Hooray

I did some reading on focus groups since our last meeting, most of which confirmed the things our guest speaker talked about a week or two back.  Other than that, I enjoyed and celebrated having turned in our paper.

Group Meeting

Today we met to discuss our next step in the process.  We are going to facilitate our focus groups over the break and hope to get a jump start for next semester. 

Research

I found another article on how reentry into the work field is difficult after being incarcerated. It looks promising when discussing the negative living conditions/consequences regarding substance abuse incarceration.

Group Meeting

We met today to discuss how we are going to put our paper together so it flows.  We are working on a Google document to share our information.    Things are rolling and coming along great. 

Ignore that FYI :)

Hey folks,  I forgot to mention in our last meeting that I was able to schedule my surgery until winter break, thus I won't have to do anything special to have our paper done.  That's exciting.
I'm currently working on my section of the paper.  I'd still like to add more research, though it is going well.  Thanks, Matt, for creating a google document for us!

Group Meeting

Today we met and began comparing research findings. We focused on the specific content that we want to include in our final report. We also talked about our individual progress on formulating the article.

Matt, Corri, JJ, Alisa, and Chyrese

Population

I am researching information on the population affected by this social problem.  I also listened to a Ted Talk video my field supervisor shared with me that relates to this social problem.  The video was created by his neighbor, Sean Hosman.

Contributing Factors

I have been working on gathering and putting together the information for the section addressing contributing factors to recidivism for individuals following prison or jail.  There are many that seem could be easily addressed and others that appear more difficult. 

Agency Meeting

I met with Desmond Lomax Clinical Director of the Treatment Resource Center at Provo Adult Probation and Parole this past Thursday. I began by talking with him about different resources and information that is available about recidivism rates within the TRC. He is going to access some of the local data so that we can compare local rates of recidivism to national rates. Along with that, we began to discuss the possibility of focus groups in January. He had some great ideas on how we could do some effective focus groups with the population and in addition with the Probation officers themselves, getting their opinions on what works and what doesn't.

Research

I have been working on the gathering information about the contributors to recidivism and putting this information together so it flows. It has been fun and interesting.

Heads up!

I know I mentioned this in our last meeting, but I wanted to bring it up again on our blog, just in case.  Hopefully within the next couple weeks I'll be having some surgery, which means I'll be missing a class.  In our next meeting perhaps we can delegate some chunks I can work on while I'm out.  I should know exact dates by next week.

In other news, this week I have been gathering articles to use in our paper.  I've been mostly skimming them for viability, then bookmarking or copying them for later use.

Research

I found several articles that will be helpful in understanding the barriers to reintegration.  Two examples are "Examining the Impact of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse on Recidivism in a County Jail" found in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry 2011; and "Recidivism and Survival Time: A Racial Disparity Among Jail Ex-inmates" found in Social Work Research 2010.

Literature Review

I found a couple articles that might be helpful for us.


Hepburn, J. (2005). Recidivism Among Drug Offenders Following Exposure to Treatment.Criminal Justice            Policy Review, 15(2 237-259). Retrieved November 1, 2014.

Hepburn, J., & Albonetti, C. (1994). Recidivism among drug offenders: A survival analysis of the effects of           offender characteristics, type of offense, and two types of intervention.Journal of Quantitative                     Criminology, 10(2), 159-179.

The first article discusses the incarceration versus treatment and the effectiveness each has for helping an individual stay out of therapy.  The second article discusses what types of interventions and what characteristics are likely to keep an offender out of prison a second time.  

Factors Affecting Recidivism

I found an article about stats and factors relating to recidivism in Florida in 2001. 

The report collects information from the time or release from jail to time of reincarnation.  In the data collected it explores the factors that contribute to recidivism: "age at release, prior recidivism, race, gender, education level, offense type, custody level at release, number of disciplinary reports received, and time served in prison" (Crews, 2001). 

Crews, Michael D. (May 2001). "Recidivism Report". Florida Department of Corrections.  retrieved on November 2, 2014: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/pub/recidivism/2001/factors.html.   

References for circumstances

Narevic, E., Garrity, T. F., Schoenberg, N. E., Hiller, M. L., Webster, J. M., Leukefeld, C. G., & Tindall, M. S. (2006). Factors Predicting Unmet Health Services Needs Among Incarcerated Substance Users. Substance Use & Misuse, 41(8), 1077-1094. doi:10.1080/10826080600692167

In this article, it explains how the effects of substance abuse increase the need for health care services due to the negative consequences substances have on the body. However, those who use drugs are usually 'medically undeserved' of health care. 

Logan, T., Walker, R., Staton, M., & Leukefeld, C. (2001). Substance Use and Intimate Violence Among Incarcerated Males. Journal Of Family Violence, 16(2), 93-114.

