REACHing …
out to those reentering the community;
connecting resources statewide in West Virginia
REACHing…
REACHing…
out to those reentering the community; connecting resources statewide in West Virginia
The REACH Initiative
855-WV REACH / 855-987-3224
2207 Washington St. E, Charleston, WV 25311
We continue to build a strong, collaborative, West Virginia statewide network to help support a successful future for justice impacted individuals.
Our mission is to provide collaborative community support for justice impacted people — to address reentry barriers and coordinate related services and resources — while empowering individuals to become criminal justice reform leaders and organizers in their communities, regions, state and nationally.
Quick Information!
Peer Reentry Navigator Program (R2N)
The R2N mission is to assist individuals navigating reentry into the community.
If you are faced with the challenges of navigating the 851 collateral consequences faced by justice impacted people in West Virginia, please contact us to participate in our Peer Mentor Program. You will be matched with a mentor that has lived experience with navigating the barriers to successful reentry.
If you have personally navigated the barriers of reentry successfully and would like to reach back and mentor the next person coming out of incarceration, then we welcome you to apply to the program to become a certified Reachback Reentry Navigator (R2N)!
For additional information regarding this program, please contact Amber Blankenship at ablankenship@wvreentry.org or call 855-WV REACH / 855-987-3224 and select option 3!
Trainings & Reentry Simulations
Plan an event for your area or sign up to participate in one that is upcoming!
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.
Reentry Resources & Backpack Program
Connections with available resources across the state of West Virginia.
Resources
Although we do not provide direct financial assistance, we do our best to find free or low-cost programs that provide temporary assistance until you are able to be self-supporting. Reach out to one of our team members to complete an intake screening so we can best match you to your needs.
Backpack Program
We partner with other community services to be able to provide backpacks when returning to the community without any resources. The backpacks contain essentials to get you through the first week in the community until we can connect you with service providers. If your probation or parole officer does not have a backpack available, or does not participate in our program, please feel free to have them contact us for assistance or you may contact us directly at 855-WV REACH / 855-987-3224.
If you are an individual or organization that would like to donate to our backpack program, please contact our Executive Director, Beverly Sharp, at 855-WV REACH / 855-987-3224 or email bsharp@wvreentry.org. We are a 501c3 nonprofit so your donations are tax deductible.