Children of Incarcerated Parents and Their Families: How Can We Help

This program has been approved for 1.5 Category A Continuing Education Credits by the National Association of Social Workers, NH Chapter. CE #4156

The Anne E. Casey Foundation’s 2016 report on the national effects of parental incarceration concluded that “millions of children are suffering the consequences of their parent’s sentences and our nation’s tough on crime practices. The aim of the workshop will be to familiarize social workers with an overview of traumatic impact of parental incarceration, focus on the impact on NH children and families, and present a range of practices to support these vulnerable families. Specifically, we will share the model developed in the Family Ties Inside Out DOJ federal grant (FTIO) grant recently received by NH-DOC in collaboration with Waypoint is forming a statewide collaborative implementing evidence-based and promising practices to support these vulnerable children, caregivers and parents

Between 1991 and 2007 the number of children with a father in prison rose by more than half, and those with a mother behind bars nearly doubled. Most of these children are younger than 10. More than 20 percent of children with parents in state prison are age 4 or younger.

Both research and common sense tell us that the effects on children can be devastating. Having a parent in prison is a traumatic experience – a daily drumbeat of stress that shakes the foundation of healthy childhood development. Parental incarceration is associated with a higher number of traumatic life events – stressors that are more damaging when they are cumulative. Fifty-four percent of children with an incarcerated parent also have a parent with a substance abuse problem; a third are exposed to domestic violence or neighborhood violence – and often both. Children of incarcerated parents are at increased risk of experiencing poverty, repeated home and school displacement, and academic failure.[2] They experience “low school engagement, more problems in school, and less parental monitoring.” Longitudinal studies show that such damage to a child can last a lifetime: children of incarcerated parents are at increased risk of chronic poor health, and mental illness in childhood and adulthood.

Learning objectives – Participants will be able to discuss:

• Clinical Skill Building
• Intergenerational Trauma
• Cross Systems Alignment and
• Integration Policy Initiatives, Needs and Barriers
• About the Presenters

Register today!

Dr. Linden is an experienced psychologist and trainer. She has worked with NH-DOC over the last several years in developing the pilot grant between NH-DOC and UNH Family Therapy Program and community therapists to intervene early and often with children of incarcerated parents and their families. She has taught inmates in the prison, serves as the lead in the Citizen’s Advisory Board for NH-DOC Community Corrections and has have served both as a BH provider, trainer for graduate students and facilitator for consulting teams working with this population Ed. D clinical psychologist Harvard University, Grad School of Education Counseling & Consulting Psychology 1996

Tiffani Arsenault has worked for over 15+ years at NH-DOC. She trained 7 supervised personnel at FCC (a program for incarcerated parents in all 3 prison including evidence-based parenting curriculum and support groups.

A zoom link will be sent to you prior to the workshop

Prefer to pay by check? Email Lynn – lynncstanley@gmail.com and mail check to NASW NH, 4 Chenell Drive #3, Concord, NH 03301