Thursday, March 13, 2025
3/13/2025
In the last decade, women’s incarceration has grown at twice the rate of men’s (Prison Policy Update, March 2024). In Connecticut, the rate of individuals incarcerated is 394 per 100,000 – a rate higher than that of any other democratic country in the world. Connecticut’s Black and Hispanic populations make up a disproportionate number of those individuals incarcerated at 43% and 29%, respectively. Connecticut statistics show that 26% of women incarcerated were homeless in the year prior, 86% are parents of minor children, and 56% report untreated disabilities in the year prior. CHCI does not currently track data on the percentage of our patients who are/have been incarcerated, but given the overlap between statewide data and the demographics we serve, we anticipate a significant percentage. These data along with results from focus groups and interviews with individuals with lived justice system experience have led Community Health Center, Inc. (CHCI) to propose Women in Transition (WIT), an innovative program combining three foundational elements: 1) WRNA – Women’s Risk Needs Assessment – a pre-release, gender-specific, validated assessment used to identify support needs for successful re-entry; 2) Transition Planning – person-centered, goal-specific planning corresponding to WRNA-identified needs; 3) Community Health Navigation – 1:1 care coordination by a CHW, designed to respond to health, safety, and psychosocial needs. As the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in Connecticut, CHCI is uniquely qualified to provide services to women being released from prison. CHCI proposes to implement WIT in collaboration with our carceral partner, York Correctional Institution (YCI), to identify women due to be released within 90 days. CHCI will recruit, train, and supervise two full time Community Health Workers (CHW) and a Nurse Care Coordinator whose primary roles will be to serve as transition team for all participants. They will work with soc ial workers at YCI to administer the WRNA, in person or virtually, 30 days prior to release and use it to design a transition plans that includes healthcare, housing, family, and psychosocial goals. If the team identifies healthcare needs prior to release that go beyond the services that YCI can provide, CHCI’s clinical team will be available to consult. The plan will include referrals to CHCI for healthcare services including primary care, HIV and viral hepatitis care/ prevention, and behavioral health and substance use treatment as well as referrals to community partners who specialize in housing and social services, along with specific timelines to promote accountability and monitor success. A program specialist will be responsible for high level oversight of the program, including hiring, training, communication, strengthening of community partnerships, promotion, data analysis, and evaluation leadership. CHCI recognizes the importance of the re-entry phase for women being released from prison, including the period just prior to release, and aims to implement a program that combines community partnerships, navigation through the healthcare and support systems, and allocation of resources to help participants achieve success. CHCI will actively participate in the learning collaborative, also utilizing our own strengths in evaluation to produce information for sustainability and potential replication of the program. By bringing together the statewide healthcare/support services of our organization and complementing it with community collaborations that respond to the needs identified by justice involved individuals, CHCI aims to create a sustainable, replicable, and successful program that empowers women being released from prison to attain the goals that are most important to them, their families, and their communities, and to avoid recidivism.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).