Integrating Employment Strategies into Criminal Justice Programs

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Integrating Employment Strategies into Criminal
Justice Programs

• Steve Fishbein
• Michelle Robison
• Moderator Nancy Fishman

Smart Responses in Tough Times Achieving Better
Outcomes for People with Mental Illnesses
Involved in the Criminal Justice System July
15-17, 2009
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Employment Strategies for Justice Involved
Individuals with Mental IllnessSteven M
Fishbein, MS, CRC, LRCSupervisor of Psychiatric
Rehabilitation ServicesEmployment, Education
Justice Involved ServicesOffice of Housing,
Policy Program DevelopmentNew Jersey Division
of Mental Health Services Office [phone]
steve.fishbein_at_dhs.state.nj.us
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What is Supported Employment?

• An evidence based practice, supported employment
  facilitates competitive work in integrated work
  settings for individuals with the most severe
  disabilities (i.e. psychiatric,) for whom
  competitive employment has not traditionally
  occurred, and who, because of the nature and
  severity of their disability, need ongoing
  support services in order to perform their job.
• Paid Employment - Work performed must be
  compensated with the same benefits and wages as
  other workers in similar jobs receive. Employment
  must be for at least 18 hours per week.
• Integrated Work Sites - Individuals with
  disabilities should have the same opportunities
  to participate in all activities in which other
  employees participate and to work alongside other
  employees who do not have disabilities.
• Ongoing Support - A key characteristic which
  distinguishes supported employment from other
  employment programs is the provision of ongoing
  support for individuals with severe disabilities
  to maintain employment. DOL ODEP

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Supported Employment is based on Six Principles

• 1. Eligibility is based on consumer choice. No
  one is excluded who wants to participate.
• 2. Supported employment is integrated with
  treatment. Employment specialists coordinate
  plans with the treatment team the case manager,
  therapist, psychiatrist, etc.
• SE provided by a single entity which provides
  both the employment and clinical services is more
  effective then when provided by separate
  agencies.
• Bond, et.al, Effectiveness of Psychiatric
  Rehabilitation Approaches for Employment of
  People with Severe Mental Illness, Journal of
  Disability Policy Studies, 1999
• SAMSHA SE Toolkit 2003

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Six Principles (cont.)

• 3. Competitive employment is the goal. The focus
  is community jobs anyone can apply for that pay
  at least minimum wage, including part-time and
  full-time jobs.
• 4. Job search starts soon after a consumer
  expresses interest in working. There are no
  requirements for completing extensive
  pre-employment assessment and training, or
  intermediate work experiences (like prevocational
  work units, transitional employment, or sheltered
  workshops).
• Prevocational training appears to detract from
  rather then enhance the effectiveness of SE.
• Bond, et.al, Effectiveness of Psychiatric
  Rehabilitation Approaches for Employment of
  People with Severe Mental Illness, Journal of
  Disability Policy Studies, 1999

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Six Principles (cont.)

• 5. Follow-along supports are continuous.
  Individualized supports to maintain employment
  continue as long as consumers want the
  assistance.
• Consumer preferences are important. Choices and
  decisions about work and support are
  individualized based on the persons preferences,
  strengths, experiences.
• Only 2.5 of consumers receiving SE out of total
  estimated SMI
• Source 2005 CMHS Uniform Reporting System (URS)
  Tables 1/9/2007 EBP NJ p.23

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Justice Involved Consumers in New Jersey
Supported Employment Programs - September, 2007
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Learning from New Jerseys Experience with
Providing Support Employment
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• Helping people with Mental Illness to work is
  more of a human growth development issue then a
  clinical issue.
• Readiness for work is about personal commitment
  or motivation, not about performing predetermined
  tasks and tests.
• When assisting individuals with mental illness to
  go to work treatment, while important, becomes a
  support to employment not the primary agenda.

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The SE Golden Rules

• Its all about the fit between the individual and
  the job greater satisfaction, longer job tenure.
• The right support and not just paid support can
  compensate for a myriad of issues

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The System
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• Recognize that the system rather then the
  consumer is often the biggest barrier to
  employment and work to reduce those roadblocks
• Government systems may have arbitrary rules
  about providing services to ex-offenders with
  mental illness or co-occurring disorders
• Resource development and coordination is
  significantly more difficult but can be
  accomplished

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Addressing NJ systems barriers

• NJDMHS has made consumers with criminal justice
  backgrounds a priority group for SE
• Contract performance commitments for Justice
  Involved Services (JIS) include employment
• JIS SE providers are expected to work together
• DMHS has facilitated training for its SE
  providers in adapting SE for consumers with
  criminal backgrounds

