Support for a Second Chance - Washington County

86 downloads 4673 Views 1MB Size Report
Support for a Second Chance. Summer 2012. New. Employee. Micah Matsuzaki has joined our department as a full- time Community Correction. Specialist.
Summer 2012

New Employee

Support for a Second Chance The week of July 15-21 we celebrate

Probationers and parolees are no less

national Probation, Parole, and

deserving of such a chance.

Community Supervision Week. It is a time to honor the work of men and women across the country who do the important and challenging work of helping people turn their lives around. The theme for the week is “Support for a Second Chance”.

As we know, not everyone takes advantage of the opportunities we provide. But attitudes change, and today’s resistance may fade with time, experience, and some help from us. When someone is ready to imagine a different future, we help them believe

Micah Matsuzaki has joined

As stated in an American Parole

that change is possible, and we give

our department as a full-

& Probation Association (APPA)

them tools to help it happen.

time Community Correction

announcement, “everyone deserves

Specialist. In addition to

a chance; a chance to work or go

working in an On-Call position

to school, a chance to be part of

for over four years, he has also spent time in Hawaii working as a Police Officer. Additionally, he worked in the high school setting in various positions. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in

family, a chance to belong to the community, a chance to become a better person, a chance to help and be helped by others, a chance to accept responsibilities and be responsible,

Now we all know that some need more than a second chance; they may cycle through our system three, four, or more times. But when change does happen, it is an inspiring thing to witness and reminds us of why we do this work.

a chance to succeed, a chance to pursue happiness, a chance to hope.”

Social Science from PSU and is currently working on a Master’s Degree. We are very excited to have the opportunity of bringing him into a full-time position at the Center.

Candace’s Success Story 2 Washington County Wellness Program 3 Welcome New Family Mentor 3 Recidivism Hits a Low 4 Chaplain Services 4

Promotion

Candace’s Story It was a childhood trauma that took me out of Oregon and it was a trauma that brought me back 27 years later. I found myself in the Washington County jail in 2007, both mentally and emotionally unstable. Placed on SSI in 2006, I had a 4-year meth addiction and was unable to function on a normal level. My two youngest children had been placed in foster care in Linn County in 2001, and due to my mental and emotional condition, I was unable to get them back.

Amanda Curtis has successfully competed for the Residential Mental Health Specialist position at the Community Corrections Center. She has worked in the Residential Counselor position for well over four years as a general population counselor as well as working in treatment dorms. She has her Master’s Degree in Social Work, her CADC, and experience providing treatment in a prison setting. Over the course of her experience working in treatment settings, she has

So here I was 7 years later, sitting in Washington County Jail, poor and broken, crying to my Lord for help, when a wonderful thing happened to me. After three days a woman came to see me. She got me out of jail and took me to the treatment dorm. That was when God began to restore all I had lost. I am a devout Christian and I can say that God has created an awesome recovery system here in Washington County. During those 3 months in the treatment dorm it was as if I was in a cocoon and when I came out I was a beautiful butterfly. While I was there I went through four different types of medicine to find the right one. I ended up on bunk restriction 3 different times for a week each time, but instead of sending me back to jail they just loved me through it regardless of how hard I was to handle. They sent me to a counselor who was a wonderful woman full of love for me. When I look back on those months in my life I see God’s love for me, and that is the only way to describe what happened to me, it was purely the love of God. Today I am the founder and Vice President of Fairhaven Recovery Homes, which are Christ-centered homes for people in recovery. I also co-chair the Faith Committee of the Washington County Reentry Counsel. My children are all close to me now, healthy and grown. I have gained 20lbs, my teeth are fixed and beautiful, and there isn’t any one who comes into our homes that I don’t understand. Thank you, Washington County, for your love and long-suffering devotion to people like me. God Bless you. Candace

worked with individuals who have a dual diagnosis, clients with mental health issues, and those involved in the criminal justice system. Congratulations, Amanda!

4:1

Rewards should outnumber punishers by four to one.

Washington County Wellness Program Be Well, Live Well, Serve Well

Health and wellness is an emerging trend in workforce effectiveness. Human Resources Analyst Brandi Johnston chairs the new Washington County Wellness Committee made up of 34 department representatives meeting monthly to identify needs and implement programs we can all benefit from. Lifestyles are personal and change is voluntary. One size does not fit all. The key is choice. The mission of the Washington County Wellness Program is to enhance opportunities for employees to develop healthier lifestyles by supporting a culture of wellness.

