The Effects on the Development of Children with Incarcerated Mothers

Essay from the year 2013 in the subject Social Work, grade: A, City University of New York Hunter College, language: English, abstract: The size of inmate population, accompanied by the complex health and social issues related to the experience of incarceration, has prompted scholars and epidemiologists to consider the current state of incarceration in the United States as a public health crisis. Inmates' families, particularly the children, reside in the shadow of this crisis. According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics Report, 52% of state inmates and 63% of federal inmates are parents to 1.7 million minor children during the period of their incarceration. The statistics regarding parental incarceration are alarming and highlight the relevance of examining how having an incarcerated parent, especially a mother, affects children's short and long term developmental processes.

Otivia Headley is the Lead ABA Teacher at Happy Dragon Center. Ms. Headley provides services and ABA therapy to families with children diagnosed with ASD. Before working as a Lead teacher she was a Certified Therapist working for Theracare, a company known for it's services specified for children diagnosed with ASD. Ms. Headley had worked with children in many capacities such as, school social worker, Interventionist, summer camp counselor, and Math & Ela tutor. Ms. Headley obtained her Psychology Degree in 2011 from Saint Joseph College and in 2014 her Master Degree in Social Work from The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. Within 6 months of graduating Ms. Headley received her LMSW and published her Master Thesis "The 'Twinless Twin': The Passing of a Twin and the Effects it has on the Twin that Survived" Ms. Headley has always had a passion not only for academics but being able to use her education to help others. Being able to help a child steer in a positive path is worth the long days endured while pursuing a degree.