National Fatherhood Initiative’s Program for Incarcerated Fathers, InsideOut Dad®, Now Listed on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices
Germantown, MD (PRWEB) November 05, 2013 -- InsideOut Dad®, National Fatherhood Initiative’s (NFI’s) curriculum for incarcerated fathers, is now included in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).
InsideOut Dad® was found to be evidence-based in 2011 as a result of an evaluation conducted by Rutgers University-Newark’s School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA), qualifying it as the first evidence-based program designed specifically for working with inmate fathers.
Specifically, SPAA’s study compared the effects of the InsideOut Dad® program on more than 300 incarcerated fathers who participated in the program (intervention group) to incarcerated fathers who did not participate in it (control group). Through the quantitative data collected, the researchers found statistically significant changes across confidence, knowledge, behavior, and attitude variables in the intervention group compared to the control group.
The researchers also conducted interviews with program facilitators. This qualitative data indicated that several of the practical issues that emerged in previous evaluations of other parenting programs for incarcerated parents did not become a problem, such as staff turnover, poor coordination, interruptions during class, a lack of respect, and comprehension difficulties.
Based on the above findings of SPAA’s rigorous study, InsideOut Dad® then met NREPP's minimum requirements for review and has been independently assessed and rated for Quality of Research and Readiness for Dissemination, resulting in its listing on the registry.
InsideOut Dad’s entry can be viewed here.
InsideOut Dad’s listing on the registry is an important iteration in a growing body of research that suggests that a key to reducing recidivism is ensuring that inmates have strong family connections.
“InsideOut Dad’s inclusion on the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices is yet another powerful testimony to the effectiveness of this program in changing the lives of incarcerated fathers and their children,” said Christopher Brown, president of NFI. “This listing further confirms the evidence, both statistically and from the stories we’ve gathered over the years, that InsideOut Dad® has the power to transform lives and connect fathers, heart to heart, with their kids.”
InsideOut Dad® is currently being used in over 400 correctional facilities across the country and has been named a standardized program by 26 state departments of corrections. It is also used by many community-based organizations as a re-entry or transitional program to help reintegrate ex-offenders back into their communities, often used in conjunction with NFI’s 24/7 Dad® program, job training programs, and other helpful interventions (e.g. substance abuse treatment).
Prisons, jails, facilitators, and others can learn more about InsideOut Dad® at NFI's FatherSOURCE resource center website.
As the premier fatherhood renewal organization in the country, National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) works in every sector and at every level of society to engage fathers in the lives of their children. NFI is the #1 provider of fatherhood resources in the nation. Since 2004, through FatherSOURCE, its national resource center, NFI has distributed over 6.5 million resources, and has trained over 13,300 practitioners from over 6,100 organizations on how to deliver programming to dads. NFI is the most quoted authority on fatherhood in America; since 2009, NFI has been mentioned in over 3,400 news stories, and makes regular appearances in national media to discuss the importance of involved, responsible, and committed fatherhood. Learn more at http://www.fatherhood.org.
Vincent Dicaro, National Fatherhood Initiative, http://www.fatherhood.org, +1 (240) 912-1270, [email protected]
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