Free Spirit Affirmative Business: Employment for offenders with serious mental illness
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Authors
Davidson, Tracy
Date
2010-04-26T19:56:43Z
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
affirmative business , mental illness , offender , Rehabilitation Science
Alternative Title
Abstract
This case study evaluates the process of affirmative business development within
a federal correctional psychiatric facility for federal offenders with mental illness serving
long or indeterminate sentences. It examines how the business associates (i.e., offenders
with mental illness who are self-employed in the affirmative business) change through
working in the affirmative business, and what challenges and benefits they experience.
The aim is to disseminate knowledge that will assist in developing supported employment
opportunities for offenders with serious mental illness.
Qualitative and participatory research methods are used to give a descriptive
account of the experience of 14 business associates within a critical paradigm. The
framework that guided this study included the Canadian Model of Occupational
Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E); the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB); and
a Community Economic Development (CED) approach. Strategies were incorporated to
maintain rigor and ensure trustworthiness and quality of the findings. The data outlined
the first 6 years of the affirmative business. Interviews and observations were conducted
during year 7 and 8 of the affirmative business. Reviews of documents and artifacts were
current and historical in nature.
Three overlapping phases of business development, outreach, and replication are
discussed along with their corresponding core tasks of skepticism, tensions of growth,
and transformation. Within each phase, six overlapping themes emerge: business
development; personal growth, recovery, and hope; ongoing support; the prison
environment; volunteerism; and the community. Self-employment within the affirmative
iii
business emerges as having an encouraging effect on promoting empowerment and
recovery, increasing self-reliance and self-efficacy, helping symptoms, learning new
ways to resolve conflict, and improving understanding of employment support needs.
Description
Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2010-04-26 15:43:13.848
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License
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