Walden University Social Work Question providing much-needed support and resources to those in need.

 Respond to at least two colleagues who identified a different factor or plan.

Recommend a different evaluation for your colleague’s target program or a different research design.

Elexa Lynn Becton Feb 2, 2024Feb 2 at 6:03amPIRC (Positive Initiative to Reinforce Change)             This study investigated the impact of a local support meeting on the reintegration success of men and women that have been released from previous incarceration. The Positive Initiative to Reinforce Change (PIRC) meetings are a communal and inclusive space for re-entrants to receive support and resources to avoid recidivism. Thirty meeting participants completed a survey which rated their agreeance with eight statements on a six-point scale. Participant surveys showed an overall satisfaction with PIRC meetings and agreed that social support positively affects reintegration. A majority of participants found that PIRC meetings were easy to access and provided the necessary resources needed to combat recidivism.  These findings support that the local meetings have a positive impact of re-entrants in Pittsburgh communities. Though most of the results showed overall agreeance to the statements in the survey, more research may be conducted to further support the assumption that social support optimistically impacts reintegration. Recidivism is a consequence of a system that rarely supports individuals re-entering society. It is mostly caused by the overwhelming obstacles that former inmates face when they return to situations they were in before they went to prison. Situations that may have influenced their criminal behavior in the first place. PIRC meetings or Positive Initiative to Reinforce Change meetings is a community of returning citizens that meet weekly to discuss real time and real-life topics. For those that participate, “PIRC Support Groups provide a safe and welcoming forum for reentrants and their supporters to share resources, network, and address social, intellectual, vocational, spiritual, emotional, environmental, and physical needs” (Foundation of Hope, 2023). The meetings encourage participants to develop new ways of thinking and coping strategies to work through future hardships.The goal of these meetings is to help participants build the right skills, so they don’t revert to the old behavior which resulted in their incarceration. This is primarily accomplished through peer and community support. Doing this successfully will decrease recidivism rates. For example, according to a study of recently released prisoners, “Social support can help reduce strain, lessen subsequent negative emotions, and produce higher levels of self-control and environmental stability” (Johnson, 2010, p.1144) which shows that social support can help released inmates reintegrate into society.While these meetings are heavily connected to the surrounding communities there is no national model or legislation which guides the practice at Foundation of Hope. However, local public policy does impact what services we can provide and how we deliver those services. Many of our program participants are incarcerated at the local county jail. For that reason, most of the policies that are in place at the jail also impact our services and participants. For many of our participants, the local policies which govern the Allegheny County Jail are oppressive in nature and restrictive to individual freedom. Once released, these same men and women may feel overwhelmed by the number of decisions they must make after leaving an environment where everything was decided for them. The purpose of PIRC meetings is to help guide these individuals through this process. If we can do that successfully, then we can deter them from going down another path that leads to further incarceration.

Colene Roberts 

• WednesdayFeb 7 at 7:05pm
• MAIN POST

Summarize the following items from your Week 7 Assignment to provide your colleagues with a brief overview of your program:

The Week 7 Project addresses the high recidivism rates in Erie, PA, by establishing the United Erie prison reentry program. The initiative responds to the District Attorney’s recognition of the need for change due to repeated trials and rising crime. Collaborating with a Statistics Professor, alarming rates of 1,250 individuals with a 58% recidivism rate returning to Erie annually were revealed (Unified Erie, 2018). The proposed solution involves the creation of a comprehensive reentry program led by a diverse Board of Directors hosted by the YMCA, targeting key aspects like housing, transportation, advocacy, employment, schooling, and peer support. The program aims to serve 181 clients at a daily cost of $12 per client, compared favorably to the cost of incarceration (Unified Erie, 2018). System Used: The change initiative involves various interconnected systems, including the Initiation System, Change Agent System, Client System, Support System, Controlling System, Host System, and Implementing System. These systems work collaboratively to address the complex issue of recidivism in Erie, PA. Agency Name: The agency responsible for the program is Unified Erie, as indicated in the project details. Target Program: The target program is the United Erie prison reentry program, designed to support individuals resettling in Erie County from prisons across the United States. Agency’s Mission or Program Goals: The program aims to foster positive societal reintegration by providing a comprehensive and individualized prison reentry program. The goals include access to support services, reduction in violence and recidivism, and clients becoming more self-sufficient. Probable Funding Source: The funding source for the program is not explicitly mentioned in the provided information. However, given the social nature of the initiative, potential funding sources could include government grants, private donations, or collaborations with philanthropic organizations. Client System: The client system comprises individuals from prisons all over the United States who are resettling in Erie County, PA. Client Population Served, Eligibility Requirements, and Services Offered: The program aims to serve 181 clients, providing housing, transportation, advocacy, employment, schooling, and peer support services. Eligibility requirements are not explicitly outlined in the project details. Referral Sources and/or Collaborative Services: Referral sources and collaborative services involve the District Attorney’s office, Department of Justice, Erie Police, Erie Mayor, Erie School District, and a Board of Directors with diverse representatives. Effectiveness of the Program: The program’s effectiveness is not explicitly discussed in the provided information. However, the program’s design aligns with best practices in reentry initiatives, addressing social, economic, and psychological factors to foster positive societal reintegration. Current Agency Issues: The project does not mention any current agency issues. Evaluation of the Target Program: The evaluation of the target program involves a comprehensive Gantt Chart outlining the implementation process, from identifying key stakeholders to continuous improvement. Appropriate Research Design: The most appropriate research design for evaluating this program would be quasi-experimental. This design allows for comparing outcomes between participants and non-participants, providing valuable insights into the program’s effectiveness. It can measure changes in recidivism rates, societal reintegration, and self-sufficiency among program participants compared to a control group. Quasi-experimental designs are well-suited for assessing the impact of interventions in real-world settings, aligning with the practical nature of the United Erie prison reentry program.

