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An experiential learning initiative in the University of New England’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program (D.P.T.) is taking students inside the walls of a Maine correctional facility, one that is known for its atypical model of corrections and rehabilitation.

The experience allows physical therapy students to see firsthand the Assisted Living Unit (ALU) in the Mountain View Correctional Facility (MVCF) in Charleston, Maine. The ALU houses 26 inmates, referred to as residents, who have mobility issues or other needs that require additional assistance. It is an educational experience that is built on an uncommon relationship between a university and a corrections system.

“It was nothing like what you see on TV,” said Dylan Blosser (D.P.T. ’24), one of the students who toured the facility in October. “You have this expectation of what a prison would be like, and this was not it at all.”

The Mountain View Correctional Facility is a minimum to medium-security prison that focuses on rehabilitation and well-being of its population, which is all male. Part of the emphasis inside the facility is to humanize the environment, and giving its residents increased responsibilities and more access to outside resources is part of that overall mission.

“The approach that we have here at Mountain View is different because even though we're a correctional facility, we're also a treatment facility,” said Medium-Security Unit Manager Timothy Harmon. “That means we think outside the box and are willing to try some things that are uncommon at other facilities.”

Four of the ALU residents are specially trained to be official helpers for the unit’s staff. They help with patient transport, lead certain exercises, and clean rooms.

“(The training) has enhanced what we’re trying to do with our population because it boosts their morale when they regularly see us and talk to us,” said MVCF Deputy Warden Jessica Johnson.

Johnson said the helpers take their responsibilities seriously, as they are on call 24 hours a day. The demanding schedule sometimes leads to caregiver burnout among the helpers and staff, and part of the purpose of the students’ visit was to host a discussion about that very topic.

“The caregivers don’t really get a break,” Blosser said. “They could be up at 2:30 in the morning to help a resident. They don’t get a chance to unplug and destress.”

Mary Wilson (D.P.T. ’24), who co-led the discussion with Blosser, said the dialogue even helped strengthen relations between residents and staff.

“At the end of the conversation, one of the residents came up to me and said, ‘You know, even after this talk, I feel a lot better,’” Wilson said. “And as we were leaving, one of the staff members said to the group, ‘We don’t say it enough, but we really appreciate everything that you all are doing here.’ I think they all left with some recognition and validation for the work they do.”

Blosser and Wilson are the second cohort of ɫ����Ƶ PT students to work at MVCF, the result of an effort that began three years ago when Associate Professor and physical therapist Jennifer Audette, Ph.D., along with several other ɫ����Ƶ faculty, met with top officials at MVCF to learn how the University could support certain initiatives inside the facility. Audette took on the initiative to develop a training curriculum for the ALU resident helper program, paving the way for integrating the experiential learning element for her students at ɫ����Ƶ.

“It is part of a teaching and learning project where the students learn, about teaching and learning philosophy, they learn about prison healthcare, they learn about whatever it is that's related to their project,” Audette said.

In 2022, the first student cohort developed an educational series for the residents and staff about basic pathology and exercise regimens for the ALU. It laid the foundation for Blosser and Wilson, this year’s cohort, to build on.

The physical therapy element is just one part of the larger partnership between ɫ����Ƶ and the Maine Department of Corrections. In March 2023, the Center to Advance Interprofessional Education and Practice (formerly the Center for Excellence in Collaborative Education), hosted a knowledge exchange discussion titled The seminar used the lens of Maine’s corrections model, which focuses on rehabilitation and humanization, driving the work of finding better ways for healthcare providers to help incarcerated people achieve their health goals.”

Audette hopes to build on the work from the last two student groups to visit MVCF. Deputy Warden Johnson said she looks forward to what lies ahead.

“Our residents benefit from all these programs and collaborations, but I also like giving back to the universities and helping the students,” Johnson said. “It just excites me to see the students grow and be able to use these experiences to further their careers and educations.

The experience left a permanent impression on Blosser and Wilson.

“(The prison) population doesn't get a lot of recognition,” Wilson said. “And so just bringing that recognition, just bringing that population to the forefront and allowing them to be seen is what I hope to achieve.”

Blosser adds that he took away a change in perspective from participating in this project. “It was a very human and humbling experience,” he said.