Curriculum Modules

MODULE 1

Upon completion of Module 1, students will have gained the knowledge regarding various resources within their community, basic life skills for independent living, and budgeting and banking skills. Students will be comfortable using basic computer skills and navigating technology. Students will have created a job resume’ and will better understand online job search skills. Students will understand the importance of soft skills, professionally carrying themselves, and dressing for success. Mock interview workshops will help with attaining and strengthening interview skills.

• Module 1: 0-90 days

  • Reentry Transition

  • Resource Linkage

  • Money Management

  • Technology Education

  • Education and Employment

  • 15 hours a week of programming

    • • Groups: 5 hours a week

      • Supported Community activities: 5 hours a week

      • Work/additional programming etc.: 5 hours a week

MODULE 2

Upon completion of Module 2, students will have gained a knowledge of employment and educational opportunities. Students will have practiced building positive problem-solving-based coping skills to manage their negative emotions and prevent recidivism/substance use relapse. Students will be able to maintain successsful, healthy interpersonal relationships with others in their peer group and community. Students will understand the consequences of their actions using empathy-building techniques. Along with emotional health, Module 2 provides hygiene, self-care, and sexual education components to build a student’s knowledge of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Students will continue to practice dressing professionally and the soft skills they have learned in Module 1 throughout Module 2.

• Module 2: 91-180 days

  • Education and Employment

  • SUD/Relapse Prevention

  • Victim Empathy/ Impact

  • Interpersonal relations

  • Self-care/Whole health care

  • Coping Skills

  • 20 hours per week of programming

    • Groups: 5 hours a week

    • Supported community activities: 5 hours a week

    • Work/additional programming etc.: 5 hours a week

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MODULE 3 (Extension)

Module 3 is a part of the Transitional Housing Program extension and focuses on community engagement. This module assists with hands-on skills. Students maintain the skills and resources provided in Module 1 and 2. They will become active students in their communities during Module 3. Students will maintain stable employment and/or education while attending community and group activities.

• Module 3: 181-365 days (Extension required)

  • 25 hours per week of programming

    • Groups: 5 hours a week

    • Supported community activities: 5 hours a week

    • Work/additional programs: 15 hours a week

 

Class Descriptions

Reentry Transition

This class focuses on managing anxiety, impatience, and pressure by identifying goals and expecting the unexpected. Students will identify their evolving needs (first week, first month, first year, etc.) and learn to shed prison identities. Training shall focus on defects in students’ thought processes that lead to self-defeating decisions. We designed the curriculum to encourage students to adopt a positive, law-abiding lifestyle.

1. 1. Anxieties, fears, pressures, goals, and expectations.

   2. Personal needs, self-identity, self-affirmations,

   3. Who I am, where I am?

   4. A law-abiding lifestyle

   5. Peer reentry Navigation Network Meetings* see attachment

   6. Overcoming the effects of incarceration

Community Resource Linkage

This class will assist the student in developing a community reentry plan. This class will also prepare participants to use private and public social services agencies within the local community for personal, family, and employment issues, problems, and needs. While in this class, the student will get a current and accurate community resource catalog before leaving the program. This catalog will list resources by specialty service and include the agency’s name, address, telephone number, and contact person, as well as a summary of the eligibility criteria for students or families to receive the services provided. Upon exit, the student will also receive a completed reentry plan.

1. 1. Reentry plan

   2. Private and public social services

   3. Personal, family and employment needs

   4. How to use the catalog    

Money Management

This class will focus on, but is not limited to: managing personal finances, establishing and maintaining bank accounts, writing checks, using debit cards, balancing checking accounts, interest rates, responsible bill paying and use of credit, finance charges, late and overdraft fees, use of Automated Teller Machines, and living within your financial means.

1. 1. Managing personal finances

   2. Establishing and maintaining bank accounts

   3. Writing checks and using debit cards

   4. Balancing checking and savings accounts, interest rates

   5. Responsible bill paying, responsible use of credit, finance charges, and overdraft fees

   6. Use of automated teller machines living within your financial means

Technology Education

This class will assist the student in learning basic and intermediate computer skills such as systems, terms, hardware components of peripherals, operating systems, and applications. Instructions will include Windows Operating System, at a minimum Windows 10; launching windows programs, logging on and off, managing files, and using Microsoft Office programs. Class goals are for students to become proficient in the roles of an operating system, using a mouse, and to understand desktop icons and buttons. Instruction will survey connectivity, internet and domains, web browser functions, web security risk with internet activities, and email use.

