Parole Advocate

Service Description

This specialized course is designed for parole advocates working within any organization that assists incarcerated individuals in preparing for parole. The training focuses on enhancing advocates’ abilities in client communication, narrative building, and trauma-informed care. Each session, lasting two hours, provides in-depth instruction on how to support clients through the parole process by fostering trust, helping clients craft meaningful personal narratives, and effectively guiding them toward a successful hearing. With an open-ended format, this course offers ongoing consultation as new advocates join, ensuring continuous professional development in parole advocacy. Learning Objectives: 1. Advocate Development: Core Skills and Qualities • Cultivate empathy, patience, and respect to build strong, trust-based relationships with clients. • Learn to apply cultural competence and trauma-informed care to engage clients with sensitivity and understanding. • Master the key qualities that promote open communication and foster a safe space for client reflection. 2. Preparing for Client Conversations • Gain a foundational understanding of the parole process and how systemic issues affect client behavior and narratives. • Learn how to approach each client’s personal story with empathy, avoiding bias while supporting their unique journey toward parole readiness. 3. Building a Coherent Narrative • Guide clients in reflecting on their life experiences, connecting past actions to future aspirations in ways that demonstrate growth and transformation. • Use cognitive-behavioral techniques to help clients create compelling, reflective narratives that present a complete picture of personal change. 4. Integrating the Progressive Navigation Curriculum • Introduce advocates to the Progressive Navigation curriculum, which provides a structured framework to guide clients in developing and presenting their personal narratives effectively. • Equip advocates with a step-by-step methodology for supporting clients in organizing their experiences for parole hearings. 5. Strengthening Client-Advocate Relationships • Learn how to build rapport, foster trust, and maintain clear, compassionate communication with clients throughout the parole preparation process. • Develop strategies to ensure clients feel respected, understood, and empowered to share their stories authentically. Target Audience: This course is ideal for: • Parole advocates working with incarcerate