Women: Art and so chin and yay, if you would, I think that\'s when you\'re in right there. Is it on mine? I think it\'s wonderful. There it is.
    Okay so we have started recording and so
    Women: There\'s a little bit more that I want to share with you about the conversation and that is when I talked about asking you
    questions and finding out which side you\'re on, that\'s that\'s what we\'re going to be doing. I will be firing questions at you and you may
    respond positively or negatively. That\'s what we\'re going to do. But here\'s the other thing, I need you to know about me asking you a
    question when I do that. There are no right answers or wrong answers or anything in particular.
    Women: then I\'m looking for what\'s important to know is that
    Women: You\'re not being tested what you know and what you don\'t know are equally important. And and as I like to share I don\'t know
    as a complete sentence so you know so and and yet we still learn from that so just keep and keep those things in mind if you feel it, tell it
    because this is really about your perspective, your your feelings, your thoughts.
    Women: On the topics that we\'re going to talk about. So I gave you a sense of what we\'re going to talk about, but before we get into
    that, what I\'d like to do is get a better understanding of your organization\'s work. And what I mean by that is if you think about the
    activities or the services that you provided, before the start of covid, how did your organization primarily serve the communities that it
    Women: serves whether that\'s people with disabilities and we can start there and then we can go into some of the others. You mean,
    how do we service them doing Kovac before? Before coffee, we did face to face in the community as well as in the office prior to covid-
    19. And when you say we service them face-to-face, what kind of
    Women: Is that you provide peer support to people with mental health challenges as well as substance abuse disorder.
    Women: Okay, and if you were to picture for me, what that might look like, like specifically, if your organization provides services for
    returning, citizens African-American women. What kinds of things would would, I see there? You would see, as a representative of the
    company, Irish are my lived experience.
    Women: And give them some hope. I would connect them to resources in the community such as getting ID housing clothing, food
    connected to Mental Health Services, as well as Services needed for their physical health, such as covid-19, testing and Etc. Uh-huh
    Women: Okay and I cited African-American women. How about efforts for other ethnic groups, other racial groups. It\'s all inclusive. Uh-
    huh. It\'s all-inclusive regardless of age race or sexual identity. We service the community as a whole. Uh-huh. Okay, so tell me this
    because almost everybody has one one of those programs
    Women: That you found particularly successful kind of like your source of Pride. If you were to identify just one that your organization
    successfully delivered, what would it be?
    Women: It would be the double trouble and Recovery support group, it was on Zoom, the whole year.
    Women: Tell me about it. We connected with people throughout the state of Georgia cause normally that that particular support group is
    just
    Women: it\'s directed to certain sections of Georgia but it was all inclusive. You can mix with people from the north, from Deep, from the
    south end of Georgia and Winder to people that lived in Cartersville on the North End. So it really gave people more support to recover
    and not to go into a deep depression from being house. You know, you could go out into the community
    Women: So, tell me I\'m going to ask you to tell me more. So how did it get started?
    Women: it was started, I think back in 2007, this particular support group and
    Women: It started with people with mental health challenges, just giving them support and making them feel that they are not the only
    one feeling like that cause it is a peer brand organization. Uh-huh.
    Women: So tell me of all the things you could have picked you pick that one? So what makes that the standout? What makes it a
    standout for you? It was a game-changer for myself because through my lived experience, I always had
    Women: I could successfully stopped dealing with my substance abuse disorder. However, I would return bad until I crossed over and
    realized that I had mental health challenges as well.
    Women: It was untreated. Okay. Okay, so here\'s another thing, that\'s what made it a standout for you. What do you think makes this
    particular program successful and you own the definition of success? Okay? So tell me what that definition is and what it is about this
    program that you believe made it successful.
    Women: Just people having a really nice to get on the support group and more importantly, to be honest.
    Women: And what made me stand up in my own truth? Was that feeling like I was the only one I wasn\'t alone. Uh-huh. And being in that
    type of setting, it opens the door to recover for people to recover couch is not only with Substance Abuse and Mental Health challenges,
    the impact of covid-19 why people being at home.
