Safer Foundation

EMPLOYMENT PREPARATION AND PLACEMENT FOR PERSONS WITH ARREST AND CONVICTION RECORDS.

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES IN ILLINOIS AND IOWA DESPITE THE DAMAGING IMPACT OF COVID, SAFER SERVED OVER 3,400 CLIENTS DURING FY21. 1100 CLIENTS WERE SUCCESSFULLY PLACED INTO EMPLOYMENT AND 150 RECEIVED CREDENTIALS. INDUSTRIES OF EMPLOYMENT INCLUDED IT, CONSTRUCTION/TDL, FINANCIAL/BANKING, SOLAR, WAREHOUSE/LOGISTICS, HEALTHCARE, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING. OUR APPROACH TO BUILDING TALENT PIPELINES INCLUDES WORK-BASED LEARNING PROGRAMS. OUR PRE-APPRENTICESHIP AND APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS ARE DESIGNED TO BRING UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS INTO APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS IN THE SKILLED TRADES. IN ADDITION TO ACHIEVING PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT (WITH OVER 240 DIFFERENT EMPLOYER PARTNERS), SAFER SUPPORTS MEN, WOMEN, AND YOUTH TO BUILD BETTER LIVES, STRONGER FAMILIES, AND SAFER COMMUNITIES. OUR ASCEND CLIENT SERVICE MODEL UTILIZED A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO DELIVERING SERVICES TO OUR REENTRY CLIENTS AND ADOPTION OF EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES ACROSS ALL SAFER SITES. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE ACCESS TO CASE MANAGEMENT, EMPLOYMENT TRAINING, FINANCIAL LITERACY, TRANSITIONAL AND PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, SUBSTANCE USE AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES REFERRAL. IT IS A SET OF PRACTICES THAT ARE CLIENT-CENTERED AND ROOTED IN ONGOING SKILLS TRAINING FOR STAFF AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT. WE HELP PEOPLE THRIVE AND BUILD A FUTURE THEY NEVER THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE.

BASIC SKILLS/EDUCATION IN ILLINOIS AND IOWA SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO PARTICIPANTS TO IMPROVE BASIC EDUCATION SUCH AS READING, WRITING AND MATH. UPGRADING THESE SKILLS LEADS TO IMPROVED JOB OPPORTUNITIES. CLIENTS PARTICIPATE IN SAFER'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHICH PROVIDE AN ACTIVE AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS ARE PEER TEACHERS AND HELP EACH OTHER DEVELOP SKILLS NEEDED TO OBTAIN A HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF TRAINED FACILITATORS. EDUCATIONAL SERVICES ARE DELIVERED IN A SIMULATED WORK ENVIRONMENT INCORPORATING TIME MANAGEMENT, TEAM BUILDING, BUSINESS SETTING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION. AT THE CONCLUSION OF AN INTENSIVE EIGHT WEEK SESSION, STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE HSE EXAM. SAFER IS AN OFFICIAL HSE TEST SITE, ALLOWING MOST STUDENTS TO TAKE THE EXAM AT THE SAME LOCATION WHERE THEY ATTEND CLASSES. DURING COVID19, OUR ADULT EDUCATION STAFF SUCCESSFULLY TRANSITIONED TO HYBRID LEARNING, CONSISTING OF ONLINE AND IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION. IN FY21, OVER 195 CLIENTS WERE ENROLLED IN SAFER'S BASICS EDUCATION PROGRAM.

ADULT TRANSITION/RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS SAFER FOUNDATION IS THE ONLY NONPROFIT PRIVATE AGENCY THAT OPERATES SECURED RESIDENTIAL CENTERS ON BEHALF OF THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. AT THE TWO SAFER ADULT TRANSITION FACILITIES, INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS CAN SERVE THE FINAL 30 DAYS TO 24 MONTHS OF THEIR STATE PRISON SENTENCES IN A COMMUNITY-BASED, WORK RELEASE SETTING. THE PURPOSE OF THESE CENTERS IS TO GIVE THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SELECTED PARTICIPANTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSITION TO WORK, FAMILY, AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PRIOR TO RELEASE, TO IMPROVE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WILL BE SUCCESSFUL AND PRODUCTIVE, LAW-ABIDING COMMUNITY MEMBERS. SERVICES OFFERED INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT, SAFER SKILLS TRAINING (SST), MENTORING, HSE TESTING AND DEMAND SKILL VOCATIONAL TRAINING. IN FY21 OVER 400 CLIENTS WERE SERVED IN THE TWO ADULT TRANSITION CENTERS. DUE TO THE CONTINUED COVID PANDEMIC AND IDOC DIRECTIVE, INMATE MOVEMENT FROM IDOC TO SAFER (NEW RESIDENTS) WAS MUCH LOWER THAN DURING NORMAL OPERATING TIMES. ON AVERAGE, 100 HSE'S ARE COMPLETED EACH YEAR. ATC RESIDENTS ARE RECRUITED FOR PARTICIPATION IN DEMAND SKILL TRAINING PROGRAMS TO EARN INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS. EMPLOYMENT IS A MAJOR FOCUS IN PROGRAMING OFFERINGS FOR THE RESIDENTS. BOTH CENTERS HAVE EXPERIENCED A HIGH OF 80% OF RESIDENTS ELIGIBLE TO WORK EMPLOYED. DESPITE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THE ECONOMIC BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS BEING EMPLOYED PROVIDED $1.4M OF NET PAY IN THE CURRENT YEAR TO SUPPORT THE RESIDENT AND RESIDENT FAMILIES POSITIVELY IMPACTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY, $300K TAXES PAID TO FEDERAL AND STATE REVENUE AGENCIES AND $120K IN DEPENDENT SUPPORT. FOR ALL JOB STARTS BOTH CENTERS HAVE A 30 DAY EMPLOYMENT RETENTION GOAL OF 70%. DURING THE YEAR THE CENTERS HAVE ON AVERAGE ACHIEVED THIS EMPLOYMENT RETENTION GOAL. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY, SAFER HAS SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED ITS EXISTING FOCUS HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ON THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO SINCE 2007, A 10 UNIT RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOCATED AT 165 N. CENTRAL AVE, CHICAGO. SAFER PROVIDES MEN WITH ARREST OR CONVICTION RECORDS WITH PERMANENT HOUSING AND CUSTOMED SERVICES INCLUDING EMPLOYMENT, TRAINING, JOB PLACEMENT, SUBSTANCE USE TREATMENT, HEALTHCARE AND INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT.