FAQ
Project Avary Online Program FAQs
What is Project Avary?
Learn more about us here: www.projectavary.org
Online Program
What is the online program?
Our program consists of 6 weekly community groups, which last approximately 60-75 minutes. Sessions will be held online using the Zoom video conferencing platform. Groups will include 6-10 youth participants, ages 8-18, 2 experienced adult facilitators, and a teenage junior counselor, all who have personal experience with parental incarceration. After completing the 6-week program, youth may apply to return for subsequent sessions, or apply for our teen leadership program, which supports youth to become leaders and counselors within our community. All participants, including counselors, have had an incarcerated parent.
What days and times are support groups held?
Days and times will vary group to group. Currently, our most common schedule is on weekdays (Tues, Wed, or Thurs) from 4-5:15p PST.
Would siblings be able to join the same group?
Siblings are welcome to enroll, though in the online program, we usually recommend that they attend separate groups whenever possible. This will give each youth an opportunity to experience our Avary community in a new way.
How are groups formed?
In the online program, groups of about 12 individuals make up a single community group which will meet for 6 times over the course of 6 weeks. We try to form diverse groups, with a mix of age, gender, and experience.
We screen youth who have been referred and try to put them in groups that are a good fit for them. We consider many factors when placing a youth into a specific group.
Are the programs ongoing with rolling admissions?
All programs have different criteria for enrollment. Currently, our online program has ongoing enrollment and is accepting applications: Online Program
How is your program funded/what is the fee for families to join?
There is no fee for our families to join. We do not plan on ever charging families for our programs.
How many times a year does Project Avary open its online program?
We have rolling admissions. Families or community partners can apply at any time during the year. Groups are held at least 3 times per year.
Is there a specific time-frame to enroll a child or teen to take part in the online program?
We have rolling admissions, so families or case workers can enroll children at any time.
Are groups the same each time a youth comes back?
While our curriculum for each 6-week session follows a similar structure, the experience is different every time a youth comes back. In addition to our curriculum having built in flexibility to introduce new games and activities, each participant may contribute in varying ways. As youth return for subsequent sessions, they are given different roles and responsibilities, such as being a junior leader (welcoming new youth), junior counselors (upholding the agreements and facilitating activities), associate counselors (counselors in training), and eventually become full counselors themselves if they wish.
Further, each community session is only composed of 12-14 individuals. No two sessions have the same group of individuals. As youth return for subsequent sessions, they may recognize a familiar face or two, but they will primarily be making new friends each time. The unique combination of personalities in each group lends itself to unique learning experiences, and growing the size of a youth’s community of support in the process.
Are online groups eligible for long-term mentoring? If not, will there be follow-up with the youth who have participated online to stay connected?
The intention is that this is a long-term relationship, and that youth will keep coming back to the group, for at least 2 groups per year. When they return for a second time, they will become Junior Leaders, holding the group norms and helping to make new youth feel welcome and part of the Avary Family. At age 15+ they can become Junior Counselors where they are paid staff.
It is long-term group mentoring, and youth also receive 1-1 mentoring and coaching from their counselors.
We want youth to have long-term involvement, and to move up through the ranks to become Junior Counselor's and eventually Counselors.
Referral Process
Who can refer a child of an incarcerated parent to an Online Support Group?
Anyone can refer a child, but it is highly recommended that the youth’s caregiver or guardian refer the child. If a third party makes a referral, we ask that you receive permission from the family before you submit the referral.
How can I sign up to join an Online Support Group?
Here is the link to our application form: Application Form for Online Group
How can I check the status of my referral application?
Please allow for at least 30 days prior to contacting us. If you have any questions or would like to follow-up, please email our Program Associate, janae@projectavary.org
Criteria for child to qualify for our online support group:
Be a child of an incarcerated parent or formerly incarcerated parent.
Age: 8-18 yrs
Child needs to be aware that their family member is incarcerated
Commit to attending a minimum of 6 weeks
Have access to internet and a device at scheduled group times
What if I know of CIPs who are a great fit, but do not meet all of the criteria?
