Facilitator Onboarding Checklist

Welcome to PYP’s Facilitator Onboarding Checklist

Please set aside up to one hour to complete this onboarding checklist. Your progress cannot be saved, so please do not refresh the page or exit the form while completing it.

This checklist is designed to review important policies, expectations, and guidelines for facilitating in carceral settings. It also serves as an agreement between you and Prison Yoga Project (PYP) to follow these expectations while facilitating and representing PYP within a facility.

Please take your time reviewing each section carefully before submitting the checklist.

Program Facilitation Guidelines

Please download the guidelines and rubric, and answer the reflection questions below.

Download Program Facilitation Guidelines

Download Program Facilitation Rubric

Poses That May Be Activating in Prison or Carceral Settings

Please download and review the Poses That May Be Activating in Prison or Carceral Settings PDF, then answer the reflection questions below.

View and download the PDF

Professional Attire and Appearance

Facilitators are expected to dress professionally and appropriately when working in carceral settings. Clothing choices are an important part of maintaining safety, professional boundaries, and a positive relationship with the facility. Always follow the specific dress code of the facility where you facilitate, along with PYP’s expectations below.

Consider the type of clothing you might see worn by a physical therapist, occupational therapist, nurse, or other healthcare professional. Clothing should allow you to comfortably demonstrate movement while maintaining appropriate coverage at all times.

Clothing Expectations

• Leggings are not permitted. Wear loose-fitting pants that provide appropriate coverage while standing, bending, stretching, and demonstrating poses.
• Wear loose-fitting, professional shirts. Avoid low-cut, V-neck, tight-fitting, cropped, or revealing tops.
• Wear appropriate undergarments, including a bra.
• Your stomach must remain covered at all times, including while bending, reaching, or demonstrating poses. Wear an undershirt, layer shirts, or tuck in your shirt as needed.
• Closed-toed shoes are required when entering and moving throughout the facility.
• Avoid strong scents, excessive makeup, or excessive jewelry. These can be distracting in an environment where these items may not typically be present and may also conflict with facility rules.

Why This Matters

Safety: Carceral environments require heightened awareness of clothing and personal presentation. For example, a woman facilitating in a men’s facility should be especially mindful of clothing that is tight-fitting, low-cut, or revealing. Appropriate coverage helps reduce unnecessary attention and supports a safe environment for both the facilitator and participants.

Professional boundaries: Facilitators are entering facilities in a professional role. Clothing should support that role and should not draw unnecessary attention to the facilitator’s body or blur professional boundaries with participants.

Facility relationships and clearance: Following dress codes demonstrates respect for facility policies and helps PYP maintain strong relationships with our correctional partners. Failure to follow a facility’s dress code or professional expectations may jeopardize your individual clearance and can impact PYP’s ability to continue programming at the facility.

When in doubt, choose more coverage and a more professional option. If you are unsure whether an item of clothing is appropriate, check with your PYP Coordinator or facility contact before wearing it.

Setting Limits, Maintaining Professional Boundaries, and Working with Vicarious Trauma

Most incarcerated people have experienced extreme interpersonal trauma. The majority have had or have a substance use disorder. Many have mental health disorders. They reside in an environment we describe as living with “trauma on simmer.” Their histories and the environment they live in influence their behavior. They often show up with their best face forward, and our programs allow them to be their best self. That is one of the benefits of the space we hold. However, we cannot completely ignore the potential for harm we expose ourselves to when working in this environment. We must be aware of the necessity to set boundaries. Furthermore, we must be aware of the potential for vicarious trauma and diligently practice self-care.

Setting Limits and Maintaining Professional Boundaries

When working in prisons and jails, you may find that a considerable amount of your energy is consumed. Incarcerated people often lack access to kind and loving relationships, so when they encounter someone genuinely interested in their well-being, they may be inclined to seek more support than you can reasonably provide.