    Women: Could it brought people to their mental health was activated by being depressed? Being in just looking at the walls. Uh-huh. And
    the support group, it really gave them an outlet. Ugly talk not be alone. Feel a connection with the world covid-19 and isolated a lot of
    people her even myself.
    Women: He\'s working at home on the computer. I spent 99.9% of my time in this chair in front of the computer from in the morning to the
    evening. When the evening, when it\'s time to get off of work, it\'s time to eat dinner and go to bed. Uh-huh. Okay, so since covid,
    because we brought that in, We were originally, we were talking about before covid and then when we bring
    Women: over then, tell me when you think about
    Women: Your program, mmm, did the priority shift and if they did from what to what? With the with covid coming.
    Women: The priorities of the program. Did they shift at all?
    Women: somewhat as far as our safety, because we were not able to go to your house or meet you at the motor vehicle facility because
    of coffee and there was mass wearing sanitizer, you know, different type of defenses were used and Kobe didn\'t
    Women: I was to have the face to fac the community which was crippling and I\'m going to be focusing on one of your populations and
    that population is returning citizens, African-American female returning citizens. So if I ask you that same question in terms of shift in
    priorities,
    Women: How if at all, did they shift with that population with returning citizens is shiv to a negative. It was a negative because of most
    returning citizens at the top of the list is housing and a lot of the services that we provide. They were not operating at capacity. A lot of
    things in the community has shut.
    Women: And it was crippling to the community, the impact it wasn\'t available.
    Women: You know, you had to search high and low to find to fill the needs of the women of the returning citizens. It was a chance. Well,
    tell me then what? Or how could you face that challenge? What did you have to do to address it?
    Women: I had to pull out my phone and call all my resources. I had to connect with people other people in the community and see what
    was available in their area or see what was available. Now, those the resources that you connected to our these resources that you
    normally connect to, or they do you collaborate
    Women: Great with them isn\'t like other organizations like your own it was other organizations like my all as well as people in the peer
    support Arena. You know, our cause of just say, for instance, I would call Grady hospital and if they receive doing tell him, or when will
    they open to bring people in? As far as getting mental health, assessments, people had to go.
    Women: Out of the area. Uh-huh. Got some some places were still operating but Grady was one that went on Telehealth which is
    number one providers to the returning citizens. Okay? Now let\'s let\'s narrow this down a little bit. When you look at the work you do the
    challenges you faced in the ones that you may.
    Women: What if any way did you measure them? Measure? The successes that do you keep metrics on? Well, it\'s counting, right? So
    on any particular goals that you have or or successes that you had,
    Women: Wacky records.
    Women: Okay, I know this is the way we think, right? So, keep those records, I know. You have to keep records but do you keep them in
    a way that you are able to sort of track success?
    Women: We track. Yes, we do. We keep a we track the individuals for 18 months and we would know if they have returned back to if
    their mental health was active or if they were being compliant or I mean it just we just track them and it is based on being in
    communication with people.
    Women: like I said, again, it was a barrier even to the point where if they receive Food Stamps,
    Women: And the government provided them with a cell phone and that was a challenge in itself, becomes Department of Family and
    Children Services was closed doing Kovac. Everything had to be dropped in a drop box and there were no sap. Sound-alike places for
    people to receive phones and I mean it, Everything is Everything stopped. Uh-huh, everything. Stopped. Okay.
    Women: But we made it through. Yes, yes, yes. And so here we are and now we\'re going to be narrowing our topic even more. Okay,
    I\'m going to focus solely on your organization\'s work and how you carry out your Communications activities. So our Focus going
    forward is going to be on Communications activities because one of the things I mentioned up front in terms of
    Women: Like how are we even going to use the results of this conversation and the feedback that you give us? It all has to do with in
    crn\'s desire to create an effective Communications plan. So now we\'re going to focus on that aspect. So if you were to describe your
    local Communications team, what would it look like? What? How would you describe it?
    Women: Flooded emails, text messaging. What about the people? I mean the team that you have. Do you have a team? Yes, we do tell
    me about that.
    Women: Like I said, the team we would, we will meet weekly be a zoom or conference call. How many people would that be 10? And in
    the Atlanta, we have different teams depending on what region you work in. Uh-huh. And I\'m on the Atlanta tea.
