Western Washington
Regional Reentry
Gathering
South Seattle Community College
New Holly Learning Center
Second floor RM 208
7058 32nd Ave South
Seattle, WA 98118
Check-in
Opening
Introductions
Opening Remarks
Current Best Practices
Break
Groups Activity
Lunch
Groups Wrap-Up
Groups Report Out
Break
Next Steps
Closing
Unless you are Mr. Garcia.
Just kidding.
Back to the program
.
Offender Education FAST FACTS:
Amount of SBCTC Contract for FY2012 – $15,430,969
November 2, 2011
Number of GEDS awarded in FY2011 – 1,395
Number of Vocational Program Certificates awarded in FY2011 – 2,344
Number of Associate Degrees Awarded in FY2011 - 36
Percent of FTEs Produced in FY2011 – 112%
Percentage of Classroom Hours used – 96%
Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery
Offender Reentry Community Services Program (ORCSP)
The ORCSP is a collaborative effort between The Department of Social and Health
Services- Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) and the Department
of Corrections (DOC), and is intended to help provide improved public safety, and
mental health and chemical dependency treatment for designees.
Expedited Medical Determinations for Adults and Youth
In January 2006, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
implemented expedited for persons who have mental health issues, as they
transition from jails, prisons, and psychiatric hospitals. The goal is to expedite
access to Medicaid and other public assistance for people in confinement who:
• Have a mental disorder
• Received Medicaid, federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
disability benefits, or Medical Care Services (MCS) immediately
before being confined, or
• Received these benefits at any time during the five years before being
confined, and is expected to be disabled for at least 12 months after
release.
Individual Placement and Support (IPS)
Severe
Mental
Illness
The IPS
approach
changes the
way mental
health
services are
delivered
It is an
evidence-based
practice
IPS supported
employment
practitioners
focus on client
strengths
Work can
promote
recovery and
wellness
Services are
individualized
and longlasting
It uses a
multidisciplinar
y team approach
Practitioners
work in
collaboration
with state
vocational
rehabilitation
Individual Placement and Support (IPS)
Practice Principles of IPS Supported Employment

1. Focus on Competitive Employment: Agencies providing IPS services are committed to competitive
employment as an attainable goal for clients with serious mental illness seeking employment.

2. Eligibility Based on Client Choice: Clients are not excluded on the basis of readiness, diagnoses, symptoms,
substance use history, psychiatric hospitalizations, level of disability, or legal system involvement.

3. Integration of Rehabilitation and Mental Health Services: IPS programs are closely integrated with mental
health treatment teams.

4. Attention to Client Preferences: Services are based on clients’ preferences and choices, rather than providers’
judgments.

5. Personalized Benefits Counseling: Employment specialists help clients obtain personalized, understandable,
and accurate information about their Social Security, Medicaid, and other government entitlements.

6. Rapid Job Search: IPS programs use a rapid job search approach to help clients obtain jobs directly, rather
than providing lengthy pre-employment assessment, training, and counseling.

7. Systematic Job Development: Employment specialists build an employer network based on clients’ interests,
developing relationships with local employers by making systematic contacts.

