The John Howard Society of Toronto:

All About the Reintegration Centre and the Peer Support Program

Addictions and Mental Health Conference: May 26, 2015

Who We Are and What We Do

Mission Statement: Making our community safer by supporting the rehabilitation and re-integration of those who have been in conflict

with the law.

The John Howard Society of Toronto is a non-profit organization committed to providing and developing

programs that reduce the social, economic and personal cost of crime

JHS-T: 3 Types of Services and Programs

Alternatives to prison/ Crime Prevention

In-reach to prisons

Post-release strategies and services

Agenda

The Connection between mental health, substance use and incarceration- The escalating number of drug users in jails

Innovative response to these issues;The Reintegration CentreThe Harm Reduction Peer Support Program (TUHF)

More Inmates, Bigger Jails…TSDC TSDC opened November 2014- once at total capacity will house 1,650 inmates- primarily on remand

The Problem:

Challenges to the South Etobicoke Community

200 men will be released from the jail each week, when jail is at capacity

33-44% will be homeless upon releaseFace multiple barriers for employment- many

OW/ODSP recipients, mental health concerns, criminal record

Limited community resources- no male shelter, jail located in remote area, lack of mental health supports

Challenges faced by clients  Annual Report of the Office of the Correctional Investigator 2013-2014

More prisoners are presenting with complex mental health, substance abuse and addictions issues

Upon admission 80% of federally sentenced male prisoners have a substance abuse problem and nearly 2/3 reported that they were under the influence of substances during the commission of their crime.

Individuals with histories involving a combination of mental health and substance abuse issues are often more difficult to treat, more prone to relapse and have the highest risk for self-harm.

More than 1,000 self-inflicted injuries involving 295 prisoners were recorded in federal facilities, a rate that has more than tripled in the last five years.

28% of all use of force interventions involved a prisoner with a mental health concern as identified by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC).

“These numbers should be cause for alarm” – Howard Sapers, Correctional Investigator

Death from overdose: 20 times more often in provincial custody and 50 times more often in federal penal institutions than among people living in the community (Fruehwald & Frottier, 2002).

Mortality rate is very high among recently released prisoners, mostly as a result of accidental overdose due to decreased tolerance and reduced drug exposure during incarceration (Binswangar, I.A., et al., 2011).

Release from custody - high anxiety, increases in high-risk activities associated with drug use and “re-offending” for many with substance use issues/needs that stem from these circumstances.*

*(Huang, Y., Kuo, H., Lew-Ting, C., Tian, F., Yang, C., Tsai, T., Gange, S. J., Nelson, K. E., 2011).

Challenges for clients cont’d

OUR ANSWER: The Reintegration Centre

A Proactive Solution to Enhance Community Safety: The Reintegration Centre

Late 90’s- plans for TSDC and decommissioning of WDC, Toronto Jail- Part of provincial government’s Infrastructural Renewal Plan

JHS-T began to discuss a need for a social service response with other service providers and supporters over two years ago.

The Reintegration Centre Model was developed through collaborative process with partners and supporters and with assistance by professional group facilitators that lead the Committee through a series of Visioning and Planning exercises in the winter of 2012

The R.C. R.C.- Based on the idea of United Way’s Service

HUB Model (ACLC, COTA, F.E.A.T, LAMP Community Health Centre, Margaret’s)

Provide assistance to former inmates as immediately as possible in order to help them to move back to their home communities

Guide them towards the appropriate reintegration support services and programs across the City of Toronto- “warm referrals”

Provision of some basic needs re: coats, boots, hygiene items; Harm reduction education (tools), O/D prevention, peer support and accompaniment

Main ObjectivesProvide better access to services and programs as

indicated by those being releasedRespond to immediate needs Reduce high-risk behaviours and/or accidental drug

overdoses causing deathImprove the flow between services (inside/outside)Provide hope, positive role models, and non-

judgmental support( Peer Support Program)Offer separate waiting/resource area for family

members and loved onesIncrease community safetyDecrease recidivism

Our Peer Support Program- TUHF3 P/T peers to provide support, informed by their own lived

experience, has begun to appear as a best-practice within service delivery for marginalized populations including those with mental illness and substance users*

Clear need for HR and O/D prevention, support, tools

Rapidly growing body of evidence on the efficacy of Peer Support on an individual’s recovery and related circumstances- Mental Health Commission of Canada Guidelines.

Meaningful, fair waged employment through providing motivation, education, mentorship, and encouragement - acquiring new skills, work experience and improving their self-esteem.

*(Campbell, 2005; Craig, Doherty, Jamieson-Craig, Boocock and Attafua, 2004; Mead, Hilton and Curtis, 2001; Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013).

Peers can be effective 'identity models' for inmates/former inmates- people they can identify with and are living proof that turning away from crime is possible (Maruna, 2001).

The utilization of peers is necessary because inmates are likely to view professional staff as authority figures and may view advice as irrelevant since those giving it have no first-hand experience of the problems to be tackled (Devilly et al, 2005).

Peer interventions are cost effective

Mentoring builds on individual and community strengths and by bringing together volunteers with the disadvantaged helps to build social capital and resilience within deprived communities.

Why Peer Work is Valuable

*Devilly, G., Sorbellob, L., Eccleston, L. and Ward, T. (2005) Prison-based peer educationschemes'. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 10, pp. 219-240.*Maruna, S. (2001) Making Good: How Ex-convicts reform and rebuild their lives. New York:American Psychological Association

The mentoring and befriending foundation (MBF) identify four main purposes of peer interventions:

Targeted: to find employment, refrain from engaging in criminal behaviour, or to help integrate individuals into the community

Change behaviour: to improve relationships, reduce anti-social behaviours etc.

Expand opportunities: to help develop personal skills, build confidence, improve attainment etc.

Supportive: to build trust and resilience, reduce social isolation etc.

*Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (2011). MBF Funding Survey Report. Mentoring andBefriending Foundation data accessed at www.mandbf.org.uk.

Our Peer Workers’ Perspectives and

Stories

Next Steps for RC and our Peer Support Program

Continue work with JC (CAMH)Build community awareness- workskops and

outreachAdvisory CommitteeExpand HR and OD prevention capacity (Naloxone

training, relationship/contract with The Works, L.A.M.P’s HR program and South Etobicoke Harm Reduction Committee).

Enhance and expand partnerships and collaborationsEvaluation Search for sustainable funding, permanent site,

equity opportunities

The Reintegration Centre215 Horner Ave. (647) 429-7808

Lindsay Jennings- Support Worker ljennings@johnhowardtor.on.ca

Barry Corbitt - Support Worker bcorbitt@johnhowardtor.on.ca

Harold Johnson- Support Worker hjohnson@johnhowardtor.on.ca

Cindy Ferguson- Reintegration Centre Coordinator cferguson@johnhowardtor.on.ca

Amber Kellen Director of Community Initiatives, Policy and Research akellen@johnhowardtor.on.ca