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Chaplaincy
Circles of Support and Accountability
Guide to Project Development
Project Guide
2003
RTF
Acknowledgements
The need for comprehensive training resources for Circles of Support and Accountability was identified several years ago. That was the beginning of a journey that has produced several videos and two guides. The first Guide is entitled, Circles of support and Accountability: A Guide to Training Potential Volunteers 2002 and now this Guide entitled Circles of Support and Accountability: Guide to Project Development 2003. These resources are intended to provide help for individuals and communities who are considering Circles of Support and Accountability [COSA] in their communities and to help maintain the dialogue between COSA's within Canada and around the world. We are grateful for the feedback that we have received along the way and look forward to continued feedback from all those interested in the challenging work.
This production of the resource material is pioneering work. It takes courage and dedication and several people need to be acknowledged for their vision, time and hard work.
Andrew McWhinnie, David Dyck, and Evan Heise are the pioneer Co-ordinators for Circles of Support and Accountability. They, along with a network of individuals working in this field, have been instrumental in developing this resource. In their capacities, they each contributed portions to this manual and provided valuable feedback. We are especially grateful to Andrew McWhinnie who drafted the original document and submitted it to the editing process. Rev. Christina Guest brought her expert editing skills to both volumes and provided invaluable support. Rev. David Molzahn provided the national leadership to bring the project to completion in its present form.
A heart-felt thank you is owed to each of these individuals and, beyond them, to all those who contribute in many other ways to the ongoing development of Circles of Support and Accountability.
Copyright - Correctional service of Canada
Cat. No. JS82-102/2003E
ISBN 0-662-33842-1
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
A. Purpose
2. COSA MODELS
A. Consensus
B. What is a Circle of Support and Accountability (COSA)?
C. COSAs are Specifically for Sex Offenders
D. Chaplaincy Definition of COSA
E. Non-COSA Variations
F. COSA Mission Statement and Core Values
G. Restorative Justice
3. GUIDELINES FOR THE RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING OF VOLUNTEERS
A. Faith and Non-Faith Communities
B. Volunteer Application Forms
C. Resumes and References
D. Criminal Records Check
E. Previous Criminal Record
4. GUIDELINES FOR FORGING A CIRCLE OF SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A. Purpose of Forging the COSA
B. Group Cohesion
C. Leadership and Decision Making
D. COSA Meetings: Regularly Scheduled and Attended by All
E. COSA as Non-Custodial Community of Care
F. Meetings in Volunteer's Homes
G. Exceptional Circumstances
H. Meetings If a Core member Re-offends
I. Establishing Roles and Functions
J. COSA Facilitation
5. PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FOR COSA
A. Professional Confidentiality
6. REFERRALS, SCREENING, ACCEPTING CORE MEMBERS
A. Role of the Regional Co-ordinator
B. Candidates
C. Short Notice Referrals from Police and Other Sources
D. Core members Who are not Community Members
E. Selection Guidelines: Screening Core Member Referrals
F. Selecting a Core member
G. Meeting the Core Member 90 Days Prior to Release
H. First Meeting - Prior to Release (or "Intake" Interview)
I. Decision to Accept a Core member
J. Second meeting - Assessing Needs
K. Developing a Needs & Resources Profile
L. Third Meeting
M. Fourth and Subsequent Meetings
N. Reading the Core Member's File
O. Establishing the Covenant
7. CONFIDENTIALITY
A. Secrets and Secret-Keeping
B. Record Keeping, Security and Confidentiality: Double-Locked Systems
8. WALKING WITH CORE MEMBERS
A. Developing Relationships based on friendship
B. Empowering versus Creating Dependency
9. GUIDELINES FOR THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF A COSA
A. Ongoing COSA Support for the Whole COSA
B. Ongoing support - Individual Volunteers
C. Citizens' Advisory Committees
10. SUPPORTING VOLUNTEERS IN A CRISIS (SELF-CARE)
A. Core member Re-offence
B. Crisis as Critical Incident
C. Examples of Critical Incidents
D. Preparing for Crisis Response or Critical Incident Management
E. Examples of Local Experts and Resource People
F. Elements of a Crisis-Response Strategy
G. Personal Advance Preparation for Critical Incidents (Crisis)
H. What to Do In the Event of a Critical Incident
I. How to Help Fellow COSA Members
J. Community Responses to Crises in a COSA
11. DISSOLVING A CIRCLE OF SUPPORT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A. Bridges to the Broader Community
B. The "Normal" Life Cycle of a COSA
C. Extended COSA Life and Replacing "Retired" Volunteers
D. Dishonored Covenants and COSA "Failures"
E. Notifying Authorities
12. WORKING WITH VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS
A. COSA are Accountable to the Community
B. Victims and Survivors and the Criminal Justice System
C. Clear statements of intent
D. Victims are Distinct Individuals
E. Community as Victim
F. Victims, Survivors and Offenders - Personal Responsibility
G. Contacting Victims - Victim/Offender Reconciliation
H. Professional Reconciliation Service Providers
I. Survivors in Three-D
J. Survivors Need Answers to their Questions
K. Is it "Saying I am Sorry," or "I Need Something More From You?"
13. WORKING WITH THE MEDIA
A. Introduction
B. The News Media are in Business
C. Shaping Stories
D. Be Prepared - Know the Mission Statement
E. Designated Spokesperson
F. "I've Been Misquoted"!
G. Proactive is Better Than Reactive
14. GROUP DYNAMICS, BOUNDARIES AND VOLUNTEER SELF-CARE
A. Prison Tours
15. REPORTING COSA ACTIVITY
A. CSC Contract Projects
B. Non-CSC Contract Project
C. Research and Evaluation and Resource Planning Purposes
D. National and International Project Inventories
16. RISK AND LIABILITY ISSUES FOR COSA
A. Non- Supervisory Role of COSA
B. Relationship based on Friendship
C. COSA as Member of a Parish or Church Community
D. COSA as Part of Community Chaplaincy
E. Volunteer Members of Boards or Panels
F. Correctional Service Contracts
G. Disclaimer
H. Conclusion
APPENDIX A: SAMPLE COVENANTS
Sample Covenant 1
Sample Covenant 2
Sample Covenant 3
Sample Covenant 4
APPENDIX B: NEEDS & RESOURCES ASSESSMENT PROFILE
Needs and Resources Assessment Profile - Sample One
Needs and Resources Assessment Profile - Sample Two
APPENDIX C: SCREENING QUESTIONS FOR VOLUNTEERS
APPENDIX D: COSA QUARTERLY REPORTING FORM
GLOSSARY
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