Befriending for Reintegration: Making Connections for a Fresh Start
Singapore After-Care Association
About this course
Befrienders play an important role in the reintegration journey of former inmates. As a dedicated befriender, you provide much needed emotional and pro-social support to former inmates as they re-enter society and face numerous barriers. Hence, it is important to have an appreciation of the aftercare landscape and to understand both your clients’ aspirations and challenges as they return to society.
This course is useful and relevant for those seeking a meaningful and rewarding befriending experience as well as for volunteers who mentor or coach former inmates. It equips you with practical skills and knowledge, such as effective ways of engaging your client and navigating common challenges in the befriending process.
Course Access Period
Please note that this is an online self-paced asynchronous course where learners will be granted two month of access from the enrolment date. Do also note that the course tile may take up to 48 hours to show up on your dashboard after purchase, and your access will start after it has been made accessible.
What you will learn
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Gain insights into the relevant aftercare landscape
- Appreciate the volunteer’s role in the desistance of former inmates
- Empathise with former inmates’ aspirations and challenges
- Engage and encourage former inmates
- Respect boundaries and ethical obligations
- Practise self-care in your befriending journey
Course Writer/Instructor
Course Staff
Mr William Soh joined Singapore Prison Service as a prison counsellor since the early 2000s. Before his secondment to Singapore After-Care Association in February 2021, he was the Senior Assistant Director of Correctional Rehabilitation Service Branch (Reformative Training). William is a registered social worker and has a Master of Applied Psychology (Counselling). He has extensive knowledge and experience in working with various types of offending population. In addition, William teaches the Social Work and Offender Rehabilitation module in the Social Work Department, National University of Singapore. |
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Course Staff
Ms Charmaine Teh joined Singapore After-Care Association in 2018. Under the Initiative for Incarcerated Mothers and Affected Children (IIMAC) program, she worked closely with volunteers in supporting children of incarcerated mothers and their caregivers. Charmaine also conducted trainings aimed to empower and enrich the volunteering experiences of IIMAC volunteers. Currently a registered social worker, Charmaine now works with ex-offenders and their families on their rehabilitation and reintegration needs. |