The primary function of the Washington County Wellness Program is to use education and programs to enrich the lives of County employees, which in turn benefits the County’s functionality and the lives of its citizens. Through education and programs, the Washington County Wellness Committee will work to strengthen the existing culture of health, leading to healthier, happier, and more effective employees. One goal is to assist employees in understanding the programs currently available. What are you ideas? What education and training programs are important to you? The Community Corrections Department Wellness Committee representatives are: Melque Arroyo, Ken Rolfe, David Ainslie, and Sean Brown. Please email a representative your ideas about why health matters!

Staff to Attend National Conferences This summer eight of our co-workers, including members of our EvidenceBased Practices Committee, will travel to two national conferences to learn about the latest research and trends in community corrections. Brooke Vice, JaRee Spatz, Joy Arrington, and Steve Berger will attend the August American Probation and Parole Association conference in Indianapolis, and Nathan Bregel, Sam Hadley, Amy Miller, and Joe Simich will attend the September International Community Corrections Association conference in Orlando. Attending national conferences provides the opportunity to learn about effective programs being implemented elsewhere and challenges us to examine our own services. We look forward to their report.

Welcome New Family Mentor We are excited to share that the United Way has recently awarded a $100,000 grant to Youth Contact, Inc. in partnership with our department’s Center for Counseling & Victims’ Services program. The oneyear grant will fund a full-time Family Mentor, Hope Vanderhoof, who will mentor families, connect them with funding for special needs, and coordinate them with other services and counseling. The project seeks to intervene with children and families to mitigate the barriers for children who have parents with criminal convictions and to stop the cycle of criminality. The project will encourage stronger relationships between offenders and their families, which could strengthen our clients’ movement toward responsible and safe living. The Family Mentor is in keeping with our department’s commitment to mentoring as a model for recovery and growth. Ms. Vanderhoof began her work with CCVS several years ago as a receptionist, transitioned into case work with the Family Justice Initiative Program, and is excited to begin her new role. Her workspace will be in CCVS, her extension is 3029, and she’ll be visiting the teams of our department in order to help build relationships and connect WCCC clients to her services. Please welcome Hope as our newest partner and contact her, or Marci Nelson, x3021, with any questions you may have.

Recidivism Hits a Low The Oregon Department of Corrections defines recidivism as a new felony conviction within three years of starting probation or post-prison supervision. DOC reports recidivism rates in six month increments, reporting on offenders who started supervision during a corresponding six month period three years earlier. The state and Washington County have seen a gradual downward trend for the past several years, with the County generally reporting rates below the statewide average. The most recent report is worth noting, because it shows Washington County recidivism at a historic low. Three years after starting supervision in the second half of 2003, high and medium risk probationers recidivated at a rate of 25% and parole/pps offenders at 31%. Compare that to the most recent report, for offenders who started supervision in the second half of 2008, with rates of 16% and 26% respectively. This is a 36% reduction in probation recidivism and a 16% drop in the parole/pps rate over a five year period. Now we shouldn’t make too much of one six month reporting period, and we should keep in mind that influences beyond our services impact recidivism. But the trend has been in the right direction for several years, and we are consistently out-performing the state and nation on our most important measure of success.

Chaplain Services Community Corrections would like to announce the availability of multi-faith Chaplaincy Services through a partnership with the Sheriff’s Office. These voluntary and confidential services are offered at no cost to the employee. Bryan McKelvey is the Senior Chaplain with the Sheriff’s Office coordinating 13 community Chaplains of various faiths; all of whom are skilled to assist us with the unique challenges our profession presents regardless of an individual’s faith or spirituality.

Senior Chaplain Bryan McKelvey Protestant / Non-Denominational

In addition to their individual educational backgrounds, all Chaplains have completed a two year training program specifically designed for law enforcement chaplaincy services. Chaplain McKelvey holds specialized training certificates in “Spiritual Care in Crisis Intervention” and “Emergency Services.” He is also a certified instructor for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation in the areas of “Assisting Individuals in Crisis” and “Group Crisis Intervention.” Chaplains are available 24/7 through dispatch (503-629-0111) who will page the “on-call” Chaplain. The Chaplain will return your call within 5 minutes. As a brief introduction, Bryan McKelvey began his law enforcement career in 1992 as a reserve police officer with the Portland Police Bureau. He then moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he completed his studies in religion and was ordained in 1996. After moving back to Oregon in 1997 he pioneered Faith Christian Fellowship of Hillsboro, where he served as Senior Pastor until accepting a position with the Washington County Sheriffs Office in 2001. Bryan also serves as the Senior Chaplain for Peacekeepers Northwest. This service is not intended as a substitute for the County’s Employee Assistance Program, but it is an alternative when someone needs a very quick response or desires faith-based support. Bryan has been invited to attend upcoming team meetings to provide a more detailed outline of the services provided.