Please refer them anyway and leave a note in the application.
How can I share this referral with an incarcerated parent? Can a parent in prison refer their child to your program?
We have a paper referral form that you can mail to someone who is incarcerated: Paper Referral for Incarcerated People. For more information, please email our Outreach Coordinator, danielle@projectavary.org
How can my organization learn more?
For more information about training, please email our Outreach Coordinator, danielle@projectavary.org
Online Group Curriculum
What is the online program curriculum based on?
Our curriculum has carefully evolved out of decades of working directly with CIP and their families. It is evidence-based and our program objectives are externally evaluated. Our curriculum’s focus is to respond to three central challenges facing CIP: grief and loss during parental separation, anxiety and stress relating to adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s), and feelings of shame and stigma related to societal stigmatization. We address these challenges by providing a continuous community of support to CIP - one filled with positive peer-to-peer and youth-adult relationships, fun activities that reduce stress and build a sense of community and belonging, and safe and judgment-free zones to talk about personal experience with incarceration.
Does it have the same curriculum if a child/teen wants to participate in it again?
Our curriculum has carefully evolved out of decades of working directly with CIP and their families. It is evidence-based and our program objectives are externally evaluated. Our curriculum’s focus is to respond to three central challenges facing CIP: grief and loss during parental separation, anxiety and stress relating to adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s), and feelings of shame and stigma related to societal stigmatization. We address these challenges by providing a continuous community of support to CIP - one filled with positive peer-to-peer and youth-adult relationships, fun activities that reduce stress and build a sense of community and belonging, and safe and judgment-free zones to talk about personal experience with incarceration. When children return for repeat sessions they become Junior Leaders and they are empowered with leadership responsibilities to support youth who are coming for their first time. As youth progress in their leadership development they are given more responsibilities within the group. When they become age 15+ they can become Junior Counselors where they help facilitate the groups with the Adult Counselors. Junior Counselors are paid.
What does the overall curriculum look like for the 6 week program?
Each online group session follows a structure designed to welcome new members, create safety, build community, and allow youth to support each other by sharing or listening. Over the course of the 6 weeks, the time and depth we spend in various aspects of each group will shift, responding to the level of safety and support we have formed within each community. Early on, we focus on creating safety through the repetition of structure, and building community through fun activities and games. Toward the end of the 6 weeks, our focus shifts towards creating opportunities to share about incarceration as well as creating leadership opportunities for older / experienced youth to be of service to younger / newer participants.
Leadership component
What is the junior counselor component?
Our community works because it is not just adults counselors helping youth. Everyone, regardless of age or experiences, can make a meaningful contribution to our community. From the very beginning, new participants are given opportunities to contribute. As youth become familiar with our community and its values, we support them in taking on additional responsibilities. One of these responsibilities is becoming a Junior Counselor.
Junior Counselors are an essential component of the online program. They help welcome new youth, facilitate activities, and explain and uphold group agreements. Junior counselors have personally benefited from our program, and are motivated to preserve its integrity. They are the ones responsible for upholding agreements, and their interventions are well received by new youth. Most important, junior counselors are models to the community, leading by example as they participate fully, respect group agreements, demonstrate kindness, and listen and share with authenticity.
Junior counselors are also learning basic job skills. They are paid for their time, are supported through training outside of groups, and are coached in their leadership development by our adult counselors.
Participants are invited to become junior counselors on a case-by-case basis, but generally need to be 15 years or older, have participated in at least 3 community sessions, and demonstrate a strong desire to participate.
Are online groups eligible for long-term mentoring? If not, will there be follow-up with the youth who have participated online to stay connected?
The intention is that this is a long-term relationship, and that youth will keep coming back to the group, for at least 2 groups per year. When they return for a second time, they will be Junior Leaders, holding the group norms helping to make new youth feel welcome and part of the Avary Family. At age 15+ they will be Junior Counselors where they are paid staff.
It is long-term group mentoring. You also receive 1-1 mentoring and coaching from their counselors.
We want youth to have long-term involvement, and to move up through the ranks to become JC's and then Counselors.
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