Fishnet Ministries to Sponsor “Best Practice Strategies: Building a Bridge to Freedom” Conference

The first-ever “Best Practice Strategies: Building a Bridge to Freedom” conference for Hawaii social workers, mental health professionals, State agencies, and interested public will be held from April 30 through May 4, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The conference is sponsored by Fishnet Ministries International, and spearheaded by Bonnie C. Holcombe, Facility Chaplain and Executive Director of the Total Life Recovery Program at the Women’s Community Correctional Center.

The conference will address the changes necessary to come out of generational poverty. Participants and agencies will learn best practices for criminogenic needs and risks factors; personal skills and strategies for working with people and families in poverty; motivational interviewing; bridging poverty patterns; contexts and causes of criminal behavior and criminal thinking patterns; cognitive renewal; and how to shift paradigm for collaboration to address poverty culture, addiction, treatment and recovery.

Download the Press Release: Oahu Conference

Speakers include Dr. Karen Swanson, Director of the Institute for Prison Ministries at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton College. She also serves on the Christian Association for Prisoner Aftercare Advisory Board. Dr. Swanson will share collaborations, networks and strategic partnerships that provide leadership and training to those engaged in correctional ministries and reentry for former prisoners and the other marginalized individuals.

Dr. Thomas Beckner, Director of Chaplaincy Services and Program Development for Bridges of America, and author of Correctional Chaplains: Keepers of the Cloak, will discuss how faith communities and organizations save billions of tax-payer dollars by forming partnerships that address crime, offender rehabilitation, and substantial aftercare problems facing former prisoners. He is a recognized authority on correctional chaplaincy whose experience includes consultant to several state and county agencies, as well as pioneering efforts to develop educational programming for correctional ministries. Dr. Beckner will provide conference participants with practical insights and recommendations.

Fees and Contact Info

The fee for the five-day conference is $100, and includes lunch. A 10% discount is offered to groups of 10 or more. Conference site is at St. Stephens Diocese on Pali Highway. Open to the public. Registration is open through April 29th. For more information contact Chaplain Bonnie at bonnie@fishnetchaplaincy.com  or by calling (808) 783-2597.

Conference Agenda

April 30: SESSION ONE

• 9:00-9:45: Registration
• 9:45-10:00: Welcome/Introductions
• 10:00-10:45: Criminogenic Risk Factors: Dr Thomas Beckner
• 10:45-11:00: BREAK
• 11:00-12:00: Criminogenic Risk Factors
• 12:00-1:00: Lunch
• 1:00-2:00: Evidence Based Principles: Dr. Karen Swanson
• 2:00-2:15: BREAK
• 2:15-3:15: Implementation of Evidence based practices: Dr. Karen Swanson
• 3:15-4:00: Questions/Discussion

May 1: SESSION TWO

• 9:00-9:15: Welcome:
• 9:15-9:45: Something Special
• 9:45-10:45: Thinking Errors: Dr. Tom Beckner
• 10:45-11:00: BREAK
• 11:00-12:00: Thinking Errors
• 12:00-1:00: Lunch
• 1:00-2:00: Cognitive Renewal; Dr. Beckner
• 2:00-2:15: BREAK
• 2:15-3:15: Cognitive Renewal
• 3:15-4:00: Questions/Discussion

May 2: SESSION THREE

• 9:00-9:15: Welcome
• 9:15-9:45: Something Special
• 9:45-10:45: Motivational Interviewing: Dr. Karen Swanson
• 10:45-11:00: BREAK
• 11:00-12:00: Motivational Interviewing
• 12:00-1:00: Lunch
• 1:00- 2:00: Motivational Interviewing
• 2:00-2:15: Break
• 2:15-3:15: Motivational Interviewing Skill Practice
• 3:00-4:00: Questions/Discussion

May 3: SESSION FOUR

• 9:00-9:15: Welcome
• 9:15-9:45: Something Specail
• 9:45-10:45: Bridges Out of Poverty: Dr. Karen Swanson
• 10:45-11:00: BREAK
• 11:00-12:00: Bridges Out of Poverty
• 12:00-1:00: Lunch
• 1:00-2:00: Bridges out of Poverty
• 2:00-2:15: Break
• 2:15-3:15: Bridges out of Poverty
• 3:15-4:00: Questions/Discussion

May 4: SESSION FIVE

• 9:00-9:15: Welcome
• 9:15-9:45: Something Special
• 9:45-10:45: More God, Less Crime: Dr. Tom Beckner
• 10:45-11:00: BREAK
• 11:00-12:00: More God Less Crime
• 12:00-1:00: Lunch
• 1:00-2:00: Re-Entry: Dr. Tom Beckner
• 2:00-2:15: Break
• 2:15-3:15: Re-entry
• 3:00-4:00: Questions/Discussion