Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Executive Leadership

First Supervisor

Byron K. Hargrove, PhD

Second Supervisor

Greta R. Strong, EdD

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of New York City community-based organization (CBO) executive leaders regarding how they support families affected by paternal incarceration through culturally responsive leadership practices and the navigation of systemic barriers. Six executive leaders from a multi-site CBO participated in virtual semi-structured interviews designed to examine leadership approaches, family engagement strategies, and organizational responses to structural inequities affecting justiceimpacted families. Using Saldaña’s hybrid deductive–inductive coding process, seven superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis. Findings revealed that the leaders supported caregivers, youth, and incarcerated fathers through trust-based, trauma-informed programming, crisis intervention, facilitated visitation, reentry planning, and coordinated service delivery. Participants also described engaging in advocacy efforts that related to housing, employment, healthcare access, and financial stability through interagency collaboration and policy engagement. Overall, leadership practices extended beyond direct service delivery to include systems navigation, relational trust-building, and institutional collaboration aimed at addressing structural inequities and promoting long-term family stability, resilience, and equity for families of color impacted by paternal incarceration.

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