8. Time-Unlimited and Individualized Support: Follow-along supports are individualized and continued for as
long as the client wants and needs the support.
http://homeless.samhsa.gov
Vision: We are guided by the knowledge that justice is not found in a building or a gavel, but in
the hearts of the People, and the memories of our elders.
Warrior Down Project
This project began in November 2011 as a means to assist and reach out to our tribal members
who are currently in holding facilities, jail or prison, in order to offer a ‘hand up’ to our people in
the form of a care package. Xwle’lemes Department understands that Reentry begins well before
our tribal members are released from jail or prison. With that in mind, it is the hope that the
offering would serve to remind our tribal members that their children, relatives, friends and
tribal community have not forgotten about them and will be here upon their return.
In total Xwle’lemes sent approximately 90 Warrior Down Care Packages in 2011
• Whatcom County Jail: 64 tribal members
• Department of Corrections – Washington State: 9 tribal members
• Federal Bureau of Prisons: 3 tribal members
• Chehalis Tribal Jail: 5 tribal members
• CASPER Re-Entry Center: 7 tribal members
We are planning to send Holiday Care Packages again this 2012 year and also adding Family
Visitation Assistance to help share the cost of getting to and from a visitation for children of
incarcerated parents.
YWCA’s Ex-Offender Re-entry Program
Mike Schwartz
•
Helping recently released offenders move from an “offender identity” to a “work identity”
through strength-based, person-centered career counseling.
•
Discussing how to disclose background at interviews and “explain the past” and how to
structure resumes and cover letters to enhance strengths, reduce risks, and mask
employment gaps and period of incarceration.
•
Intensive one-week job readiness training covering self-assessment and strength
identification, effective job search strategies, networking and interview skills, identifying the
skills that employers are looking for, getting in “work” shape (emotionally, physically, and
financially), goal-setting and time-management, and “playing by the rules” including effective
communication skills and dealing with difficult people.
•
Close partnerships with Work Release programs to make sure participants are able to satisfy
their early release requirements and get the training they need to become employed.
•
Close partnerships with training providers including RGA Environmental, Farestart and South
Seattle Community College, so recently released offenders can get the vocational training
they need in a variety of sectors.
•
Close partnerships with unions and employers
•
Helping offenders develop positive self-perceptions and health habits while in job search and
good self-care strategies for while job searching and after they stat their new jobs.
The Center for Learning Connections (CLC) designs training and manages
projects to help individuals and organizations respond to change and
improve quality. We are especially effective in working with educators
(at all levels and locations), welfare and workforce development
professionals, and community based organizations. CLC is located at
Edmonds Community College.
 Project Coordination and Grant Management
 Training and Professional Development
 Event and Workshop Planning
 Evaluation and Survey Services
learningconnections.org
Fresh Start Consulting provides services to assist organizational or individual needs
for those
impacted by background issues and other special populations. Our organization
provides the
following services:
For Organizations
Conduct initial consultation to determine next steps and services to assist
Assist with developing a strategy to meet objectives and achieve outcomes
Provide staff with the tools to better assist your customers
Develop a program to provide customers with the tools they need to be successful
Facilitate customer workshops to become job search ready, become competitive in
the
job market, gain soft skills and work ethics and address thinking errors
Install a proven cognitive skill building curriculum and train staff to facilitate the
product
Implement employer and community education and outreach strategies
Assist your organizational efforts to obtain funding to support your program and
Meet with your team on a regular basis for quality assurance and product(s) updates
as needed.
Provide staff, partner and organization trainings and
Provide your organization with webinar/teleconference trainings on the
following topics:
• Effective Interventions and the Return on Investment
• Reentry/Transition
• Barrier Removal and Available Resources
• Successful Offender Strategies/Reducing Recidivism
• Employer and Community Resource Building
• Effective Correctional Programming
• Job Search Readiness
• Soft Skills and Work Ethics
• Employment and Training and
• Career Development
Helping Organizations and People Find Hope
http://www.freshstartconsulting.vpweb.com
terryweber@freshstartconsulting.co
11807 Ambaum Blvd SW #4; Burien, WA 98146-4611
206-588-1376 office
253-921-2636 cell
Abstract 2:
Leading From
the Front –
A Community
Formation
Model
Agents of Change CPTS
OWD Summer Institute
hosted at Edmonds
Community College on July
19, 2012
Ms. Simmy Virk, B.A.,
Executive Intern SSCC
Mr. Jeffery S. Robson,
Probation Officer, U.S
District Court Western
Washington District
Mr. Joseph Garcia, M.A.,
Re-entry Ministry
Archidiocese of Seattle
Summary Washington State
Department of Veteran Affairs
Justice Involved Veteran
Programs and Partnerships
September 2012
Justice Involved Veterans Programs and Partnerships
The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs has taken a
proactive approach to serving justice involved Veterans by developing
and implementing service collaborations with county corrections and
state prison systems as well as their local community partners. These
partnerships promote sound fiscal and public policy by maximizing
benefits and resources uniquely available to Veterans while reducing
local recidivism and corrections costs.