The loss of freedom and personal agency, combined with past trauma, substance use disorders, and mental health issues, can contribute to manipulative behaviors. In these situations, people may attempt to control or influence others to meet their needs, often stemming from trust issues or the desire for power in circumstances where they feel powerless.

As a facilitator working in this context, it is essential to be aware of the potential for energetic drain and manipulative behaviors while maintaining a compassionate and empathetic approach.

Here are some considerations for setting limits and avoiding manipulation:

1. Practice empathy: Begin by putting yourself in the individual’s shoes and acknowledging their unique experiences, emotions, and challenges. This will help you approach the situation with understanding and sensitivity.
2. Communicate clearly: Use open, honest, and respectful communication to express your concerns. Be specific about the behaviors that are causing you difficulty, and explain why you need a boundary. For example, you might say, “I understand that you’re seeking support, but I need to balance my time and energy to help everyone in the group effectively.”
3. Establish the limit: Clearly define the limits of your role as a facilitator and set expectations for your interactions. For example, you can be direct about what you will/will not share (i.e., “I don’t feel comfortable sharing that”), the time you can spend with the individual (i.e., “It’s important for me to have time to greet everyone”) or the appropriate ways to seek support (i.e., “I’m sorry to hear you’re experiencing pain. I’m not qualified to give medical advice and recommend you ask at your next medical appointment.”)
4. Be consistent: Consistently enforce your established limits while maintaining compassion and empathy. Avoid making exceptions that may be perceived as favoritism, which can undermine your efforts.
5. Offer alternatives: Guide the individual towards other resources or coping strategies that may help them address their needs, such as connecting with peer support, attending counseling sessions, or engaging in self-care practices like meditation and journaling.
6. Seek support: If you struggle to manage the situation, consult fellow facilitators, prison staff, PYP staff, or a mental health professional for guidance and additional resources.

Working with Vicarious Trauma

Working closely with incarcerated people inside a prison or jail can also contribute to the development of vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma occurs when people are exposed to others’ traumatic experiences, leading to changes in their psychological well-being.

You should be aware of the potential signs of vicarious trauma, which may include:

1. Emotional symptoms: Increased sadness, anxiety, irritability, anger, or emotional numbness.
2. Cognitive symptoms: Difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts about the trauma experienced by others, or changes in beliefs and attitudes.
3. Physical symptoms: Fatigue, sleep disturbances, headaches, or other stress-related physical complaints.
4. Behavioral symptoms: Withdrawal from social situations, reduced interest in previously enjoyable activities, or changes in work performance.
5. Spiritual symptoms: A sense of disconnection, questioning one’s purpose or beliefs, or loss of hope.

If you recognize signs of vicarious trauma, you can take steps to care for yourself. Your practice of yoga and embodied mindfulness give you a great starting place. Here are some additional considerations:

1. Self-awareness: Regularly assess your emotional and mental well-being and be honest about any signs of vicarious trauma you may be experiencing.
2. Self-care: Prioritize your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Engage in activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and nourishment. This may include exercise, hobbies, meditation, or spending time in nature.
3. Set boundaries: Establish and maintain boundaries that protect your well-being, such as limiting the time spent in the prison environment or avoiding excessive exposure to traumatic stories.
4. Support system: Connect with colleagues, friends, family, or mental health professionals who can offer support and understanding. Share your experiences and emotions with them, and be open to receiving feedback and guidance.
5. Professional development: Seek training in recognizing and managing vicarious trauma, and stay updated on best practices in trauma-informed care.
6. Resilience-building practices: Engage in activities that foster resilience and emotional well-being, such as yoga and mindfulness practices, journaling, or cultivating gratitude.
7. Seek professional help: If you find it challenging to manage the symptoms of vicarious trauma, consider seeking help from a mental health professional specializing in trauma or stress-related issues.