    Women: And that covers from all the surrounding counties to Columbus, Georgia. I mean, I think this region too.
    Women: This region 2 and we will have a collaborative meeting conference call Via Zoom, we didn\'t do any face to face and we would
    go over. Like you said just tracking people on their success or what their needs are and where Jane Doe is and what she needs and we
    would pull resources together. That\'s what we do on a weekly basis. Uh-huh.
    Women: Unity we serve. And when you are working on Communications that might be external, like going outside of the organization,
    you use contractors or Freelancers.
    Women: Now, actually, we just use allies. Also just supporters now contractors. Okay. All right now. So, you\'re being reached out to
    because your organization is partnered with, in crn, and one of the goals in that,
    Women: Communications plan is to mitigate the impact of covid-19 on returning citizens, especially African-American women. Hispanic
    Asian native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders other populations that are disproportionately affected by the pandemic. So with this
    Communications plan, the intent is to encourage
    Women: courage members of the community to get a covert test or to get a covid vaccine especially now that it\'s widely available. So
    when you think about how you have been getting out information to the local community about covid-19 issues, tell me about that. Tell
    me what
    Women: Have you been doing? How have you been getting the message out either testing or vaccine?
    Women: That has worked for you. Well actually, I can only give them the suggestions, the people, their community, that I serve for her
    and talk about the pros and cons with me. Cause again, I work for agency that does peer support. So I only can share my lived
    experience and through HIPPA laws, I cannot force them to take the vaccine.
    Women: I just let them know. Hey, this is what work for me. Hey, this is what could possibly happen? This is what is happening. That\'s
    what is your Communications effort. Now, I\'m going back to. We got ten people. If you think about the 10 people are there thing is. It all
    face-to-face or is are you using different ways of reaching the audience\'s that you want to reach?
    Women: Okay, free Kobe. Everything was face-to-face via in the community or at the probation office. All right? The prison, uh-huh. And
    during Kovac, everything came to
    Women: The phone.
    Women: Because the returning citizens, a lot of people didn\'t have access to a computer or they would not computer savvy. Okay. So
    that put correct me if I\'m wrong. Did that put sort of a damper on things like social media or, and you\'re nodding with me? So tell me
    what is the absence of the computer skills and the computer itself?
    Women: Were you able to use any kind of digital communication or did you even want to?
    Women: Like I said, we just use the phone and we were walk people through the steps of how to download zoom on their phone to
    attend support groups or just to make medical appointments. Cause a lot of people.
    Women: They were unaware of how to do it. Uh-huh, that\'s what we do. We educate and encourage assist and support individuals, in
    those areas of their needs. Uh-huh. Okay. Tell me what else you may have used that just have just hasn\'t bubbled up to the top and our
    Women: Yet. And you have you used social media at all? When you think about getting your message about covert testing and
    vaccinations out to your populations, not from my job.
    Women: But just my personal friends. Yes, to my select groups on Facebook. Social media. Yes, but my company. No. Okay. What about
    webinars or anything like that? My company. It\'s sponsored a wellness and Recovery. Seven days a week via Zoom.
    Women: For wellness and it was all inclusive. As far as exercising, just education on different topics throughout pertaining to hit to
    Wellness. We did that yet. Tell me about that a little bit was yours. The team involved in that the 10 people from your in your Regional
    Communications team. It was on a volunteer.
    Women: Basis if you participated but, you know, buyers working from home, it was kind of one of the things that would account for an
    hour during the day. If you volunteer and remind myself, of course I did. The doctor support group. Uh-huh. And I also participated in a
    zuma-zuma, you know, we did line dancing online, you know, just something education and fun to do. You know what?
    Women: Basically, you have to volunteer for though to provide those services and it\'s still going on today. And that\'s one of the things
    that I made a suggestion that we continue with the zoom platform.
    Women: Pass Kovac.
    Women: To reach. So, how will you use it? Pass covid.
    Women: Still doing the same giving people to information just giving people the information be a support system for people in need. And
    if they need resources that can put their name and number in the chat, I mean, it was just a way, it\'s a way to better connect people with
    resources in the community. Tell me more about about that in terms of getting information out and connecting people.
