Retraining the Village Second Chance Community Based Adult Reentry Project

Activities: Retraining the Village will implement a Second Chance Adult Reentry Project providing comprehensive pre- and post-release re-entry services for individuals exiting state prisons and county jails to San Mateo County, California. Services will include assessment, individualized case management, individual and group counseling, SUD assessment and treatment services, employment and educational services, life skills education, housing, mentoring, and linkages to healthcare and other supportive services. One of the key components of Retraining the Village’s program is our ability to provide transitional housing to participants who need it. Retraining the Village currently operates 20 beds of transitional housing in two transitional homes that will be made available to reentry participants in the Second Chance program.

Products and Deliverables: Deliverables will include an action plan with input from BJA developed within the 6-month planning period, as well as a final report submitted at the end of the project. Objectives to be accomplished include: 1) Reduce recidivism rate amongst Second Chance participants in comparison with the overall recidivism rate in San Mateo County (50%) by 30% by the end of year 1 and by 50% by the end of Year 3; 2) 30% of participants will secure employment within 6 months of release; 3) 80% of participants will engage in at least 1 supportive service within 3 months of release; 4) 80% of participants will be stably housed within 1 month of release; 5) 60% of participants will reduce their substance use; 6) 60% of participants will improve their mental health functioning within 12 months of release; and 7) Increase coordination amongst referral partners to facilitate high-quality, coordinated services for project participants through monthly communication with partner providers.

Service Area: The project will serve San Mateo County, with services located in East Palo Alto. 

Who Will Benefit: The project will serve 150 individuals exiting state prisons (San Quentin and Solano) and San Mateo County Jails, with a focus on those who would otherwise be homeless after leaving jail, as well as those with SUD and/or mental health challenges.  

Priority Consideration: Retraining the Village has incorporated several evidence-based practices that have been demonstrated to be effective in facilitating the successful re-entry of offenders into our Second Chance program design. This includes the use of WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) Thinking for a Change, Seeking Safety, and Trauma-Informed Care (narrative page 5). Further, Retraining the Village is founded and led by a woman of color, and Retraining the Village is firmly committed to promoting racial equity and removing barriers to access and opportunity for communities that have been historically underserved (narrative page 15). The project serves individuals – primarily people of color – in East Palo Alto, a low-income, underserved, and marginalized community.