A Qualitative Program Evaluation of a Digital Peer Support Group for Formerly Incarcerated People.

OBJECTIVES: A qualitative program evaluation of the Formerly Incarcerated Peer Support (FIPS) group, a peer-led mutual support group for formerly incarcerated people, was conducted to understand participant perceptions of (1) digital delivery via Zoom, (2) curriculum content, (3) roles of group participants, and (4) therapeutic value of FIPS group as it relates to traumatic experiences in prison and ongoing challenges after release. METHODS: Using a community-based participatory action research approach, a qualitative evaluation was conducted with participants in either the 2020 or 2021 curriculum. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom, transcribed, de-identified, coded, and analyzed via applied thematic analysis and results reviewed with participants. RESULTS: Of 75 formerly incarcerated participants, 20 interviews were conducted and recorded (n = 20). All participants were male, 85% were Black, and the average age was 54.8 years old. Zoom delivery was not preferred, but feasible. Most appreciated the comprehensive and holistic curriculum that enabled peers to gain practical and emotional social support in different areas of life after release. The facilitator's experience with prison programs and relationships within peer networks was essential for recruitment and retention. Participants described (1) feelings of acceptance, (2) examples of teaching and learning from peers' improved insight, trigger management, response modification to stressors, and (3) improved understanding within relationships with those who have not been incarcerated. CONCLUSIONS: Digital delivery of peer-led psychosocial support groups for formerly incarcerated people is feasible and impactful. Future research can further characterize the lingering impacts of institutional traumas and quantify changes.

Us helping us: The evolution of a peer support group for formerly incarcerated people.

Introduction: Physical, psychological, and emotional trauma experienced while incarcerated influences subsequent mental health outcomes. Upon release, there is a fragmented landscape of mental health services and many of the existing services do not account for the root causes of challenges faced by formerly incarcerated people (FIP). To address the unmet social, psychological, behavioral, and emotional needs of FIP in Louisiana, the Formerly Incarcerated Peer Support (FIPS) Group developed a twelve-unit curriculum in 2019. Methods: We detail the evolution, development, and evaluation of the FIPS Group program. Additionally, we describe the community-driven process for developing the curriculum. Results: The FIPS Group has grown from informal meetings of a handful of FIP in New Orleans, Louisiana, into a multi-state, interdisciplinary network of more than 150 stakeholders. FIPS Group has developed the only peer support curriculum we are aware of that is designed by FIP, for FIP, and uses the shared experience of incarceration and reentry as its organizing principle. Limitations of the model include the lack of pending evaluation data and challenges with technological proficiency among FIP. Conclusions: The FIPS Group model may be generalized in a number of settings. Similar approaches may benefit the mental health of the millions of Americans involved in the criminal-legal system.