PORTLAND, Ore., April 23, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Pathfinders of Oregon is participating in the inaugural National Children of Incarcerated Parents Conference from April 22-25, 2018. The conference is hosted by the Arizona State University Center for Child Well-Being and held at the Renaissance Hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.
On Monday, April 23 from 2:30-4:00 p.m. in Salon Six, Pathfinders of Oregon's Executive Director, Joseph Tietz, PhD, will participate in a panel discussion titled, "Building Bonds, Bridging Walls: Engaging Families During Parental Incarceration." The panel will address the impact of separation due to incarceration on the children and the ways in which maintaining a relationship with their parent can help mitigate negative outcomes.
Other panel participants include Jean Kjellstrand, Ph.D, who will discuss the research, and Carolyn House‐Higgins from Washington State Department of Corrections, who will speak about parenting programs in practice. Andrew Tignor, a parent graduate of Parenting Inside Out and former inmate now living in the community, will share from personal experience his story about parenting from behind bars for nine years.
Additionally, a Pathfinders exhibit will feature information about Parenting Inside Out, the organization's proprietary evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral parenting skills training program. Based on the Oregon Social Learning Center's Parent Management Training program for at risk families, Parenting Inside Out is the only parenting program developed specifically for incarcerated and criminal justice involved parents. The program gives parents a way of navigating life that uses healthy, prosocial skills to interact with children, partners, co-parents, officials, friends and family.
"The children of incarcerated parents have important needs," says Dr. Tietz. "We are looking forward to participating in this conference to share our knowledge and expertise on the subject and to learn from other professionals about supporting families impacted by the criminal justice system."
For more information, please visit http://www.pathfindersoforegon.org.
Pathfinders of Oregon is a 501 (c) (3) social service agency founded in 1993 with a mission to provide justice-impacted individuals and families the tools and support they need to be part of safe and thriving communities. Pathfinders of Oregon provides cognitive-behavioral programs, parenting programs, education and support services for pro-social living to adults in the Oregon prison system and to children and families in the community.
SOURCE Pathfinders of Oregon