This article explains how substance abuse increases the possibility of partner and family abuse. 

Workforce Strategies for Reintegration

The study:

Policy for Rights. (April 2012). "Results-Based Public Policy Strategies For Promoting Workforce Strategies for Reintegrating Ex-Offenders".  Center for the Study of Social Policy.

explores the important for strategies for workforce to prevent recidivism in exoffendors.  It explores strategies that seem effective and beneficial.  It also provides statistics for the rates of recidivism for each state for the years of 2004-07. 

Beginning Literature Review

This article is a national review from the Correctional Research Service on the topic we are studying titled: "Offender Reentry: Correctional Statistics, Reintegration into the Community, and Recidivism." The article provides both qualitative and quantitative data on reintegration of the prison population into society and in addition the recidivism (re-admittance of prior prisoners) rates and other qualitative information. 

http://www.nationalcia.org/wp-content/uploads/Correctional-Statistics-Reintegration-into-the-Community.pdf

This article is a compilation of resources currently used to help with prisoner reintegration.

http://www.doleta.gov/rexo/pdf/prisoner_reentry_resources.pdf

Answers for last weeks Questions

What additional information would I like to know?
Does socioeconomic status, level of education, and family support effect the rate of recidivism?

Where could I acquire/secure this information?
Department of corrections, through interviews, research, focus groups.

How can I acquire this information?
Conducting surveys, reviewing peer review journals, and facilitating focus groups. 

Interview Contacts

As I described our project focus to my practicum supervisor, I learned I could interview members of our target population who are involved with the forensics section of Valley Behavioral Health.  I was excited to have his help in setting this up.  I am also looking for research literature that describes the population negatively impacted by our social problem.

Assignment

I have been assigned to do research on how the living conditions or circumstances of individuals with substance abuse issues are negatively impacted by substance abuse. I will also come up with two questions for our set of interview questions.

Meeting with UDOC

I have been assigned to do research and meet with UDOC officials to obtain both quantitative data in regards to success outcomes of offenders released from jail and prison. As well as comparing The difference in success in reintegration between populations leaving jail and leaving prison.

Group Meeting

We decided our main line of focus for sure is barriers to reintegration into society for adult substance abuse offenders following prison or jail in the Utah and Salt Lake Counties.  What prevents individuals from staying out of the system following completion of the program.

Each individual was assigned to find articles, support on certain topics that will fulfill the needs of developing our project paper.

I was assigned to find information about and generate two questions for target population around: contributing factors and to contribute to information about areas negatively impacted by the social issue/problem.

Article

I found an article titled, Prison-based substance abuse treatment, residential aftercare and recidivism.   The results of this study found that in-prison therapeutic community treatment, especially when followed by residential aftercare, was effective for reducing post-release recidivism rates.

Journal Article

I found an article titled "Barriers to Recovery and Recommendations for Change: The Pennsylvania Consensus Conference on Psychiatry's Role," by Joseph A Rogers et al and published in Psychiatric Services.  While the article doesn't deal specifically with the barriers individual's in recovery face upon completion of their programs or therapy, it does talk about the role psychiatrists play in recovery, what their particular barriers are, and how they can be more effective in treating addiction.  The themes in the article certainly play well into our examination of recovery populations and the obstacles they face.

Article

I found an article called "Young adults, social networks, and addiction recovery: post treatment changes in social ties and their role as a mediator of 12-step participation".

It discusses how keeping the same social influences make recovery harder so people who are in recovery need to find social ties with people who don't use or are also trying to get clean.

Additional Agency Possibilities

Last week I talked with my husband who has provided IT services for Odyssey House and House of Hope to see if he still had contact with them.  He knows the directors and we can contact them if other avenues don't pan out.  I shared this with the group but forgot to post it.  I'll do a little research over fall break...

Dept. Of Corrections

I have been working with the Utah Department of Corrections, where I currently intern, to figure out a system that we can use to survey their population. We want to contact multiple different addicts who are now in the corrections system and figure out what they feel they need and want to help them stay clean after they graduate the Adult Probation and Parole outpatient program. At the prison they call this "Continuing Care." We are also going to look at what the state is currently doing there to see if that is transferable to the Probation system as well.

Research Article

I found an interesting research article that discusses factors that relate to recovery and relapse following treatment.

Duffy, Paul & Helen Baldwin. (2013). "Recovery post treatment: plans, barriers, and motivators." Duffy and Baldwin Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy.

Research

After meeting together this week and getting back on track, I will try to find some articles during fall break that give a general idea of the barriers facing people post-substance abuse treatment. I will look for general information on this topic and post back on the blog next week what I find.