1. 1. Systems, terms, hardware components of peripherals, operating systems, and applications

   2. Windows 10 operating system, launching Windows, logging on and off, managing files, Using Microsoft Office Programs

   3. Using a mouse, icons, and buttons

   4. Connectivity, internet and domains, web browsers and how they function

   5. Security risk with internet and web activities

   6. Email, messages, cell phones

Education

The Job Developer will assist students in obtaining diplomas, degrees, and certificates by linking them with adult schools, community colleges, state universities, vocational schools, or other educational opportunities.

1. 1. Diplomas

   2. Degrees

   3. Certificates

   4. Adult school

   5. Community college

   6. State University

   7. Vocational training

   8. Basic Math

Job Readiness and Employment

The Job Developer will conduct training to prepare students for job search and employment. Job search training shall address the use of daily classified ads (online and or paper format), public and private employment agencies, etc. Employment training will address personal presentation and demeanor. This course will cover effective communication, developing good work habits, strengthening self-esteem, establishing short-term and long-term work goals, taking a written test, resumes, writing, and interview skills. This class will also assist students with interview language, explaining time incarcerated, understanding workplace culture, and presenting their skills.

1. 1. Job Search

   2. Personal presentation and demeanor

   3. Effective communication

   4. Developing good work habits, strengthening self-esteem

   5. Short term and long- term work goals

   6. Taking a written test

   7. Resume preparation, writing and interviewing

   8. Interview language

   9. Explaining incarcerated time

   10. Understanding workplace culture

   11. Presenting your skills

Substance Use Disorder

This class will focus on anger management, relapse prevention, and community transition.

1. 1. Anger management

   2. Relapse prevention

   3. Community transition

Victim Empathy Impact Awareness

This class will focus on the needs and case assessments of the students. Education will focus on assisting the student toward becoming aware, understanding the impact of crime on the victims, and taking responsibility for their actions to make amends.

1. 1. Becoming aware

   2. Understanding the impact that crime has

   3. Taking responsibility for our actions

   4. Making amends

Interpersonal relationships

We designed this class to assist the student in focusing on relationships and reunions with parents, children, and family members through an educational and group process. These processes include developing family rules and guidelines, giving and receiving positive recognition, discipline without hitting or yelling, communicating needs, developing nurturing daily living routines and activities, playing and having fun as a family, creating new relationships, developing and maintaining healthy boundaries, and identifying warning signs of high-risk relationships.

1. 1. Relationships and reunions with family members

   2. Developing family rules and guidelines

   3. Giving and receiving positive recognition

   4. Discipline without hurting or yelling

   5. Communicating needs, developing nurturing daily living routines and activities

   6. Playing and having fun as a family

   7. Developing new relationships

   8. Developing and maintaining healthy boundaries

   9. Identifying warning signs of high-risk relationships

 Healthy Living/Self-care

This class will focus on the importance of knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to personal health and wellness. This course will expose the students to a broad range of issues and information about personal health, including the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and environmental aspects. Topics to be introduced are nutrition, physical fitness, stress, and weight management. Other topics for this class will include, but not limited to, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, HIV/Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness, and address information concerning blood-borne pathogens. This course will talk about various pathogens, transmission routes, preventative strategies, and procedures to follow in case of exposure.

1. 1. HIV, TB, Safe Sex, Hygiene

   2. Hepatitis B and C, Non- A and Non- B Hepatitis

   3. Syphilis

   4. Malaria

   5. Physicals

Coping Skills

This class will focus on emotional regulation/anger management, post-traumatic stress/post-incarceration syndrome, healthy communication, and identifying triggers. The course focus will also include reducing and redirecting stress and tension, resulting in aggressive behaviors. The course will survey anger causes, providing alternatives to violent outbursts and abusive behavior through educational lessons that challenge inappropriate ways of expressing anger and techniques to dissipate that anger before it becomes unmanageable.

1. 1. Emotional regulation/anger management

   2. Dealing with post-traumatic stress/post-incarceration syndrome

   3. Healthy communication and identifying triggers/risk

   4. Reducing and redirecting stress and tension

   5. Causes of anger and providing alternatives to a violent outburst

   6. Inappropriate ways of expressing anger and techniques

   7. Grief and Loss

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