Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction CBCF - West Central

Program Orientation

This group involves offenders nearly 8 hours each day of their first 14 days of residency in activities, discussion, pre-testing/post-testing, workbooks, assessments and lectures that will assist them in successful integration into the offender community.

Chemical Dependency Treatment

While living successfully in a Therapeutic Community addresses the addictive, compulsive, impulsive, defensive nature of chemical dependency, offenders are also scheduled for a comprehensive assessment and “Discovery” class. The “Discovery” group is 24 hours (4 weeks / 6 hours each week) of examining personal substance abuse. “Knock Nicotine” is a 4-hour class for those offenders also addicted to nicotine. “Twelve Step Awareness” is an 8-hour group that explores the process of sober support in recovery.

Relapse Prevention

While many groups address the triggers, signs and symptoms of relapse, there is an 8-hour “workshop” offered specific to relapse prevention. There is also a 4-week group, addressing relapse specific to cocaine.

Healthy Relationships

In cooperation with the local Domestic Violence shelter program, a 6-week group addresses issues surrounding domestic violence and battering. The group is co-facilitated twice a week, 2 hours each group, by a West Central staff member.

Rational Emotive Therapy

A 16-hour group (4 weeks/4 hours each week) encourages offenders to reevaluate how their “interpretation” of and responses to events in their lives may have been more destructive and how they might choose to lead more healthier, constructive lives with those around them.

Anger Management

An 8-hour group providing a forum and tools for identifying and expressing anger in constructive, honest ways.

Men’s Issues

This 6-hour group addresses offenders’ expectations of being a man and how those expectations may have affected their interpersonal relationships.

Health and Wellness

This 6-hour group assists offenders in examining their lifestyles and getting accurate information about their physical well being.

Job Group

This group meets 4 times each week for 4 weeks, a total of 32 hours, and addresses the many issues surrounding getting and maintaining employment. Employability skills reviewed are expected to be demonstrated by offenders throughout their day in the Therapeutic Community, during community service and work release. In order to “graduate” from this class, offenders must complete job applications, a mock interview and create an approved resume.

Parenting

This is a 4 week, 16 hour group to provide accurate information about child development and positive discipline as well as exploring offenders’ expectations of themselves as parents.

Communication Counseling

This special 8 hour group involves the offender and his family and/or significant other. Clear, honest communication skills are not only taught but also practiced in a small group format. At times, completion of this group is a pre-requisite to being granted other family contact.

Good Grief

This 4-week group addresses issues specific to losses in an offender’s life. Subsequent activities to this group may include a special family visit, gravesite visit or preparing some presentation for the offender community.

Social Skills

This 4 week, 8-hour, group involves offenders in learning and practicing pro-social skills they are to utilize in the Therapeutic Community as well as back home and in work.

Codependency

The 16-hour group provides accurate information about relationships paralyzed by addictive thinking and behaviors. The Therapeutic Community environment provides an opportunity for offenders to raise their awareness of codependent behaviors and share the experiences in class and/or caseload/process groups.

Continuing Care

This is an on-going group that meets one evening each week for 2 hours and includes offenders approaching successful discharge (have been promoted to Phase IV) as well as recent graduates. It provides an opportunity for an exchange of ideas and support about successful reintegration into their home communities. Continuing care groups are starting to be held in outlying counties of the catchment area for new graduates who may have transportation problems.

Career Choices

This is an on-going group that involves offenders in their assessment of career interests, choices and competencies.

Thinking Errors

A 4-week program that explores cognitive restructuring.

Diversity

An 8-hour, 4-week, group that uses discussion and experiential activities to explore issues surrounding diversity in the offender community as well as the offender’s home community. Offenders are expected to practice skills learned in the Therapeutic Community.

Arts and Leisure

This 4-week group uses all mediums of creative arts to encourage offenders to experience different forms of expression.

Educational Opportunity Days

These are trips planned by a different team of staff each month that afford a group of offenders the opportunity to experience resources in the community in which they could involve their families or from which they simply increase their general knowledge. Examples of “E.O.” Days include trips to the State Capitol / Supreme Court, Ohio Caverns, Black History Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a ropes/challenge course.

Adult Basic Education

Classes, computer-assisted instruction, and tutoring is offered nearly 8 hours each day, 5 days each week and 4 hours on weekends. GED preparation and testing are provided on site as well as assistance to enroll in college courses. As a part of phase advancement, offenders are required to complete at least three seminars for the offender community; the education department monitors assist in research for “grades” and approves all seminars. The education department also coordinates with local ABLE programs to provide successful linkages for those graduating offenders who will need to continue working towards their GED in their home community.

House Workshops

These topics are presented in a workshop format, to the entire offender population (“house”) on Fridays and involve a variety of staff from different departments: Abuse & Neglect/Abusive relationships, Positive Solutions, Pharmacology, Communication, HIV/AIDS, Anger Tools, Relapse Prevention, Budgeting/Financial Management

Cooperative Extension

In collaboration with the eight county Ohio Cooperative Extension Agencies, 2-hour workshops are presented to offenders every other week by Family and Consumer Science staff from OSU Extension. Topics include stress management, healthy snacks, smart shopping, parenting, a financial “fair”, laughter.

Family Day

Coordinated by the Family Specialist, Family Day is an opportunity for offenders and family members (12 years of age and older) to discuss information/issues related to chemical dependency and healthy communication. A day is balanced with time to work and play together.

Life Principles

A community volunteer leads this on-going group once each week that explores moral development.

Spirituality

This group provides an opportunity for offenders to examine their spiritual direction and spirituality outside the parameters of religion. It offers a foundation for their recovery.

Cinematherapy

Once each week, a popular (or was popular) movie is selected and offenders complete a reflection worksheet afterwards that brings about a lesson or insight about their behaviors or attitudes. The book, Cinematherapy, is referenced for process questions.

Bob Evans/Cooks Assistants Vocational Training

In cooperation with Bob Evans Restaurants, offenders apply, and are selected, for positions as a cook’s assistant. They receive 244 hours of “on-the-job” training which then places them in a local Bob Evans Restaurant as a grill cook.

Maintenance Tech Vocational Training

In cooperation with in-house maintenance staff, offenders apply, and are selected, for positions as “Maintenance Techs”. Job development skills are learned and practiced – especially in the areas of floor stripping/waxing/maintenance, facility repair and landscaping. A certificate is given at graduation delineating competencies acquired.

Logan Bell-Hand Vocational Training / Community Service

In cooperation with a local HUD-related weatherization and rehab program, offenders apply, and are selected, for positions with Logan Bell-Hand. For 6 weeks, 5 days each week, offenders work on property rehabilitation/construction projects. Offenders are expected to demonstrate the competencies they have learned in the Therapeutic Community that will enable them to maintain solid employment.

Encounters/Process/Probe Groups

Four times each week, for a total of 10 hours, offender groups are facilitated to provide opportunities for an exchange of ideas, expressing needs/feelings, and confronting the criminal thinking, attitudes and behaviors of other offenders. As a foundation of the Therapeutic Community process, these groups expect offenders to demonstrate the interpersonal skills they are learning in other groups.