (506) 635-8851 or efry@nb.aibn.com to set up a drop off time.
Want to make a donation but can't make it to our office? Check out www.canadahelps.org and search The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc.
November Appeal
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc is a non-profit, charitable organization assisting women and girls who are in conflict, or at risk of coming into conflict, with the law. We assist on a daily basis through the provision of programs and services offered in communities throughout the Province, at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre, and Nova Institution for Women.
This is our annual appeal for financial assistance. We have minimum operating expenses, so the monies received go directed to assist women and their children and youth who are incarcerated and or living in the community.
For over twenty years, The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc has been an advocate for criminalized, marginalized victimized and incarcerated women. We have become more aware of the plight of the children of incarcerated mothers. These children are invisible, not only from policy makers, service providers and researchers, but also from communities. They are the silent victims of imprisonment.
We have been busy as usual with our programs at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre. On the social side, we offer a monthly Bingo with prizes that consist of personal hygiene items, and we conduct a monthly Craft night. The one – on- one Mentoring Program is an ongoing weekly commitment. This is a time when women can unburden themselves, discuss innermost feelings, or they may want information about the welfare of their children, how to seek legal assistance or simply need help sorting out the many forms required.
The weekly Mother/Child Read Aloud Program is dear to the women’s hearts. A mother may choose two books for each of her children and read the books on tape.
Volunteers then mail the books, tapes, batteries and a walkman to the children so they can listen to their mother’s voice. The results are magic. While a mother reads and relates intimately with her child, the child is reassured that mom has not forgotten him or her.
Recently, we have been granted funding by The United Way of Greater Saint John and The New Brunswick Children’s Foundation, and The Rothesay Police Force to continue to facilitate the Anti-Shoplifting Program, which will begin shortly in grade 5 classrooms throughout School Districts 6 and 8. The Program includes a video depicting a youth shoplifting and the consequences thereafter, as well as a work book that contains information and quizzes which the student may share with parents and siblings. Our volunteer then responds to questions and has a discussion about the film.
Also in the community, E. Fry has successfully completed two intakes of our Cross Roads Program for female youth who are currently on Probation. The last session had a
The signs of Christmas are upon us once again, with thoughts of happy times spent with family and friends. They are not so joyful to those with little or no funds for food, let alone the buying of gifts. It would be difficult to imagine such a situation, judging by the glowing commercials on television showing impossibly impressive houses, food laden tables and gift-sated children. This can be a very sad season for those who have lost loved ones, or are for one reason or another alone. It is no wonder that this is a very emotional time for the women in jail, especially those who are mothers (almost all) and are separated from their children. We try our best to mitigate their obvious distress.
Three weeks before Christmas, having obtained the age and size of their children, and with the help of donations, we buy gifts to suit each child. One night is set aside for each mother to view and wrap the gifts which we mail the following day. The pleasure the women derive from this is evident by tears of thankfulness.
Unfortunately due to the present financial situation and the decline in the Canadian economy, we have fallen short of our goal. In order to continue to provide all of these services and programs, we desperately need your assistance.
We have very limited funding from the government and most of what we do get is designated funds. In the past, we have gracious support from our donors, and it is our hope that you continue to assist us in our many endeavors.
We would like to thank you in advance for any donation, large or small, that you are able to make this year, as well as thank you for any past donations you have made. It all makes a difference. Tax receipts are provided for all donations.
Sincerely,
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc
Women on the inside need friends on the outside.
Want to make a safe, online donation? Check out our page at CanadaHelps.org.
(www.canadahelps.org, search The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John)
Brand New!
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc is pleased to now offer a blog to our readers and followers. We've decided to start a blog as a means to keep everyone updated as things happens. With our blog, we're able to provide news and information on an ongoing basis and as up to date as possible. We're able to include stories and letters from our volunteers, clients and fellow agencies in the community.
We hope that you all enjoy our blog! If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to email us at efry@nb.aibn.com or simply leave a comment on our blog!
To make a donation to E. Fry, please go to www.canadahelps.org and search "The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc."
We hope that you all enjoy our blog! If you have any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to email us at efry@nb.aibn.com or simply leave a comment on our blog!
To make a donation to E. Fry, please go to www.canadahelps.org and search "The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saint John NB Inc."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
