F.Y.I. – Find Yourself Inside - A justice and recovery class created to help individuals who find themselves on the "inside" to identify risks and triggers with the assistance of a peer who has walked in their shoes, and to make changes so they can find themselves on the outside with the tools to start a new life.
F.Y.I. is a peer-facilitated class which provides education to help people who have mental health and justice related issues learn to develop good decision making skills to avoid reoffending and incarceration.
Topics discussed in the 14-week 90-minute class:
Week 1: Orientation.
Week 2: Understanding the criminal justice system.
Week 3: Motivation.
Week 4: Risk Factors. Research shows there are typical risk factors that are shared by people who commit crimes. We will discuss these risk factors.
Week 5: Signs and Symptoms of Mental/Emotional & Substance Use Disorders.
Week 6: Trauma.
Week 7: Identifying Triggers. What are triggers? How do they affect my behavior?
Week 8: Distorted Thinking I — Descriptions of distorted thinking are presented and we learn to identify our thoughts about ourselves, the thoughts that are distorted or not accurate, and how to change them into healthy, positive ones.
Week 9: Distorted Thinking II —The 10 Thinking Traps & how distorted thinking can lead to anti-social activity.
Week 10: Mindfulness & Yoga.
Week 11: Problem Solving Skills.
Week 12: Anger Management.
Week 13: Making the Most of My Resources/ I am a Resource.
Week 14: Wrap Up/ Evaluation.
Some comments from participants:
“Community Advocates class got me to take a good look at how my thinking has gotten me in trouble and taught me ways to change and/or prevent it.”
“I think distorted thinking (self-serving) is something I do. I have realized ways to avoid altercations. This class helps me be more social…helps me get ready for the outside.”
“If this class and Advocacy Team were around twenty years ago, I might not of had to go through the living hell my life has been since the early 1990s. I learned better understanding of my actions and errors.”
“I have learned that you have to think about the consequences behind everything that you do.”