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The Employment Process
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• Speeding up the matching process
• Obtaining preferences, skills supports in a
  succinct, targeted fashion.
• Expecting less than a perfect match
• Job matching is critical in promoting job
  satisfaction therefore retention.
• SE can tend to strive for an ideal match.
• Greater compromise may be required to comply with
  time constraints place on the individual by
  probation or parole. Shoot for 2/3rds match

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• Apply for entitlements as early as possible
• Be aware that this may be a significant barrier
  to work
• Apply early for state One Stop or Voc Rehab
  services
• They may be needed to pay for SE or other
  employment related services
• There may be an increased need to use federal or
  other bonding programs

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• Generalized marketing may play a more important
  role
• Cold calling and up front inquiries about hiring
  ex-offenders may be called for then the typical
  process of individualized job development
• Higher rates of disclosure are likely called for.
  Many consumers do not want to disclose their
  illness to employers but will need to disclose
  their convictions.

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• Occupational selection becomes more critical
• Identify barred occupations based upon conviction
• Job location is a more important consideration
• Focus on transferable skills learned in varied
  environments including jail and prison
• More time is needed in developing strategies and
  practice to explain gaps due to incarceration and
  or convictions

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Personnel
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Staff considerations

• Staff need to believe in the consumer and convey
  hope. Staff have to be non-judgmental and
  motivational. This may be particularly difficult
  as some consumers test limits and staff.
• The mental illness may have gone untreated most
  of the persons life, expect typical initial
  treatment issues
• Dont get stuck in the person being an
  ex-offender, they are often motivated
• Trust is not easy to come by follow through with
  promises, do what you say!

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Staff are often intimidated by the thought of
working with this group of individuals

• Choose staff who are not only comfortable with
  this group of consumers but comfortable procuring
  employment!
• Individuals like structure and support but are
  often very needy
• There is a greater need to set clear boundaries

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• Strategies are needed to learn the full truth
  from the person and requires getting behind the
  game
• A recognition of jail and prison culture is
  crucial behaviors and attitudes which are
  adaptive while inside may be maladaptive when
  out.
• Merrill Rotter, MD GAINS National Conference,
  2006
• Its critical to clarify roles when involved with
  multiple agencies and entities
• Conferring communicating with the courts,
  probation or parole is crucial approval may be
  needed for the job choice

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• Employment specialist (ES) must make allowances
  for and develop strategies to overcome their own
  responses
• The individual may be more aggressive and quick
  tempered
• The individual may be offended easily
• The individual may be smart mouthed, carry a
  chip on their shoulder or have a know it all
  attitude

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• There may be many missed appointments which will
  require aggressive outreach.
• The ES may have to assist the person in dealing
  with the losses they have sustained as a result
  of conviction and incarceration.
• The ES must be trauma informed and be prepared to
  address manifestations there of be aware of the
  internal chaos jail or prison environments can
  stir up.

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Integrating Employment Strategies into
Criminal Justice/Mental Health Programs A Local
StoryMichelle R. Robison
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Cobb County Community Services Board/Douglas
County Community Services Board

• 29 million organization
• 34 sites
• 630 employees
• 14,000 served in community-based delivery system
• 2,500 served in correctional facility
• CARF accredited

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Our Story Cobb County Detention Center
Cobb/Douglas Community Service Boards
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Cobb County Community Service Board

• 1990s -The Cobb CSB had a Criminal Justice
  Liaison who would visit the jail to help insure
  that inmates with mental health issues received
  their medication and case management services.
  The liaison inter-faced with a psychologist and a
  medical doctor who were on staff inside the jail.
• 2001 - A Cobb CSB part time psychiatrist and a
  small team of full time mental health providers
  offered services in the jail.
• 2009 - A psychiatrist, three full time mental
  health staff and 4 part time employees are now
  working in the facility. The approval for adding
  an additional four positions has recently been
  given.

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Medication

• 2003 - 370 in-mates prescribed psychiatric
  medication at any given time with the average
  monthly pharmacy cost of 10, 750.
• 2009 - 550 in-mates prescribed psychiatric
  medication at any given time with the average
  monthly pharmacy cost of 28, 500

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Recovery History of Service

• SE Services are an important component along the
  recovery model continuum.
• The Cobb-Douglas CSB had been successfully
  providing Supported Employment Services since the
  mid 80s.