If you’d like to spend more time considering boundaries and self-care in this work, we recommend PYP’s Webinar: Life after Death: Buddhist Sangha on Death Row with Tibetan Buddhist Chaplain Susan Shannon

Your Well-Being is a Foundation for Healing

Despite the challenges you may face working with incarcerated people, remember the profound impact your work has on their lives. By maintaining healthy boundaries, practicing self-care, and addressing the potential for vicarious trauma, you can create a safe, healing space for those in need. Remember that every small positive change you facilitate can ripple outwards, contributing to a more just, compassionate, and inclusive society.

Boundaries, Incidents, and Mandatory Reporting

Maintaining clear professional boundaries and following facility policies are essential responsibilities of every PYP facilitator. Correctional facilities have specific rules designed to protect participants, facilitators, staff, and the safety and integrity of their programs. As a facilitator, you are responsible for understanding and following the policies of the facility where you teach.

Just as importantly, you are responsible for reporting incidents, inappropriate behavior, boundary violations, or potential violations when they occur. You are not expected to investigate an incident or determine whether it is serious enough to report. When in doubt, report it and allow the facility and PYP to determine the appropriate response.

Outside Contact with Participants

Facilitators must follow their facility’s policies regarding communication or contact with current and former participants outside of the facility. Policies vary by facility. Some facilities prohibit all outside contact, while others may permit certain forms of communication or contact.

It is your responsibility to understand and follow the specific policies of the facility where you facilitate. This includes policies related to social media, text messages, email, phone calls, in-person contact, and other forms of communication.

Do not assume that outside contact is permitted. If you are contacted by a current or former participant and are unsure of your facility’s policy, do not respond until you have received guidance from the facility or your PYP Coordinator.

Why this matters: We recently had a situation where a former participant reached out to a facilitator through social media. The facilitator responded only to let the former participant know that she was not permitted to communicate with him. Because the facility prohibited this contact, her clearance was terminated as a result of the communication.

Facility policies can differ significantly. Understanding the rules of your specific facility—and asking for guidance when you are unsure—is essential to maintaining appropriate boundaries and protecting your facility clearance.

What Should Be Reported?

Examples of situations that should be reported include:

• Outside contact or attempted contact from a current or former participant that may violate your facility’s policies
• Attempts by a participant or former participant to establish a relationship or communication that may violate facility or PYP boundaries
• Sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or sexually inappropriate comments or behavior
• Suspected or disclosed sexual abuse
• Threatening, intimidating, or concerning behavior
• Other incidents or potential violations of facility rules, safety procedures, or professional boundaries

Sexual Harassment, Abuse, and PREA

Sexual harassment and abuse require particular attention. Correctional facilities have reporting requirements under the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) and their own facility policies. Facilitators must follow the reporting procedures and training provided by the facility.

If you witness, experience, suspect, or receive information about sexual harassment or sexual abuse, report it promptly through the facility’s established reporting channels. Do not attempt to investigate the situation yourself or decide whether the behavior is serious enough to warrant a report.

Report to the Facility and PYP

When an incident or potential violation occurs:

1. Follow the facility’s reporting procedures. Notify the appropriate facility staff according to the policies and training provided by your facility.
2. Notify Prison Yoga Project. Complete PYP’s Incident Report Form as soon as possible.
3. Contact your PYP Coordinator if you need support. You may always contact your PYP Coordinator directly for guidance. PYP will still need the incident documented through the Incident Report Form so we can appropriately respond and follow up.

We understand that facilitators may sometimes hesitate to report an incident because they do not want a participant to get in trouble. It is not the facilitator’s responsibility to determine whether an incident should result in consequences. Your responsibility is to report what occurred accurately and allow the facility to determine the appropriate response.

Failing to report an incident can jeopardize your facility clearance and PYP’s ability to maintain programming at the facility. When you are uncertain about whether something needs to be reported, report it and ask for guidance.

