Critical Analysis Report

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Critical Analysis Report: HOPE Project

Wilmington University Graduate Center

Professor: Dr. Adrienne Bey Spring 2012

Administration of Human Services AHS 8100

April 5, 2012

By

Sharon A. Page

Introduction My internship at the HOPE Commission has given me a clear vision into the heart of their mission. From the outside looking in, it can appear that the

Commissions focus is centered on reentry; and to some degree that is true. But the Commission itself wears many hats, which are shown throughout the various communities that make up the City of Wilmington. Their main focus throughout its existence has been about making a change; making a change in the minds of the young who are vastly perpetrating violence as if it was a badge of honor; making a change in the minds of the community affected by the violence; and making a change in the minds of offenders reintegrating back into society ("Hope commission," 2011). This change is the beginning of a transformation of a once destructive community into a blossoming, inviting, and safe environment for all who remain. One such area where the Commission is attempting to enact change is with a program centered on our young children who are struggling in school due to the barriers that face our children when they have a parent who is incarcerated. The program is called the HOPE Project: The Community Partnership ("Hope commission," 2011) which began in August 2011. Program Description The HOPE Project is a program that was developed in 2010 by partnering with Delaware State Universitys School of Social Work and Wilmingtons Elementary Schools to select students with an incarcerated parent from Bancroft, Stubbs, Elbert Palmer Elementary and Charter Schools located on the Eastside of the City. The program is funded by a three year grant and has a school-based community team providing a combination of resources and support services from professionals and community members, customized for each student. The services provided are counseling and case

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management services to students and their families; they develop individual and family goal plans; link students and their families to community resources; and visit families at home each month. The HOPE Project Community Partnership counselors work with the children and their teachers, (and counselors, if the child has one) to identify the childs individual needs and develop a family support program. There is also regularly scheduled family gatherings where parents and guardians can come together to enjoy education and informative programs and group support, and where children can enjoy fun activities. The program is funded through the Delaware Criminal Justice Council by the U.S. Dept. of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. Often when a parent is unable to be with his or her child/children especially if the parents absence is due to incarceration the children can experience stress, anxiety and lower self-esteem. Children may not have the language or ability to express these scary and sad feelings and thus may begin to act out with negative behavior and do poorly in school and at home. Therefore, one of the HOPE Projects goals is to give children, and their families, extra help and support to enable each child to excel in school and in his or her personal relationships. Any student attending one of the partner schools, whose behavior is negatively affecting his or her ability to do well in school is eligible to participate in the program at no cost. Children can be referred by school staff or enrolled by a parent or guardian. The first year of the programs inception has the maximum number of students that can participate at 20, due to funding limitations, with the numbers planning to increase over the second and third year of the project. However, the programs administrators are aware that many of the children attending the target schools meet the criteria for services but reluctantly have to be turned away due to the programs inability to accommodate any additional participants because of lack of funding sources. Program Management The hierarchy of the program has Charles Madden, Executive Director of Wilmington HOPE Commission as Agency head; however, as outlined in the subgrant application, the program has a

project director, program manager, 2 program coordinators and one community liaison, as well as a Public Ally intern. All with the exception of the intern are paid out of the grant. The proposed funding is for $50,133 for the overall program. Out of the grant, $48,940 goes to salaries leaving $1,133.00 for program supplies. The grants purpose is to secure success of the program by compensating the staff accordingly. Any additional services provided, such as food or recreational activities are not covered under the grant and therefore if supplied, would be at the programs staffs expense. A Different Approach As a director of a non-profit, knowing the nuance of grant writing is a must. Although there are times when it may appear funding a program is easy, it is a clear misconception to believe that fact to be true. One of the downsides of grants can be the limitations that are placed on their delivery. As with the HOPE Project, the grant that funds the project has the majority of the funding paying for staffing and a minimal amount allocated for administrative costs, such as supplies, activities for the children and their families, and trips. Although having the right staffing in a program of this magnitude is essential for its success, and being a firm believer in the adage, you get what you pay for, I feel that not having enough money to reward the participants in a way that can be conducive to their success, can also be a factor in the program not succeeding. As the director, I would propose soliciting another grant that would join in partnership with the first grant and use the supplemental grant money for the additional costs that could easily be incurred when running a program such as this. With the States focus being on reentry, I will steer my funding needs to mirror the needs that a reentry program would address, such as education and family dynamics. If the focus of reducing recidivism starts with evidence based practices, then I will present to my current funding source, as well as new sources, the statistics that state as many as 50% of all boys with an incarcerated parent will end up in prison (Travis & Waul, 2003). Therefore, the HOPE Project is one way to assist in changing these statistics by offering services to combat the inevitable.

