Second Chance

The McNabb Center Jail to Work project proposes to address the needs of incarcerated women with co-occurring treatment, safe alternative setting and skills training to reenter the community.  The project will provide co-occurring (substance use disorder and mental health) treatment that is often unattainable for inmates entering into the criminal justice system due to cost, poor access to care, and lack of behavioral health insurance. The Hamblen County Jail condition is not conducive to receiving treatment.  The Jail lost accreditation in 2017, and is seeking to build a new jail in the future.  In the meantime, inmates with the need for co-occurring services go without and are released at end of their sentence with no transition planning to the community.  The McNabb Center, in collaboration with the Hamblen County Jail and community partners, seeks to provide co-occurring treatment, re-entry skills groups, and a supportive living environment for female inmates who are serving jail time for nonviolent and drug related charges. The project intends to utilize and implement our successful Jail to Work program model to serve this population.

    The purpose of the Jail to Work project addresses the problem of recidivism in Hamblen County by providing services to incarcerated females to treat co-occurring disorders, offering life and job skills, placing in employment, and addressing re-entry needs. Incarcerated females with co-occurring disorders can apply to the program through an application process, if accepted, they  are placed in an alternative setting and receive substance use disorder treatment, address co-occurring disorders, obtain workforce readiness skills through training, and are placed with local employers while being supported by community partners. This program will treat, train and support the participants for a 7-month period. Masters and Bachelors prepared staff will utilize evidence-based modalities such Motivational Interviewing, CBT, DBT and trauma informed care through individual therapy, family therapy and case management services.
    The Center has a long history of successfully creating and implementing projects with measurable, attainable outcomes in a wide variety of social services for vulnerable populations in a fiscally responsible manner.  The McNabb Center ensures successful implementation and sustainability of the project by consistently linking and collaborating with the partners in the recovery ecosystem. Over the course of the 36-month grant award period, 120 women will go from a jail setting to safe, structured living environment, receive co-occurring treatment services, and be placed into employment with support to maintain employment and sobriety.