    Women: Or in the community because they I have to admit Kathy, they keep coming up to keep being new things coming up as we\'re
    talk. That that didn\'t, you know, wasn\'t in the first sentence. So let me let me just keep, I\'m gonna hang around here for a minute and
    talk to you about this. So you think about additional ways that you may have been getting information out, it may not seem like a big deal
    but maybe
    Women: Be there are other things, maybe through the news media or something like that. Is there any other way that you are getting
    messages out to your community that we have not yet talked about
    Women: No, because I like I said doing social media, you know, Facebook, I only have a, I have some of that on my phone but I don\'t go
    on it. Like I used to with the ag of things you can\'t do, uh-huh, because of the HIPAA laws and the confidentiality
    Women: Basically, like I say we reach out to the peer support network.
    Women: Okay, can we communicate with our peer with our peer specialist and then they would in turn connect with the people that they
    serve is like a domino effect? You know you tell me and I tell the people that I network with better peer specialist and the forward all
    everybody knows. Uh-huh. Okay so what messages have you sent out?
    Women: It is sort of the thing, you\'re trying to get people to understand about covid, either getting tested or getting vaccinated, what\'s
    your message to them? Matt messages, why not?
    Women: I mean when the let\'s say the bit, do you have a specific message that you are trying to get in the ear of your community? Is
    there a specific message that
    Women: Either you\'re co-signing on from the company is just it is it is the message you want to get too, especially to the, the returning
    citizens.
    Women: Basically, we just promote self care.
    Women: and that would be inclusive with the covid-19 vaccination the Kovac testing because
    Women: We as women wear me myself.
    Women: It affects every area of my life. You know, I do have underlying health issues and most people that are returning citizens, they
    may 9 out of 10, they have something underlying. And, again, I would just share my experience and the thing of it is and it would come a
    conversation with come up. It would be ready to dialogue and that will open the door where I
    Women: Share what worked for me and what didn\'t work for me. Uh-huh. And in the scheme, in the scheme of things, when in addition
    to you talking to them and sharing your experience what other Messengers if any have helped you get information out,
    Women: Are there others that you are affiliated with, who are speaking the same message that you and your organization are speaking?
    My church in the community and I\'m a member of the recovery Community organization which is our CEO. We stay service that
    Community as a whole, you know, with resume writing, jobs health fairs, and things of that nature.
    Women: Okay, so when we talked about the wide section of folks that you are working with like the recovery Network and some of the
    other organizations that you mentioned that you collaborate with when you\'ve got to get to people trying to get services to them. Are
    there any particular
    Women: ticular partners that you work with when you\'re dealing with African-American women who are returning citizens,
    Women: Health Care Providers. Mercy Care.
    Women: DeKalb crisis, center, Grady Hospital.
    Women: Trinity house whole pounds, Georgia Council substance abuse. I mean it\'s it can go on. I mean, it\'s so many. What if you were
    to identify the partner with the let\'s say the specific surface that they do that, you know, you\'re relying on them for. Give me an example
    of what that would look like. So as we list these, you reach out to them for
    Women: What particular role I would reach out to Mercy care. If people needed Medical Dental, physical, assessments, mental health,
    assessment substance, abuse assessment, Kovac testing. I reach out to Mercy Care crisis. The same thing.
    Women: See all of these ages that we connect with, they offer the same type of service for some were available. In some, we\'re not
    have crisis, they send their people to decay of hospital, I think that Hillandale Hospital.
    Women: You know, and mercy, Pearson young people to Grady hospital. So whatever Services they needed, is all of One, Stop Shop.
    Women: Okay, okay, so it seems that\'s how they\'re helping to you did get your work done and how, if at all, have they hindered your
    Communications efforts being on Telehealth.
    Women: Okay, tell me about it was hard for people to get an appointment.
    Women: As far as for mental health services but Kovac testing, there were tents satellite locations located throughout the city because
    you can just be riding in your car and it\'s a free testing.
    Women: I got a lot of my people test it like that. Now, let me stop you right there. How did you get the information to them to get tested
    that way?
