It's hard to navigate through life when you don't know who you are and what you're suppose to be. Changing Directions I, A Forward Look, helps get the conversation started. It promotes the idea that real change starts from within and that we are more than the sum total of our mistakes.

Upon completing Changing Directions I, participants should be ready for Changing Directions II, Staying the Course. This course seeks to inspire participants to stay focused on achieving goals whether it's getting out of prison, starting/completing a rehab program, or dealing with conflict.

Growing up poor contributed to my brother's incarceration. My father struggled with alcoholism when he moved the family from the South to the Midwest and my mother had to deal with it as best she could. In the midst of arguments, food insecurity, and the endless cycle of disconnected utilities, my oldest brother lost his way. He had no one to turn to for guidance so the streets and drugs became his mentor. He learned survival skills from the "school of hard knocks." He became the black sheep of the family--the Prodigal Son.