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My belief is that focusing on the States direction of reducing recidivism will put me closer to securing funding, that as of late, have been diminishing in this economy. I would also look for private donations and any area that caters to children with a family dynamic that can impact their ability to do well and prosper. Having concrete evidence that other programs, such as The HOPE Project, has been successful in changing the cycle of underachievement for children with an absent parent. With funding sources drying up by the minute, I would solicit funding from places that I had already had the privilege of doing business with in prior endeavors. I would promote a fund raising campaign and engage my parents to partake in the activities as well as solicit their suggestions in ways we could raise additional funding for the program. Another area where I would look to make a change would be in the delivery of the services. I would engage parents by making their cooperation fun and fulfilling. I would encourage the parents participation by scheduling activities that would partner them with their children and look for community partners who would be interested in giving back to the neighborhood by offering what they provide for free or a discounted price; partners such as Bowlerama, Christiana Skating, Delaware Museums, Chuck E Cheese, etc. These businesses are in a position to offer free services to children who are sometimes unable to partake in activities of this nature due to their limited resources. I would also seek funding in a bid to expand the number of students serviced within the program so that as many children who need the assistance can get it. The services that are already being provided by the program are not broke; therefore I dont see the reason for having to fix it. Providing the case management, counseling, family bonding, and the like, are all services that would help the children to make better decisions as they grow. Changing those services just for the purpose of change is like cutting your nose off to spite your face. Staffing Qualities

When dealing with children with behavior issues, the staff that you choose to assist you with making a program successful must share the same vision and passion as the program. The staff must be engaging, patient, and compassionate, without being demeaning or judgmental. I would solicit college students majoring in early child development that would enjoy and learn from an internship at a program with the dynamics that the HOPE Project brings to the table. With children facing nontraditional upbringings, impoverished neighborhoods, non-engaging parents, a new student looking to work in the field would be an asset to have on staff, not to mention, the internship aspect leaves funding to be distributed to other areas of the program, since interns would be a non-paid addition to the staff. Other necessary qualities that I would look for and would be a requirement for hire, are a real like for children, especially ones who exhibit behavior issues. You will need to have a lot of energy so that you are able to keep the children engaged and able to partake in activities with the children. Being a team player is a must, and you must be able to cooperate with the people you work with as well as get along with difficult parents. Therefore, communication skills will be another key factor so that you will be able to talk to parents, children, and staff in a professional and non-demeaning manner, as well as encourage parents to partake in their childrens progress. Having the ability to listen to the parents issues and assisting them in ways to overcome will make good listening skills a very handy and practical skill. Of course having the ability to learn new things and sometimes take a boring idea and expound on it would be an added asset as well. Creativity would be another key element, since the program will consist of ways to keeping both the children and their parent engaged. The need will be to come up with activities to challenge and develop the children that are in the program so that when they graduate, they will leave the program with the skills to overcome their adversity.

Reference Page
Bureau of Justice Statistics, (2007). Prison statistics. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved from www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

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Durose, M. R., & Langan, P. A., (2001). State court sentencing of convicted felons, 1998 statistical tables. Bureau of Justice Statistics, Table 25. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/scsc98st.htm Eichler, T. P. (2005). Race and incarceration in Delaware: a preliminary consideration Goodman; R. (2002). Drug law enforcement and racial disparities in the United States. Human Rights Watch Hope commission. (2011, November). Retrieved from http://wilmhope.org/ Khalek, R. (2011, July 21). 21st-century slaves: How corporations exploit prison labor. Retrieved from http://www.alternet.org/world/151732/21stcentury_slaves:_how_corporations_exploit_prison_labor/?page=entire Pizzi, W. T., Blair, I.V., & Judd, C. M. (2005). Discrimination in sentencing on the basis of afrocentric features Public allies delaware. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.publicallies.org/site/c.liKUL3PNLvF/b.3158757/k.CBCB/Delaware.htm Rich, J.D., Wakeman, S.E., Dickman, S.L. (2011).Medicine and the epidemic of incarceration in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine. Retrieved from httpnejm.org Travis, J., Waul, M. (2003). Prisoners once removed: the impact of incarceration and reentry on children Upchurch, K. (2011). New program aims to keep lawbreakers with mental, drug problems out of jail. Retrieved from http://hearldsun.com/printer_friendly/15220116 Walmsley, R. (2003). World prison population list. Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, fourth edition Retrieved from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk /rds/ pdfs2/r188.pdf World prison brief: United states of america. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.prisonstudies.org/info/worldbrief/wpb_country.php?country=190