    Women: They needed it to get services at another facility and it was a quite iria that they had Kovac testing. How did you get the
    message that those criteria were going to be there for them? Mean, I\'m just trying to understand, they didn\'t know you made them
    aware. What vehicles? Communication vehicle did you use to make sure that they got that information?
    Women: Word of mouth because I will contact DeKalb crisis.
    Women: And they would say, yes, you can bring Jane Doe. However, she needs to bring documentation that she has.
    Women: Been tested for Kobe. Uh-huh. And you said those things of that nature. So how did you get the information to Jane Doe?
    Women: Word of mouth. Okay, so it\'s all going to be mostly Word of Mouth. Do you ever use Communications materials?
    Women: Again, a lot of returning citizens, they don\'t have when it depends on how long they\'ve been in the community as to what
    resources they have. And I am the first point of contact with people that I serve when they first get out. Uh-huh. So we\'re starting at
    Ground Zero which is trying to get identification.
    Women: To get the ball started. Gotcha, got ya. Okay. So one of the things that we frequently asked you to do in these conversations is
    thinking ways, you don\'t normally think. So, I am going to focus our attention on Communications materials think gives
    Women: Is you know you might direct them to whatever it is but it\'s all going to be based on messaging and Communications materials.
    I want you to imagine that you can have whatever Communications materials, you want the developed in any way that you want suppose
    budget is no issue. You can have what you
    Women: You need to make you even more successful with the audience that you serve.
    Women: What materials would you need? Especially for the returni helpful and this is all in Communications.
    Women: That\'s the limit. So the budget is not limited, but the focal point of communications is the limit.
    Women: It is pre-comic. This is now now. So if you could get today, if I had to have something to get the word out, even about Kobe. Uh-
    huh. I will have a block party.
    Women: A block party and give away gift cards and have different type of speakers to speak on various topics and have drawings, and it
    would draw a lot of people have raffle have giveaways. Uh-huh. So, you\'re telling me that the communication would be
    Women: In person are you? So you mean, if I didn\'t do it on person in person, I would use the zoom platform to do the same thing. Uh-
    huh.
    Women: Would you? Let\'s go back to the block party for a second, though. Would you provide any type of information while you\'re at
    the block party that goes beyond word of town? I have a peas information pamphlets about
    Women: the effect of Kovac, not just Kobe, but just a Whole Health as a whole self-care. It would be self-care but our have informational
    pamphlets as well as speakers. Like, who would you have as a speaker? Remember you have, you have an unlimited budget? And this
    is hypothetical, of course, so. But if you have an unlimited budget,
    Women: I would have different.
    Women: Re-entry providers.
    Women: Help me understand that some more reinjure providers would be one day, provide housing, one day provide a food bank when
    five Furniture want to provide clothing. Targeting that group of people. Uh-huh. And more importantly, our have education for the family.
    Women: Uh-huh. It\'s not just about the individual. I mean it affects your okay? And so we know we\'re talking about returning Citizen and
    we know that you\'ve identified that Circle of issues that you have to address, suppose we were doing all this with the intent of making
    sure they got
    Women: The covid message. Is there anything you would add or can you share with me? How this would enhance getting the covid
    message to the returning citizens? As soon as they enter the block party Arena, they would get the eyepiece and I will probably give
    some the trinkets away that
    Women: That would say Kovac testing with a mask or something that would attract the people.
    Women: And it depends on the prisoner, you know, it\'s free. Testing like I mean even here in Georgia they have been giving away
    money for people to get it done. Uh-huh. Well, lot of people, you have to take it to them.
    Women: In the community. That\'s right. I said like a block party, even just not a party but just event. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Where there\'s
    food. You know, you got to attract people. Uh-huh. That\'s forming in. Yeah. So tell me
    Women: If you could narrow it to 3, what would be the top three communications related supports that you would most like from in crn,
    you know, frequently, we get things, we may or may not find useful. So if you could identify the top three communication related supports
    that you would like most from in crn, what
    Women: They be.
