Empowerment Program

PROGRAM DETAILS
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Just The Beginning's Empowerment Program provides diversion and reentry services to justice-impacted young adults and women ages 18 and up. 

JTB only accepts candidates who demonstrate that they have the capacity and willingness to make a firm commitment to our program and program process which includes JTB guidelines, standards, and accountability. During the initial interview, we listen for acknowledgment of ownership and responsibility per the participants’ actions that led them to receive their charge. Participants in the JTB program are known as “Pearls”. 

This minimum 24-month, seven-level program is structured to empower, train, and support women to raise their families, govern their homes, impact the community, and influence positive social change!

Our complete holistic foundation of transformational framework has been proven to restore justice-impacted women back to their families and communities.  Primary areas of focus include Life Development Planning, Substance Abuse Education, Therapy, Behavioral Health, Recovery Coaching, Adult Literacy, Spiritual Development, and Mentoring. We connect our Pearls with housing, employment, extensive job training, higher education, counseling, and community services to move them forward.

Our licensed professional counselors (LPC) meet with Pearls throughout the program to gain a clear focus on past and present concerns and diagnose patients' conditions through psychological tests and regular counseling. 
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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Participants attend strategic Substance Use & Life Skills groups, check-in 3 times daily, engage with therapists weekly, participate in spiritual treatment weekly, Participants also have 1 on 1 Behavioral Health Rehab & Case Management weekly.  Participants are also required to have actionable goals & accountability within our program to level up through seven levels of empowerment.

Pearls are required to meet with their designated mentor once per week to establish, review, and/or adjust an ongoing action plan for each participant’s stated goals. Upon a progress review of the action plan, the plan is revised, and/or new goals are set, as applicable.
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​PROGRAM SERVICES
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Adult Literacy
Anger Management
Behavioral Health
Case Management 
Counseling Services
Criminal Justice Policy Change Advocacy
Employment Assistance and Training
Financial Literacy
​Group Therapy
Healthy Relationship Building/Boundaries
Health and Wellness (#HealthyMatters) 
Leadership Development
Levels of Empowerment
Life Development Planning 
Life Skills
Mental Health Treatment
Mentoring 
Recovery Support - Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), Celebrate Recovery (CR)
Substance Abuse Education 
Spiritual Development
Trauma-Informed Care Approach 
UA, Bus Passes, ID, Birth Certificate, etc. 

PROGRAM GOALS

93% of participants successfully complete all modules/levels of the program.

Students reach 75% of their goals by the end of program with understanding that long-term goals take longer to achieve 100% goal completion.

Pearls continue to build healthy lifestyles, ensuring family reunification, self-sufficiency, and overall transformative changes that are productive and demonstrates healthy choices & behaviors. 

TESTIMONIAL

RASHAWNDA'S STORY
“I was a single mother of 2 children: Isaac, my energetic son, and Alayshia, my social butterfly.  I grew up with barriers in my emotional and spiritual growth, such as low self-esteem, anger, mental, physical, and verbal abuse. I was anxious, ​depressed, and at times, suicidal. On February 3, 2015, my children’s school had called to inform me that Isaac had gotten physical with Alayshia.
This was not the first phone call of my son misbehaving, and frankly, I was beyond frustrated. When I went to pick up Isaac, anger got the best of me and I was caught on camera disciplining him in an unacceptable way.  The next day the police were at my door, taking my children from my home… From ME. I felt my life was over anyway, so I attempted suicide by swallowing half a bottle of pills and a bottle of liquor. But God wasn’t done with me yet. I survived, and from then on, began living the fast life, to avoid having to address what was actually going on in my life.
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​But on July 8th, as I was rushing home from work, I was pulled over and arrested for a felony warrant.  In October 2015, I was released on probation and a month later, I was invited to attend a fundraising event.  That’s where I met Jenice Jones, founder, CEO, and President of Just The Beginning. After listening to a participant’s testimony, my life was transformed!  As a result, I have been reunited with my children, and obtained great employment, and have a whole new outlook on life.”
 
​- Rashawnda