References

Unified Erie. (2018). PCCD Training Home Page. Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and   Delinquency. https://www.pccd.pa.gov/training/Pages/default.asp… 

Respond to two colleagues who identified an article with a different type of qualitative data analysis and a different way of interpreting the data in one of the following ways:

Describe how this alternate method could benefit your social work practice.

Describe how your chosen method could benefit your colleague’s practice.
Salina Flores-Dingler TuesdayFeb 6 at 1:39pmMain Post

Describe the focus of qualitative data analysis.

Qualitative data analysis is a methodological process used to interpret subjective information obtained from interviews, observations, documents, and other sources (Monette et al, 2014, p. 427). Unlike quantitative analysis, which focuses on numerical data and statistical methods, qualitative analysis emphasizes understanding the meaning, patterns, and themes present in the data.Researchers immerse themselves in the data, often through repeated reading or viewings, to develop a deep understanding of the material. Researchers look for recurring patterns, themes, and concepts within the data (Monette et al. 2014. P427). This involves categorizing and organizing the data based on similarities and differences.

Explain how understanding qualitative data analysis can improve your social work practice.

Understanding qualitative data analysis can greatly enhance social work. By analyzing qualitative data, social workers can gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, perspectives, and needs of the individuals and communities they serve (Monette et al, 2014). Qualitative analysis can provide insights into the root causes of social issues and inform the development of targeted interventions and programs that address these issues effectively.Engaging with qualitative data allows social workers to empathize with diverse perspectives and develop cultural competence (Monette et al, 2014). This, in turn, enables them to provide more sensitive and effective services to clients from various backgrounds. Qualitative research can generate evidence to support advocacy efforts and policy changes aimed at addressing social injustices and inequalities (Monette et al, 2014).

Identify a qualitative study and describe the type of qualitative data analysis the authors used.

Using systems-mapping to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma is a qualitative study written by Vu, T. H., Bishop, J., McGill, L., Valmadrid, L., Golden, S., Emmerling, D., & Saeugling, S. in 2022. The article is focused on exploring the impact of participation in a system mapping projects (SMP) on stakeholders’ understanding and perception of ACEs and trauma. The authors conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with16 stakeholders involved in the SMP facilitated by a local nonprofit in easter-North Carolina (Vu et al, 2022).The type of qualitative data analysis used is an interactive content analysis coding process. In this approach the analysis involved an iterative process, meaning that it was not a one-time event but rather a continuous cycle of coding and revising as new insight emerged from the data (Morgan & Nica, 2020). Content analysis involves systematically categorizing and interpreting textual data to identify patterns, themes, and relationships. The authors likely analyzed the transcripts of the interviews to identify recurring ideas, concepts, and perspectives related to the stakeholder’s’ experiences with the SMP.Through the coding process, the authors generated and analyzed themes that emerged from the interviews. These themes provided insight into stakeholders’ recognition and understanding of trauma, the perception of trauma as both a community and individual issue, and the perceived benefits of the systems-mapping approach.ReferenceMonette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., DeJong, C. R., & Hilton, T. P. (2014). Applied social research: A tool for the human services (9th ed.). Brooks/Cole.Morgan, D. L., & Nica, A. (2020). Iterative Thematic Inquiry: A New Method for Analyzing Qualitative Data. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920955118Vu, T. H., Bishop, J., McGill, L., Valmadrid, L., Golden, S., Emmerling, D., & Saeugling, S. (2022). Using systems-mapping to address Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma: A qualitative study of stakeholder experiences. PLoS ONE, 17(8), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273361

Courtney Vannatta
WednesdayFeb 7 at 1:05pm
Main:
Describe the focus of qualitative data analysis.
The focus of qualitative data analysis is a way of interpreting qualitative data like interviews and observations through a methodological process (Monette et al., 2014). This is different from the process of interpreting quantitative data (Monette et al., 2014). There are two types of strategies for data analysis (Monette et al., 2014). One type is categorizing where they attempt to summarize data by creating concepts and theorizing from the data (Monette et al., 2014). The other strategy is contextualizing, where data is treated as a whole (Monette et al., 2014). This is where most of the data is retained to capture the whole context (Monette et al., 2014).
Explain how understanding qualitative data analysis can improve your social work practice.
Understanding qualitative data analysis improves social work practice because it’s important to be able to interpret data. Categorizing allows concepts and theories to be created about data (Monette et al., 2014). This is helpful because these theories can be used to create interventions for at-risk communities. Contextualizing can give the context of a research study  (Monette et al., 2014). This improves social work practice because contextualizing gives future researchers a precedent for how to complete more research  (Monette et al., 2014). For example, they can use the context to adapt it for future studies.
Identify a qualitative study and describe the type of qualitative data analysis the authors used
I chose a study regarding Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy in prison and forensic services (Every-Palmer et al., 2023). In this study, there are interviews with a small sample size (Every-Palmer et al., 2023). This study uses categorization to create theories regarding the abuse. For example, the study uses terms like “seriously messed up” to describe the overarching theme of the responses of participants (Every-Palmer et al., 2023). This study also uses contextualization to describe how there is a lack of research regarding PTSD in the prison population (Every-Palmer et al., 2023).
References
Every-Palmer, S., Ross, B., Flewett, T., Rutledge, E., Hansby, O., & Bell, E. (2023). Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in prison and forensic services: a qualitative study of lived experience. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 14(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2023.2282029Links to an external site.
Monette, D. R., Sullivan, T. J., DeJong, C. R., & Hilton, T. P. (2014). Applied social research: A tool for the human services (9th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

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