Mental Health at ICW

What is the connection between ICW’s mission and Mental Health?

The conversation around finding a job after being incarcerated often focuses on the stigma of having a record and the misguided policies of corporate hiring, and rightfully so. At ICW the conversation has to start with the impact that the trauma of prison and the daily stress of being in survival mode has on each individual. There are multiple studies from the past 20 years showing that experiencing the environment of prison directly leads to emotional numbing, anxiety, paranoia, distrust, and institutional dependence, yet we as a society expect folks to take on the uphill injustices of a job search immediately upon returning to the community. And, we expect it to be done without any mistakes being made. Please also note that the list above does not even include the impact that solitary confinement or exposure to street violence has on one's mental health, something almost all ICW participants have experienced.

By the very nature of our model and make up, ICW has always provided a space for healing through trust building by our incredible staff, cost free physical fitness, and partnerships with clinical social workers, recently, we have started to create a more intentional and internal approach to supporting the mental health of our participants. Our staff has been introduced to trauma-informed approaches to fitness (thanks to TIWL,) we’ve created key partnerships to add resources to our case management capacity, and we’re also ecstatic to share that we were recently awarded a grant to fund the hiring of a Director of Mental Health. But this is just the beginning and where you and our May Mental Health Match comes into play.

What types of impact will this campaign support?

• Our capacity for adding more depth to our case management services

• Our ability to continue to train staff in managing their own mental health and stress while feeling more qualified to support our participants 

• Research and data collection to improve our efficiency and effectiveness as our participant base grows

• The sustainability of our Mental Health Director beyond the grant terms

• Team building events for participants and staff to de-stress and build trust