Employment Center

The Recovery Act Edward Byrne Memorial Competitive Grant Program (Byrne Competitive Program) will help communities improve the capacity of state and local justice systems and provide for national support efforts including training and technical assistance programs strategically targeted to address local needs. This competitive grant announcement focuses on initiatives in eight areas: 1) preventing and reducing violent crime through community-based data-driven approaches; 2) providing funding for neighborhood-based probation and parole officers; 3) reducing mortgage fraud and crime related to vacant properties; 4) hiring of civilian support personnel in law enforcement (training staff, analysts, dispatchers, etc.); 5) enhancing forensic and crime scene investigations; 6) improving resources and services for victims of crime; 7) supporting problem-solving courts; and 8) national training and technical assistance partnerships.

Under category 7, the Oriana House, Inc. (OHI) will be awarded $302,816 to develop and implement the evidence-based OHI Employment Readiness Center (ERC). ERC will provide a fully functional employment resource room with five computers, two job search kiosks, and two full-time staff members. In addition, the ERC program will provide a variety of services based on evidence-based practices including employment assessment, case management, education-related programming (e.g., GED assistance), cognitive self-change, employment readiness classes, job search boosters, and employment aftercare.

This program will lead to the creation of two new jobs, helping to alleviate not only specialty court client unemployment but regional unemployment as well. The major deliverables of this project include providing employment-related assistance to 50 percent of specialty court clients (approximately 335) and achieving an 80 percent employment rate for clients who receive programming. To accomplish the goals, OHI will coordinate with four Summit County specialty courts: The Akron Municipal Drug Court, the Summit County Felony Drug Court, the Summit County Family Violence Court, and the Summit County Re-Entry Court.

CA/NCF