Group Meeting 10/07/14

Today we met to refocus our energy and approach.  Our new approach is the issues of reintegration faced by individuals of the Utah Valley Probation System.  Matt will meet with his practicum to discuss working with them as an avenue.  All other individuals of the group will work on gathering information about discharge planning and issues addicts face with reintegration. 

Getting Back on Track

After discovering last week that we had jumped the gun on bit on our project and were headed in the wrong direction slightly, we are getting back on track.  Chyrese contacted an agency that looks promising.  And after chatting with some folks on our old path, it seems best to leave Chateau behind and focus on Sandy Counseling.  I also spoke with Matt on the phone to update him on our new plan and the problems with our old plan after class on Tuesday.

Sandy Counseling

I was able to speak with my boss today and she said it would be fine to talk to the people in the substance abuse program at my work. I will email her and get further details from her on what we would need to do to make this happen.

Group Meeting

Today we met as a group to discuss the direction we would like to go with our facilities and how to move forward with that.  We discussed how to approach what the facility might need and how might what we have in mind might help them.  JJ is going to contact Chateu Recovery, in addition to the contact he received for Addicts to Athletes and set up a more formal meeting to discuss needs and approaches.  We are also looking at times we can attend a Addicts to Athletes meeting.

Second Agency Contact

This week I spoke with a staff at Chateau Recovery about their use of Addict to Athlete.  Although we have not officially committed to them, we talked about attending an A2A meeting together and further exploring the possibility of our working relationship.  Most likely I'll attend the Tuesday night Murray meeting over our fall break.

Group Meeting

We met as a group last week and discussed a couple of things.  We talked about references for our topic and articles and books we have found.  Matt checked the Addicts to Athletes website for more links to references.  We talked about the possibility of going to an Addicts to Athletes meeting/workout and when they are held.

Further Research Findings

I found two research articles I feel approach this topic nicely:

Read, J.P & Richard A. Brown. (2003). "The Role of Physical Exercise in Alcoholism Treatment and Recovery". Professional Psychology: Research and Practice American Vol. 34, No. 1, 49-56.

and

Vuchowski, M. S. et al. (March 2011). "Aerobic Exercise Training Reduces Cannabis Craving and Use in Non-Treatment Seeking Cannabis-Dependent Adults." PLosOne Vol. 6 Issue 3.

Research Article

I found this article called "Acute effects of self-paced walking on urges to smoke
during temporary smoking abstinence" on Academic Search Premiere. It could certainly give us some information on how exercise helps recovering addicts. Let me know what you think of it!


Here is the link:
http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.utah.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=77c67f7e-fdcd-4e5b-9c2c-36a363a053be%40sessionmgr114&vid=4&hid=122

Research

I'm excited about the focus of our macro project!  I love the idea of using exercise to treat addiction.  I started researching this topic this week and found a great study called "Exercise as a novel treatment for drug addiction:  A neurobiological and stage-dependent hypothesis."  A few highlights from the study are that exercise may prevent drug use initiation through interactions with dopamine, that it may prevent relapse through interactions with glutamate, dopamine, and chromatin, and that exercise overall may be a useful tool for treating drug addiction.  Sounds promising!

Agency Contact

I spoke with Ben Pearson, the clinical director at Chateau Recovery, in Midway.  I filled Ben in on some of the details of our assignment to see if they would be interested in working with us.  Ben was optimistic, and suggested other places we might have interest in as well, including Addict II Athlete.  Ben shared a contact with that agency, and provided me with information on their upcoming meetings as well as offering members of our group to attend if we wished.  He asked me to contact him again next week to talk more.

Contacting Organizations

We are working with a couple of agencies currently to try to figure out the best avenue in which we should continue to study the effects of exercise and training on addiction recovery, depression, and anxiety. One of the organizations we are working with us currently is Addict II Athlete. You can access the organizations website here: http://addicttoathlete.org.
In searching for research on this topic we have come across a great book titled: Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhanced Well Being by Otto and Smits. 

Progress in the Making

There are great developments in our group project.  I am more excited and convinced as we met today about the direction we are heading.  Matt and JJ did some great work with contacting agencies and we are narrowing in our area of focus, agency, and the solid direction we would like to go.  This week we will work on gathering a little more research to support our argument.

Meet and Greet

Well the JAMCC group is formed and ready to rumble.  On 9/9 we met with one another for about an hour discussing the various topics we could take on for this project and the target group we could work with.  We have decided to target adult addicts, however, have not decided if we want to address inpatient or outpatient.  We would like to explore the importance of exercise/physical activity on the recovery process for addicts and how implementing this concretely in their treatment plan will benefit each individual.