A Case Study: Enhancing the Organizational Culture for Community Corrections Staff

SESSION INFO

Monday, August 28, 2023
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Session Type: Workshop

This workshop presents the impact of The Prem Rawat Foundation’s (TPRF) Peace Education Program on resiliency, well-being, and perceptions of humanity among community supervision staff. This internationally renowned, free, 10-session course helps participants engage their inner strengths. Themes of this strengths-based curriculum include: Peace, Appreciation, Inner Strength, Self-Awareness, Clarity, Understanding, Dignity, Choice, Hope, and Contentment. Qualitative and quantitative measures of changes among staff, including self-efficacy, team cohesion, and staff burnout and retention, will be presented. Enhancements to strengths-based relationships between officers and supervised individuals will also be highlighted. These findings build on the results from a study involving over 4,000 individuals for whom TPRF’s Peace Education Program enhanced wellbeing and resiliency by way of greater appreciation of self, appreciation of life, self-efficacy and empathy. Attendees will have an opportunity to assess their own organizational culture and develop an implementation plan for the Peace Education Program in their own jurisdictions.

SESSION PRESENTERS

Ms. Willow Baker
Peace Education Program Director, The Prem Rawat Foundation


Willow Baker is the Program Director for The Prem Rawat Foundation’s Peace Education Program. She is also a peace ambassador for the Institute of Economics and Peace and a member of the American Probation and Parole Association’s International Relations Committee. Ms. Baker has extensive experience with international collaborations to support innovative and effective programs that empower people to discover their humanity and live their lives with dignity and respect for themselves and others. The Prem Rawat Foundation is a humanitarian organization whose purpose is advancing dignity, peace and prosperity through a variety of programs and initiatives.


Christina Claar
Program Director, Summit County Court of Common Pleas Adult Probation


Christina Claar has served the Domestic Violence Intervention Court in various capacities since 2013 and is now the Program Coordinator for the Specialized Docket. Ms. Claar was first introduced to the Peace Education Program in the spring of 2021 as a team training opportunity and was deeply impacted. In the spring of 2022, Ms. Claar launched the DVIC’s first Peace Education Program Workshop with its Specialized Docket participants and received powerful reviews. With the ongoing and overwhelming support of her team, Ms. Claar now facilitates the Peace Education Program as a combined workshop for both Specialized Docket participants and staff in hopes of continuing to expand the working alliance within the DVIC.


Dr. Mitesh Desai, MD
Research Consultant, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, MD3 Consulting Limited


Dr. Desai is a physician who has designed and evaluated well-being programs for those who are frequently marginalized, including the diverse population of people experiencing the longer-term effects of both intensive care and COVID-19, as well as those living with HIV in the UK. Dr. Desai provides pro bono consultancy supporting the implementation of The Prem Rawat Foundation's Peace Education Program in diverse settings across Europe. He has evaluated the impact of the program as a strengths-based, cross-cultural approach that may complement other approaches and interventions for behavioral and attitudinal change, developing resilience and fostering well-being.


Dena Hanley, PhD
PhD/Consultant, The Prem Rawat Foundation


Dena Hanley, Ph.D., supports various correctional agencies and facilities to design, develop and effectively implement evidence-based practices and programs. She has worked in, and with, numerous local, state, and federal organizations/agencies, including the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency and most recently as Program Director for the Summit County Domestic Violence Intervention Court. Her prior and current research topics include organizational capacity, specialized dockets, re-entry and domestic violence. She is currently developing virtual tools to increase program efficiency and success, while simultaneously decreasing officer workload. Dr. Hanley earned her Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.


Judge Kathryn Michael
Judge, Summit County Court of Common Pleas Adult Probation


Judge Kathryn Michael has devoted her career to serving her community. Judge Michael currently serves as the Administrative Judge of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas as well as the Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Intervention Court of Summit County. Not only has she devoted her career to breaking the cycle of intergenerational violence, she does so by encouraging and empowering her team to utilize best practices to prioritize victim and community safety, with the goal of reducing intimate partner violence.