Hour Working Women Re-Entry Program
In response to the significant and multi-layered challenges facing formerly incarcerated women seeking permanent employment, Hour Children’s Hour Working Women Re-Entry Program was specifically designed to support formerly incarcerated women by providing the hard and soft skills training and employment placement support that is needed to obtain a meaningful, l
ivable wage job that provides the income and stability needed to achieve self-sufficiency and provide for their families. To meet this goal, our program delivers highly personalized, one-on-one attention which enables rolling entry and exit for participants and allows each client to develop a time frame that suits her needs and abilities. Following a comprehensive 2-week assessment period that confirms a woman’s readiness to participate in the program, Hour Working Women Re-Entry Program is divided into four distinct phases –
Phase 1: Employment Assessment and Skill Development –Workshops, seminars and classes that provide training and education in the hard and soft skills needed for liveable wage employment (i.e. basic and advanced computer skills training, resume writing, professional writing and communications; time management) as well as referrals to GED, vocational training/certification programs and college, as appropriate
Phase 2: Experience – External and internal internship placement
Phase 3: Job Search – Referrals to our well-developed, broad network of employers willing to hire ex-offenders (i.e. office administration, customer service, retail sales, building maintenance)
Phase 4: Job Retention – Intensive support to ensure job retention, especially in the first 6-9 months when the day-to-day responsibilities become challenging; this intervention includes case management, therapeutic support, mentoring and even sick-child care. Most women complete the various stages of Hour Working Women Re-Entry Program within about a year, although there are no set time frames and deadlines. Hour Working Women Re-Entry Program staff helps participants to plan for their professional future, which includes setting expectations and developing a set of attainable goals that realistically reflect a woman’s interests, educational level and wage requirements, while remaining mindful of the realities of the job marketplace. Group and one-on-one mentoring helps provide an additional layer of support and ensures that women get the pro-social skills that helps facilitate their development as a professional. For more information please contact:
Johanna Flores, Employment Coordinator at 718-433-4724*300 or by email at [email protected] .
