Question

How does vocational rehabilitation promote change in inmate behavior? How can mental health treatment be incorporated into a vocational rehabilitation setting?

Answer 1

1. Vocational Guidannce :------- Vocational Guidance means assistance given to an individual in solving problems related to vocationalplanning and to occupational choice and profess with due regard for the individual's characteristics and their relation to occupational opportunities.

2. Vocational rehabilitation :----- Vocational rehabilitation is a process which enables persons with functional, psychological, developmental, cognitive and emotional impairments or health disabilities to overcome barriers to accessing, maintaining or returning to employment or other useful occupation.

3. Inmate behavior :----- Historically, jails have emphasized the physical containment ofinmates over actively supervising them and managing theirbehavior. This has resulted in problems commonly associated with jails, such as violence, vandalism, and unsanitary conditions.

Discription ---------------------------------------------------------

  Research shows that a rehabilitation program generally is effective at reducing recidivism if it possesses three key principles. First, the program should be “evidence based”—meaning it is modeled after a program shown to reduce recidivism and actually operates in the same manner as the proven program. Second, the program should be evaluated for cost?effectiveness. Third, the program should focus on the highest?risk and highest?need inmates, as this has the greatest potential to reduce recidivism. We recommend that the Legislature direct CDCR to conduct an assessment of all existing CDCR facilities to determine the level of resources required to meet all the rehabilitative needs for the highest?risk and highest?need offenders. We also recommend the Legislature consider incorporating actual inmate attendance into rehabilitation program funding decisions in order to help limit the number of program slots that are not used efficiently.

Vocational rehabilitation services exist to help mentally ill people find work. Traditionally, these services have, mental health services. Vocational rehabilitation (VR) is a set of services offered to individuals with mental or physical disabilities. These services are designed to enable participants to attain skills, resources, attitudes, and expectations needed to compete in the interview process, get a job, and keep a job. Services offered may also help an individual retrain for employment after an injury or mental disorder has disrupted previous employment.   Individuals with mental or physical disabilities will receive the assessments, counseling, training, placement, accommodations and long-term supports needed to allow them to engage in the gainful employment of their choice. For instance, a person who is blind would need screen reading software to access a computer and people with a cognitive or mental disability might need a talking electronic reminder device programmed to prompt them when it is time to perform certain tasks.

Vocational rehabilitation services prepare qualified applicants to achieve a lifestyle of independence and integration within their workplace, family and local community. This transition is achieved through work evaluation and job readiness services, job counseling services, and medical and therapeutic services

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