FINAL PROJECT ASSISTANCE
MDWELLONS
Wk9_InterviewTranscript_FaustM.docxTo make the interview go more smoothly and to get as much from the exercise as possible, I reshaped the six questions asked to each participant. Allowing for more discussion, plus altering each question to be more open-ended. None of the participants were licensed therapists but they each knew through a short debriefing that this was part of an assignment prep prior to staring my dissertation for data collection. I took a moment explaining that the questions were altered for better understandability and that we would focus on their own understanding and/or personal stance on forgiveness, thus, you can see that the questions were appropriately tailored for the discussion interview.
Original Questions
1. What is your understanding of mental health wellness?
2. What is your thoughts of individuals that commit a non-violent felony or misdemeanor, who has been identified with a mental health illness?
3. Do you believe prison or jail is the solution for these individuals that commit a non-violent felony or misdemeanor?
4. Have you ever heard of a Multi-disciplinary team? What professionals should be a part of this team, when working with individuals who have committed a non-violent felony or misdemeanor?
5. Do you believe having, a group of professionals – that consist of a psychiatrist, social worker, mental health worker and case managers will help in reducing recidivism among this population?
6. What do you believe would help this population with reducing recidivism?
Participant 1 – D Gilmore (Interviewee)
Participant 2 – Benji Faust (Interviewee)
Researcher – Monique D Brown (Interviewer)
Date: Saturday, July 22, 2023
Voice Recording
1. What is your understanding of mental health wellness?
(P1) Mental health illness is a chemical imbalance that affects the person’s ability to function the thought process or the mode.
(P2) Mental health illness is an illness is a way of how individuals think, and acts, and how they proceed themselves and the rest of the world.
2. What is your thoughts of individuals that commit a non-violent felony or misdemeanor, who has been identified with a mental health illness?
(P1) I think that they should be, I do believe that the treatment should be first before locking them up. They should definitely have treatment first at least and be supervised. I don’t think that they should go to jail but it’s mostly how things work and that’s how the whole system works.
(P2) I think if they have been identified, the first thing to do is address their mental health.
3. Do you believe prison or jail is the solution for these individuals that commit a non-violent felony or misdemeanor?
(P1) It all depends, if you are an adult and you make a decision then there is a consequence.
(P2) If they have been diagnosed with a mental health illness, and their illness causes them to commit a crime, then their mental health illness should be addressed first, through an inpatient or outpatient setting.
4. Have you ever heard of a Multi-disciplinary team? What professionals should be a part of this team, when working with individuals who have committed a non-violent felony or misdemeanor?
(P1) Yes, parents, probation officer, counselor and child and some type of support group, whether that’s the church or some organization, a person in the community that volunteer.
(P2) No – It depends it could be mental health professionals, your doctors, your psychiatrist, your probation officers, and I think someone from the judicial system, possibly from the state side, and I do believe someone from the correction officer side, and law enforcement, that way all these professionals.
5. Do you believe having, a group of professionals – that consist of a psychiatrist, social worker, mental health worker and case managers will help in reducing recidivism among this population?
(P1) It does but when it all comes down to it’s on the person, the person themselves is going to be the biggest factor in regards to the response.
(P2) Yes I do, speaking of mental illness, it is often time that individual does not know their worth, their possibilities, I believe the team that can come into those individuals life and help them cope with their mental illness, and help them navigate resources to help them manage their stress and mental illness so that they can become productive citizens within their community.
Locking these people up just add, fuel to the fire, it does not focus on their true needs, and having this team will be a great step to help these individuals
6. What do you believe would help this population with reducing recidivism?
(P1) The earlier they address their mental health, it will have a bigger impact in their lives, because the people that have been in the system have been in there for a long time, and it just gets to the point they get tired, and decide to eventually get some help.
(P2) The system inside the court should be the last resort, we need more mental health facilities to help avoid these individuals from landing in the court system.
