Field Services Thank You
By Al Godfrey
Field Services staff, July 16-22nd is Probation and Parole week—an opportunity to reflect and honor your work to transform lives and keep MN a healthy place to work and live. While this is one week, the ongoing feedback directly from our clients throughout the year on how you support and help them in living a better life is our true testimony that speaks to the value of your work.
This past session was historic—from increased funding for supervision to policy change. While exciting, we have now committed ourselves to implementing what is known to be effective when working with both persons under supervision and the victims and communities impacted by crime. For Field Services, more than ever we need to focus and continue to remind ourselves on the “why” of the work. At the end of the day, how we have assisted our clients in having a better understanding of what has led to their involvement in the justice system and how we are jointly working together on a plan to give them better tools to proactively manage and avoid high-risk behaviors. How we have helped victims in their healing process and feeling safe in the community where they chose to live.
Long-term change can be attributed to two main themes: A desire to discontinue behaviors that no longer support positive self-change, and having the right tools where persons have the ability followed by hope they can change. Interesting enough, this is true for all of us. Change is difficult and at times anxiety producing. Shifting from behaviors that are comfortable to behaviors that are new require having a mindset we are open to change. Letting go of all the excuses of why change is not feasible to fully embrace and commit ourselves to change recognizing that barriers and failure is part of the process. Each time you have a setback, you pick yourself up, you learn from that experience, and you move forward.
For us as staff, that means we need to be more than ever a learning organization. One that continues to adopt and change overtime, just as much as the lives we are dedicated to helping change. This means trying new interventions to better equip clients in making the right decisions and rewarding new behaviors when they are moving in the right direction. Affirmation is a powerful tool and even simply acknowledging positive change, even the smallest step, can be a powerful motivator for all of us. In addition, we need to track our success and have the data to support it. Through data, we have a powerful tool that helps us reflect “are we moving in the right direction”? We are better able to tell our story on why community supervision and your work is important. Lastly, the work we do has an impact on us and others who we care about. We commit to live healthy lives as staff and not being afraid or unwilling to ask for help when we need it. We all need support and care.
So, for us, this is a word of thanks. Thank you for your work and trying out new behaviors as we learn and grow regardless of if you work directly with clients and victims or the staff supporting the work. We are all focused on one goal of positively transforming lives.