Insurance Responsibilities of Volunteer Facilitators

While PYP maintains Workers’ Compensation and General Liability Insurance policies for its employees, it is important to note the following:

• Workers’ Compensation: PYP’s Workers’ Compensation policy only covers employees and does not extend to volunteers. As a volunteer facilitator, you are not covered under this policy in the event of injury or illness sustained while conducting program activities.
• General Liability Insurance: PYP’s General Liability Insurance only covers employees. Volunteer facilitators are strongly encouraged to obtain personal liability insurance that covers their activities as a yoga instructor. This provides additional protection in the unlikely event of a claim related to facilitation.

By participating as a volunteer facilitator, you acknowledge these policies and assume responsibility for ensuring your own coverage as needed.

Attendance Reporting Expectations

Attendance reporting is an important responsibility of all PYP facilitators. We’re sharing these expectations during onboarding so you know what will be required once you begin facilitating a program.

Once you are actively facilitating a PYP program, you will be expected to complete PYP’s online Program Attendance Form for each scheduled session, in accordance with your program’s frequency. For example, if your program meets weekly, attendance should be submitted weekly; if your program meets every other week, attendance should be submitted every other week. This data helps us track the reach and consistency of our programs, demonstrate our impact to funders and partners, and support continued program growth.

Once you begin facilitating:

• Complete the online Program Attendance Form for each scheduled session.
• If your class was held, report the total number of participants who attended.
• If your class was canceled, still complete the online form and indicate that the session was canceled.
• A submission is expected each time your program is scheduled to meet, whether the class was held or canceled.

Facility Compliance

To ensure the safety and security of our correctional partners, facilitators are responsible for completing and maintaining all facility-specific requirements. Requirements and timelines vary by facility and must be completed before you are cleared to begin facilitating.

Facility requirements may include:

• Complete all required background checks. Clearance timelines vary significantly by facility and may take several weeks or several months.
• Complete required Tuberculosis (TB) testing and any required renewals.
• Complete any required facility-specific training. Training requirements, format, and length vary by facility.

Communication & Partnership

Professional and timely communication is essential to maintaining trusted relationships with correctional facilities and Prison Yoga Project. As a facilitator, you are an important point of connection between PYP and the facility where you serve.

Facilitators are expected to:

• Communicate schedule changes as early as possible
• Notify your PYP Coordinator of cancellations, concerns, or facility updates
• Respond to PYP communications in a timely manner

Representing Prison Yoga Project

As a PYP facilitator, you represent our organization and mission in every interaction—with participants, facility staff, fellow facilitators, and community partners. We ask facilitators to approach this role with professionalism, compassion, consistency, and integrity.

Facilitators are expected to:

• Model professionalism, respect, and accountability
• Honor Prison Yoga Project’s trauma-informed approach
• Build collaborative relationships with participants and facility staff
• Uphold the values and standards of Prison Yoga Project

Facilitator Acknowledgment & Agreement

By signing below, I confirm that I have reviewed and understand the expectations, policies, and responsibilities outlined in the PYP Facilitator Onboarding Checklist.

Bookmark These Resources

Once you begin facilitating with PYP, you will use the resources below regularly. We recommend bookmarking these links so they are easy to find when you need them.

• Facilitator Resources – Your main resource page for PYP facilitator materials, guidance, and tools.
• Trauma-Informed Yoga Sequencing Guide – A resource to support trauma-informed class planning and sequencing.
• Facilitation Guidelines – Review PYP’s guidelines and expectations for facilitating classes.
• Facilitator Rubric – Review the core practices and expectations used to support effective PYP facilitation.
• Incident Report Form – Use this form to report incidents, boundary concerns, or potential violations to PYP.
• Program Attendance Form – Use this form to report attendance or cancellations for your scheduled PYP sessions.

Please bookmark these resources now so you can easily access them throughout your time as a PYP facilitator.

If you do not currently have access to these links, please bookmark them now and return to them a few hours after submitting this onboarding checklist. It can take up to one hour after submission for our system to unlock your facilitator access.