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Resources Benefiting Families
Resources Benefiting Families is an initiative that connects families impacted by the criminal justice system to resources they may not otherwise have the ability or knowledge to access. Whether it is parenting skills, solutions to poverty through our unique Getting Ahead in A Just Getting By World curriculum or Financial Empowerment through financial literacy skills building programs, RBF is committed to giving families a hand up, not just a hand out.
Quick Facts:
- Focus of initiative/program:
- Children and Families
- Education
- Employment/Job Training
- Law Enforcement
- Mentoring
- Inititative/program name:
- Resources Benefiting Families
- Year Established:
- 2010
- Lead agency/organization name:
- Refined By Fire Ministries, Inc.
- Population served by initiative/program:
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- Returning from local detention facilities
- Returning from local jails
- Returning from prison
- Under community corrections supervision (parole or probation)
- Adults
- Juveniles
- Men
- Women
- People convicted of a violent offense
- People convicted of a non-violent offense
- Victims
- Gang members
- Elderly
Resources Benefiting Families
Contact:
Elain EllerbePresident & CEO
Refined By Fire Ministries, Inc.
Phone: 225-963-2074
5635 Main St., Suite A, #246
Zachary, Louisiana 70791
elainellerbe@bellsouth.net
www.rbf.la
Resources Benefiting Families
Initiatives and Programs
- Focus of initiative/program:
- Children and Families
- Education
- Employment/Job Training
- Law Enforcement
- Mentoring
- Inititative/program name:
- Resources Benefiting Families
- Lead agency/organization name:
- Refined By Fire Ministries, Inc.
- Funding sources for initiative/program:
- Private Donatons and regional foundations
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
- X
Funding
Partners in the reentry initiative/program
| Informal Agreement | Formal Agreement (e.g., a written contract or an MOU) with this partner. |
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| Community- and faith-based services providers: |
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| Education and training providers (e.g., local public school officials, vocational instructors): |
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| Health, mental health, and substance abuse treatment providers: |
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| Housing officials: |
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| Institutional corrections (e.g., DOC, jail, prison): |
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| Law enforcement agencies (e.g., police, sheriff's office): |
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| Members of the community (e.g., people who have been incarcerated, their families or neighbors): |
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| Other criminal justice agencies (e.g., prosecutors, judges): |
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| Victim advocates: |
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| Work force development and employment agencies (e.g. business associations, unions): |
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Participants
- Population served by initiative/program:
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- Returning from local detention facilities
- Returning from local jails
- Returning from prison
- Under community corrections supervision (parole or probation)
- Adults
- Juveniles
- Men
- Women
- People convicted of a violent offense
- People convicted of a non-violent offense
- Victims
- Gang members
- Elderly
- Total number of people who have participated in initiative/program to date:
- 500
- Total number of people currently participating in initiative/program:
- 200
- Total number of people who can be served at one time:
- 200
- If your initiative/program serves people under community corrections supervision, how does your organization work in partnership or work in collaboration with participants’ probation or parole officers?
- We provide letters of acknowledgement that state what programs the individual is presently participating in or has completed. We also will talk with attorneys and social workers where our input would be helpful about various assessments and observations we have concerning an individual.
Data Collection
- Does your organization collect demographic data on participants?
- Yes
- If "yes", what kind of data? And what results has this data yielded?
- Race / Age / #of children / married or in a relationship 75% of our clients are Black with at least 60% being males 65% of all clients are parents of children under the age of 10 40% are married or in some long term relationship 35% are in poverty
- Does your organization collect data about the process of your initiative/program?
- Yes
- If "yes", what kind of data? And what results has this data yielded?
- We maintain sign in sheets for all classroom based programs and keep case notes on all individuals that we provide services. We also use the AAPI-I testing instrument for our parenting clients to ascertain their Nurturing Parenting skills levels and identify those aspects that need specific attention, i.e. helping parent develop more empathy, alternatives to spanking.
- Does your organization measure and/or track the outcome of participation?
- Yes
- If "yes", what kind of data? And what results has this data yielded?
- We are just beginning this process and have not implemented all aspects of the data gathering yet to speak about results to date. We do know that graduates of our programs indicate at least a 50% increase in Nurturing Skills and Financial Literacy Knowledge.
Activities
- What, if any, activities does your initiative/program include for people while they are incarcerated and how do these activities differ from those offered to the general population?
- This particular program is for released offenders or their family members. The main difference between our prison programs and one for released or free clients is the interaction we have with other family members, especially their children. This is done through one-on-one sessions and visits to their residences.
- What activities does your organization engage in post-release and how do these activities differ from those offered to the general population?
- We provide the same programs for either post-release as we do for the general population.
- How are people placed into your program?
- Referral Truancy Court, Probation or Parole, School Officials