New Opportunities Organization is currently partnered with multiple community partners and workforce investment boards on 5 grants implementations aimed to served the reentry/justice involved population.
Recently NOO was awarded a Work Order through the County of Los Angeles Workforce Development, Aging, and Community Services (WDACS). The Work Order is entitled-Prison to Employment (P2E) Supportive Services and Earn & Learn (SSEL)Program. NOO and MCS have been given the opportunity to work with 60justice involved individuals to participate in a specialized employment program. This program will provide support services and “earn and learn” opportunities that offer immediate income for the justice-involved and formerly incarcerated as a way to support the frequent and significant life challenges and societal barriers of obtaining employment after incarceration.
Currently NOO serves as the Supportive Service Org in partnership with South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB)/ Inglewood AJCC, Boyle Heights AJCC and Southeast Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board(SELECO) AJCC. These P2E monies provide an opportunity for individuals with a history of incarceration to attain vocational training, education, career counseling and much more.
In Partnership with Friends Outside Los Angeles (FOLA), NOO supports 2 grants. 1) Prison to Payroll (P2P) in which NOO offers the education component if needed as well as workshops on mental health wellness and counseling for participants. The mental health workshop focuses on supporting recently released Parolees to engage in discussion regarding their experience during incarceration on their mental and emotional health as well as to offer encouragement and resources to promote self-care and positive coping. 2) Warm Hand Off (WHO) through the Department of Corrections, NOO supports with the education component and counseling and or mental health referrals as needed.
New Opportunities is a sole provider for the Department of Mental Health (DMH) for the following training: “Safety and Crisis Intervention when Working with Forensic and Justice Involved Consumers”. This training facilitated by the Director of Reentry Services and the Director of Correctional Facility Education, runs 6 hours, and provides staff with continuing education credits. The goal of this training is to provide an overview of specific safety practices and crisis prevention/interventions important to working with Forensic/Justice Involved Consumers.
A shorter 3-hour version of this training is also provided to our community partners on an ongoing basis to staff as part of our partnerships.