Lionheart Blog

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Incarcerated host Phillip A. Jones speaks with Executive Director of The Lionheart Foundation

Incarcerated host Phillip A Jones speaks with Robin Casarjian, Executive Director of The Lionheart Foundation. Phillip was excited to talk to Robin about the programming she has developed and implemented for prisoners and youth-at-risk based on her book Houses of Healing: A Prisoner’s Guide to Inner Power and Freedom.

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An Update on The National Solitary Project

We recently announced the launch of our newest initiative: The National Solitary Project. Here’s an update on our progress so far.

A Special Thanks to Our Community of Volunteers!

At Lionheart we are deeply thankful for the support and generosity of volunteers and interns. They are an integral part of Lionheart’s ability to expand our impact and bring our trauma-informed programs and support to a growing number of organizations and individuals. Read more about the volunteers we have had this year!

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UPDATED: Lionheart Expands Reach with Over 70 Houses of Healing Federal Purchases

An update on our Houses of Healing purchases as a result of the First Step Act: between June-September, Lionheart received a tremendous 71 Houses of Healing purchases from federal prisons nationwide!

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The Impact of the Power Source Program

Laura McDonnell is the Founder and Executive Director of Next Steps Liaison Project, a non-profit dedicated to helping detained and court-involved youth get on a positive path after detention by first providing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) while inside Juvenile Hall, and later a bridge to tangible next steps upon release. Watch the video or read the transcript to learn more.

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Lionheart Thanks Our UX Designers

At the Lionheart Foundation we are committed to expanding the reach and impact of our programs. Much of this work wouldn’t be possible without the dedication and expertise of incredibly talented volunteers. Today we’d like to thank Emilie and Marco.

Lionheart’s Stance on Solitary Confinement

Solitary confinement is defined as the physical isolation of incarcerated individuals, without meaningful human interaction, for 22-24 hours per day. In most places there is little to no effort to offer rehabilitative programming in solitary confinement. Lionheart wants to change that.

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Guest Blog: A House of Healing Within the Walls of San Quentin

Read this guest blog from 2013, written by Susan Shannon, for the original Houses of Healing group. Also included in this post: Stories from Lifers.

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Lionheart Expands Reach with Almost 60 Federal Prisons Purchasing the Houses of Healing Program!

Lionheart’s program for incarcerated adults, Houses of Healing, was recently featured in the Approved Programs Guide published by the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. Since that time, almost 60 federal prisons have purchased the Houses of Healing program! Check out this map that shows the breadth of our reach to these new prisons.

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Why Choose EQ2 for Your Direct Care Workers?

Watch this video, or read the transcript, to learn about Matt’s decision to care for his direct care workers by implementing Lionheart’s EQ2 program.

Just the Boost We Needed!

The Association of Children’s Residential and Community Services (ACRC) gave us just the boost we needed by bringing together partners from across the world to explore best-practices to build transformative and healing communities for youth.

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Houses of Healing in Federal BOP First Step Act List

Lionheart’s program for incarcerated adults was recently included in the Approved Programs Guide published by the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. Read more about the listing of Houses of Healing among other approved, standardized prison programs.

Power Source Worksheets Now Available in Spanish

Lionheart is pleased to announce that all of the worksheets for the newly released Power Source Facilitator Manual are now available in Spanish! This project was completed in conjunction with two volunteers from Catchafire, an online support that matches nonprofits with highly skilled volunteers.

The author of Houses of Healing, Robin Casarjian, with a group of successful participants in our prison rehabilitation program.

What Makes Prison Programming Effective?

Effective programming in prison and jail has been shown to be a powerful means of reducing recidivism and empowering people to turn their lives around. Yet, many institutions struggle to put forth and incentivize programs optimally.

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Lionheart’s EQ2 Program Implemented in Massachusetts Teen Parenting Programs

With the support of the Gardiner Howland Shaw and J.W. Alden Foundations, Lionheart has been able to strengthen the “villages” of 8 residential programs by providing EQ2 at no cost. Read to find out more!

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Power Source Parenting in Massachusetts Teen Parenting Programs

Lionheart’s Power Source Parenting Program has had a transformative impact in Massachusetts Teen Parenting Programs. Keep reading to find out more.

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Lionheart Awarded Innovative Grant by CDCR

Lionheart was recently awarded an Innovative Grant by the DJJ within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Read on to find out more about Power Source and our partnering with the nonprofit organization Self-Awareness and Recovery.

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Exclusive Q&A with Lionheart’s Executive Director and Author of Houses of Healing, Robin Casarjian

Learn about Robin’s work with incarcerated individuals and Lionheart’s newly-released self-study program, Making Time Count.