Second Chance Center.
Our goal is to help formerly incarcerated people transition to lives of success and fulfillment. We provide the formerly incarcerated, and their network, with education, resources, and support to successfully re-enter the community and cultivate a rewarding life.
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Our Story
Click Image for Video
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Opening of Providence at the Heights
Westward Article
Click image for the full article.
PATH "Housing First" Model
The housing first model prioritizes housing as the first step for people who are struggling with life on the streets, rather than traditional models that demand that people commit to certain programs or show they have turned their lives around before they "deserve" or "can handle” housing. According to the housing-first philosophy, once people have met basic needs like food, shelter and safety, they are much more likely to address other issues in their life.
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PROVIDENCE AT THE HEIGHTS
Second Chance Center has worked with hundreds of participants each year for the past eight years, and insight gained through this work lead to the development of PATH and the services offered there.
THE NEED
The lack of affordable, supportive housing is the biggest practical barrier to helping clients begin to rebuild their lives. The unique and urgent needs of our participants are exacerbated by homelessness or tenuous access to emergency shelters. Participants with mental illness, substance use disorders, histories of trauma and domestic violence, and histories of incarceration need the stability of housing.
THE SERVICES
PATH features on-site mental health services, 24-hour staff coverage, an open food pantry, regular care management and resident staffing.
THE HOW
Residents partner with on-site care managers to develop a plan that meets their housing, mental health, substance use, education, vocational training, and employment needs.
The process is resident directed and collaborative, rooted in best practices and Second Chance Center's years of experience in this work. Each unit is vouchered, and residents pay what they can afford.
THE PLACE
Each apartment is furnished with new beds, furniture, appliances and silverware. There are communal areas for groups and socializing, a fully equipped gym, and play space for children. An outdoor courtyard provides additional space for cookouts and gatherings. A community garden provides an opportunity for each resident to contribute to the environment in their own way.
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SCC COVID-19 Impact
SCC closed the doors to our office space but not to our clients, On March 16th to keep our staff and clients safe, we closed the doors to our physical locations and began to work remotely to ensure all clients needs are being met. Care managers have worked hard to stay in contact with as many of their caseload as possible. Intakes are ongoing virtually. Virtual Labs are conducted on a schedule. Zoom Mentoring has been conducted since the closure. There is a growing number of attendees each week. Delivery of “Client Needs” take place in a controlled manner at the Annex, on a schedule established with client(s). Food preparation and distributions has continued during this time.
COVID.-19 has impacted our ability to establish the types of in-house programming we intended to offer, which added to the atmosphere. Boredom and feelings of isolation. PATH residents have been encouraged to join into SCC Virtual Groups. SCC Therapist, Christopher Faller, has stepped in to provide Mental Health sessions both virtually and in person at PATH. June 1 we reopened all facilities to clients with proper safety measures in place.
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Do People In Prison Qualify For Stimulus Check Payments?
Second round of stimulus checks for some;.Second Chance for others. If you are interested in supporting those who are formerly incarcerated and will not receive a stimulus check please donate to the Stimulus Fund by clicking here.
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Second Chance Center is on the frontline addressing housing needs of formerly incarcerated individuals.
Across the country thousands of people are being released from prisons and jails, with a majority from jails, due to policies enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but when these people return home they are often no safer than the place they were confined to.
Click image above for full article
The Hill: BY SHANAKAY SALMON, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR 05/27/20
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THE JUSTICE RESKILL PROGRAM LAUNCHES AUGUST 1, 2020
The Justice Reskill program couples a push for renewed hiring strategies with a community of highly skilled individuals, who each bring a diversity of experiences and insights to the tech industry. By offering easy access to a free online skills platform, we are able to help thousands of justice involved individuals reskill for today’s tech-enabled workforce. We collaborate with community partners like the Second Chance Center (Aurora, Colorado) to provide a more directed learning experience for participants of a specific reentry program.
Our skills platform gives our community an opportunity to level up on core technical topics (logic, problem solving, computer science, etc) popular software development topics (HTML, CSS, Javascript, React, MongoDB, MySQL, etc) as well as essential workforce skills (personal development, career development, offer
negotiation, interviewing, networking etiquette etc).
The Justice Reskill program aims to:
• Decrease the rate of recidivism among participants
• Provide an opportunity for financial stability and wealth generation through technical training
• Drive positive revenue into our community partner programs via our social venture
• To establish that working with justice-involved individuals brings a moral and practical benefit to businesses and the community
The Justice Reskill program is a part of Equity Solutions. Equity Solutions is a justice-focused firm that educates individuals in tech and empowers leaders and organizations to create a more equitable society.
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Community Engagement
Congressman Jason Crow toured PATH and met with Executive Director Hassan Latif.
The Bangledesh Community and the Aurora Branch of the NAACP donated masks for PATH residents.
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Second Chance Center has been appointed as representative serving on the "Community Police Task Force".
Aurora Sentinel (Click image below for article)
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Legislation
Colorado Governor Signs Sweeping Police Accountability Bill into Law
Gov. Jared Polis on Friday signed Colorado's sweeping police accountability bill, passed in the wake of George Floyd’s death, into law, calling it a necessary and positive step toward healing the state’s pain and hearing the public’s concerns.
Click Image for Full Article
Colorado Sun
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Desk of Executive Director
Second Chance Center Position Statement
"George Floyd"
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Event/Support/Fundraising
Second Chance Center is a nonprofit organization providing free transformational services and support to the formerly incarcerated.
Discover below how you can help pave the path for a better tomorrow.
Please contact Regina Edmondson for more information
Regina@SCCColorado.org.
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