Trainings Offered

Building Bridges to a Better Community is a two-day workshop that provides an opportunity for participants to learn more about the barriers and the difficulty transitioning to the community once a person has been absent. Although the training is specifically designed to focus on barriers to Reentry by returning criminal offenders, it is also applicable to other segments of our population including veterans, those returning from inpatient substance abuse recovery, etc. The training covers a host of topics including: School to Prison Pipeline; Adverse Childhood Experiences and their impact on incarceration; Personal Barriers to Reentering the Community; Corrections and Law Enforcement Related Barriers; Legal and Societal Barriers; Expectations from Offenders; Barriers to Employment; Connecting with Employers; Improving Outcomes Through Collaboration; Developing Interventions; Implementing Effective Strategies; and Educating the Community. This is typically a two-day workshop with participant engagement and participation in break-out groups, role-plays and team activities.

Leading & Organizing through Personal Narratives is a workshop that utilizes experiential techniques to learn and teach the foundation and principles of this framework. You will learn how to be an effective facilitator, the best practices on coaching strategies to address common challenges, and how to use personal narratives to tell a compelling story for leading change.

Faith Community United – The Conversation Continues is a workshop specifically designed for the faith-based community to facilitate a better understanding of the challenges of serving a congregation and community struggling with Substance Use Disorder, Recovery and Reentry from jails and prisons. You will discuss multiple ways to engage with those struggling in your community but most importantly you will learn the pathways that led to these challenges. This is typically a one-day workshop that requires participation in role-plays, break-out groups and open discussion.

Poverty & Reentry Simulations

Learn about the 851 collateral consequences to having a criminal record in West Virginia and the significant challenges to reentering the community successfully. You will experience, through role playing, living the life of someone that was just released from jail, prison, residential recovery, homelessness or living in poverty and the difficult decisions you must make on a daily basis. Do you spend money on your prescriptions, or do you pay your fines and fees? The wrong decision will land you in jail or in the hospital. Join us for a learning adventure on a month in the shoes of a justice impacted person. This simulation can be designed for a short role-play of one hour or a more impactful role-play that lasts two hours. Schedule one for your organization or community group. I promise you will have fun while learning some eye opening facts!

If you are interested in scheduling any of these trainings or activities in your area, typically all free of charge, please contact our Executive Director, Beverly Sharp, at bsharp@wvreentry.org or by calling 855-WV REACH / 855-987-3224, extension 0.