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Self-employment

• Prior to October 2001 almost all of our SE
  folks were working in traditional/service
  industry jobs and no one was pursuing
  self-employment, where now 45 consumers are doing
  self-employment.

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Funding for Supported Employment Services
Expansion Federal Grants

• DOE Learn to Earn Pre-Release
• 2007 BJA Learn to Earn Post-Release

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Customized Employment Means (Federal Register)

• individualized employment relationship to meet
  the needs of the employee and employer via a
  process of negotiation and customization.
• determination of the individualized strengths and
  interests of the person with a disability duties
  negotiated to fit the needs of individuals with a
  disability
• includes self-employment, entrepreneurial
  initiatives, restructuring strategies.

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Resource Ownership

• individual purchases a resource that a business
  needs and brings to the employer
• paid a wage or salary
• takes equipment with them when the leave
• e.g. dog grooming equipment in a pet salon and
  paid as an apprentice

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Business-within-a-business

• operate a micro-enterprise inside an existing,
  larger business
• profits shared to off-set persons space
  requirements
• e.g. selling manicure products in a salon
  computer training in a day care
• market analysis, feasibility study, business plan
  writing

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Self-employment, also referred to as small
business and/or micro-enterprise

• person with a disability owns the business
• flexibility with schedule, tasks, supports
• feasibility study, market analysis, financial
  projections, business plan

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Customized Employment

• Tools Strategies

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Tools Strategies

• Creative Assessment Vocational Profile Process
• Individualized Training Account (I.T.A.)
• Work Force Planning Assistance (WIPA) Services
• Business Plan Development

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X.I.J. Consulting and Associates
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Bradley

• Self- Employed
• Attended the EDGE Connection for business plan
  development course work and start-up
  consultation.
• He attended and graduated from the 2nd NxLevel
  course for micro-entrepreneurs.
• Funding ITA 1,500
• Relies on ongoing marketing support and client
  word of mouth.

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Resource Information

• Griffin, C.C., Hammis, D. Geary, T. (2007). The
  Job Developers Handbook Practical Tactics for
  Customized Employment. Baltimore Brookes
  Publishing.
• Griffin, C.C., Hammis, D. (2003). Making
  Self-Employment Work for People with
  Disabilities.

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Academic Journals

• Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation
• 23 (2005) 123V134 123 IOS Press
• Supporting consumer directed employment outcomes
• Nancy Brooks-Lane, Suzanne Hutchesonb and Grant
  Revell, Developmental Disabilities Services, Cobb
  and Douglas Counties Community Services Boards,
  3830 South Cobb Drive, Smyrna, GA 30080, USA
  E-mail nanwal_at_earthlink.net Helping People
  Succeed, Inc., P.O. Box 597, Stuart, FL 34995,
  USA cVCU RRTC, P. O. Box 842011, Richmond, VA
  23284, USA Tel. [phone] E-mail
  wgrevell_at_mail1.vcu.edu
• May (2007)
• A revolution in the employment process of
  individuals with disabilities Customized
  employment as the catalyst for system change
• Tod Citron, Nancy Brooks-Lane, Doug Crandell,
  Kate Brady, Cobb-Douglas Counties Community
  Services Boards, Smyrna Georgia USA

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Comprehensive Media Publication List

• National Public Radio (NPR) story, 2005
• Making a Difference Magazine, multiple issues
• Marietta Daily Journal, multiple issues
• Atlanta Journal and Constitution, multiple issues
• Real Work, Real Play, edited by Paul Weiman, 2006
• US DOL Fact Sheets, multiple
• T-TAP web-casts fact sheets, multiple
• Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 2006 issue
• Latest book by Griffin-Hammis and Associates,
  March 2007
• Schizophrenia Digest, 2006
• MOUTH Magazine, 2003
• TV-21 Interview, 2001 2005
• Fox-5 TV-News Story, 2001
• Griffin-Hammis and Associates website,
  www.griffinhammis.org
• NCWD Customized Grantee website,
  www.onestops.info
• EDGE Connection website, www.theedgeconnection.org
  
• Bright Side, March 2006

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Thank you

• For further information conference
  presentations
• please visit
• www.consensusproject.org

This material was developed by presenters for the
July 2009 event Smart Responses in Tough Times
Achieving Better Outcomes for People with Mental
Illnesses Involved in the Criminal Justice
System. Presentations are not externally
reviewed for form or content and as such, the
statements within reflect the views of the
authors and should not be considered the official
position of the Bureau of Justice Assistance,
Justice Center, the members of the Council of
State Governments, or funding agencies supporting
the work.