Product and Process Updates
2020 has been a difficult year. Prisons locked down. Visitation stopped. Staff worked doubles. Parole offices and courts closed. Here’s how we responded:
- We developed automated procedures to launch a whole state in a few days to bridge the gap on release.
- We developed a license model for agencies to buy Pokket with CARES money, to meet the funding and accounting rules.
- We added video case management to Pokket. Uses include:
- Restart inreach, remotely
- Remote curfew checks and remote home inspections
- Remote appointments incl. remote telehealth delivery
- Remote interviews for employers
In partnership with Golden Health Initiative (https://www.goldenhealthinitiative.com) and Life Empowerment Enterprises (https://www.leerobbins.com/life-coaching) we have developed a model where community-based reentry coaches can get paid for their work, instead of only volunteering. That provides better support for returning citizens, helps financially stabilize the community partners doing the work, and helps financially strengthen the volunteers.
The GHI partnership is designed to assist people with diabetes, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions to manage their health through the coach’s help. Since it’s an insurance paid model, states don’t have to make a big financial commitment, but support the roll out with enrollments and community messaging. It uses new technology to help stabilize people much more quickly, to avoid emergency room visits or admissions, with estimated savings of $8,000 / person / year. We expect to be able to support the expansion of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) through this partnership too, a program having an impact in reentry.
Finally, we’d like to share a few resources that might help in your community:
- Uplift (https://www.uplifts.org) let’s donors fund rides for returning citizens (e.g. to their first parole appointment) using a dispatcher-coach model to ensure accountability and encouragement.
- Vital Signs (https://www.vitalsignsreentryministry.org) provides a blueprint for communities to establish and operate their own reentry housing
- Safe Staffing (https://www.safestaffinginc.com) is a staffing franchise model to help communities get people back to work.
This year I lost my Dad, who was the inspiration for Pokket and Acivilate. I watched how hard it was for him to find work and support our family after his conviction. He set a great example of perseverance. His obituary made the front page of the local paper because he had contributed so much to the local community. We started Acivilate to enable other people to find not just Second Chances, but Better Chances.
We all hope 2021 will bring relief. Please reach out to me if we can help your community in any aspect of reentry.
With thanksgiving,
Louise Wasilewski