    Women: You mean where providers? So as your partnership goes with, you know, the sponsors of this study, hmm. And their goal is to
    create materials that are useful to make your program effective, what top three communications related support, would you like from, in
    crn,
    Women: You might say, don\'t waste your money on that. These are the things I need. These are the things that are going to help me
    move the, get the information out and make it more effective among the returning citizens, put a blast on Facebook, with the name of the
    agency, you know, your company and Rocket would have to have nothing but create a flyer. Have it on Facebook, they have it flood
    Facebook, and
    Women: You know, I\'ll with the young people do word of mouth and those saying Flyers, I\'ll put them in the grocery stores and Walmart
    the most frequent places.
    Women: Facebook in the community and word-of-mouth have me some or so soldiers in the trenches. Uh-huh. Uh-huh, the word out.
    Okay. So if you were able to get Facebook, Flyers that could be placed where they need to be and some kind of effort to get Word of
    Mouth ratchet.
    Women: Well, if you were able to do that, how how can it help your Communications efforts succeed? How does that? How does that
    play into the success of your Communications effort? It will play a big part long as I had a contact number on there. I would need to be in
    place. Have a call center or someone just there to answer the calls, you know, I don\'t, I
    Women: I,
    Women: Cuz that\'s the key on the other end. Once the people call, you got to have the dialogue plotl people because they don\'t think
    it\'s a telemarketer because people call your phone. I don\'t know. No, I got you.
    Women: For sure. But I\'ll have to have someone on the other end that
    Women: Has the lived experience of dealing with said, we\'re promoting Kovac sewing. This has the vaccine has had Kovac and got to
    the other side. Someone that has the resignation and how was a success and how it affected them. I would want somebody there to
    answer the phone that has the experience. Uh-huh. He was going to be shooting them questions.
    Women: You know, if it was me so I had to call me I\'m gonna shoot him a lot of questions what when how where should a, you know, a
    whole bottle of questions. Okay. So if you were to and we really are very close to the end of our conversation, but if you were just about,
    you know, you have the ear of the organization.
    Women: That your organization is partnering with, right? So you have n CR ends here. So what words of wisdom? What direction would
    you like to offer them? If they truly do want to be successful in helping you what? What do you offer them? What are the absolutely do
    this? And what are the red flags? Definitely don\'t do that. What are? What are these words of wisdom? You have for us?
    Women: Us.
    Women: To continue to share their hope. And that each everybody that you meet
    Women: they\'re different.
    Women: It\'s not a cookie cutter.
    Women: Way of servicing everybody. You know, you trying to give them the message of Hope of what kobuk and I mean, the vaccination
    I mean I don\'t know but you can\'t put everybody in the same box.
    Women: So you would need somebody to listen. I don\'t know if I can find the words for that one.
    Women: Okay. Well, let me give you something, I\'ve heard. And let me have you respond to that sometimes when we are doing what we
    think, are our best efforts and we produce Communications materials.
    Women: The peo share with their the people they serve say, you know, you can tell that these materials were developed by someone
    who didn\'t really understand us. How can NCR in avoid being described that way.
    Women: I think I just answered you would get people that had the vaccine has had Kovac, has had a lot of challenges and got to the
    other side. I will have someone there with the as appeared with the lived experience. Uh-huh. You know instead of giving me the book,
    the book, the information that you read in the book you will have somebody to answer the call.
    Women: I\'ll be there to advocate for your company that is got to it\'s a success. I could be I mean it may have had challenges but they
    work through the challenges. Hmm. So currently someone that has the lived experience. All right. Okay. Well Kathy we have gotten to
    the end of what we are going to talk about today and I like to end the same
    Women: That I start and that is with a big, thank you. Now that is my heartfelt. Thanks. But as you know from the call setting it up to get
    this going that we are going to provide you with a token of our appreciation in the amount of $150 and as an electronic gift card just as a
    token of our appreciation for your time.
    Women: And you have been talking to Janine. Yay, and she is going to be helping you get set up for that. So one of the things that
    they\'ve asked me to confirm is that you want to receive your gift card at the same email address that you have been using all along.
    Women: I think you use my work email. I want this to go to my personal email. Can I change it? Yes you can. And what I\'m going to do is
    have Chanel yay. Get that from
    [END]