Getting a Fresh Start With Next STEP

Casting a Wide Net: Strengthening Families through Collaboration and Partnerships

GETTING A FRESH STARTONE STEP AT A TIME

Subsidized Transitional Employment Project

Next STEP was one step at a time in design:

Based on a fully funded, award winning model involving over a dozen local nonprofits

Curriculum based on best selling assessment tool, Strength Finder 2.0

Piloted with Tarrant County Department of Adult Probation

One STEP at a time has funding from:

Subsidized employment salaries paid by Department of Labor, Department of Health & Human Services

Staff salaries paid from the Department of Labor, TANF, United Way, and Texas Workforce Commission funds

Support services provided from all categories

First StepsDesign Funding

ONE STEP AT A TIME WITH OUR PARTNERS

STEP 2: In-depth assessment and assistance for mental health and cognitive functioning

Shipley – 2 for a quick estimate of overall cognitive functioning and impairment

WRAT-4 for measures the basic academic skills of reading, spelling, and mathematical computation necessary for effective learning, communication, and thinking.

TCU Criminal Thinking Scale for measuring entitlement, justification, personal irresponsibility, power orientation, cold heartedness, and criminal rationalization

ONE STEP AT A TIME WITH OUR PARTNERS

STEP 3: Texas Department of Pardons and Parole and the Federal Bureau of Prisons

Over 740,905 inmates in prisons in Texas

Over 7,000 prisoners reenter Tarrant County each year

Current unemployment rate of parolees in Tarrant County stands at approximately 50%

Average time to find employment for parolees is currently at 3-6 months

ONE STEP AT A TIME WITH OUR PARTICIPANTS

STEP 4: Commitment – much work is done before the transitional job begins:

Job Readiness Workshops

Individual and group therapeutic sessions

WorkInTexas registered

Working Resume

Testing the Labor Market

ONE STEP AT A TIME FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS

STEP 5: Assessments are a Strengths based approach – Strength Finders 2.0 Assessment:

Customized Workshops Centering on Strengths

Customized Job Search based on Strengths

Customized Job Development based on Strengths

ONE STEP AT A TIME FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS

Individualized job development and case management:

Relationships are built with each participant

Relationships are built with each employer

Three Tier Program assessment, development, & placement

Matching skills with employer needs for real jobs

STEP 6: Personalize services:

ONE STEP AT A TIME FOR OUR PARTICIPANTS

STEP 7: Next STEP is a package deal:

8 week subsidized wages at 100%, and 8 weeks of subsidized employment at 50% for a “get to know me” experience

Job Developer is always “on-call”

Case manager works with the customer to resolve personal issues

Tax credit after hiring

Fidelity Bonding

“The S.T.E.P. program better prepares employees when they come to the job. They take pride in what they are doing for the company. It is more of “what can I do for you” and not like the other candidates who want to know what we can do for them. The participant always was willing to do anything and didn’t feel anything was beneath him. He always went above and beyond our expectation. That is why it was with great pleasure that I offered him a full time job”. Marie – an HR Manager

ONE STEP AT A TIME FOR WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

Because of our success with the pilot project, we started with over 12 private sector employers ready to hire

Employers are asking for more participants

Participants are able to meet their financial obligations

With employment, everyone wins

ONE STEP CONTINUES FORWARD IN 2012

• STEP philosophy continues in new grants for Tarrant County

Re-entry for Ex-offender grant partnering with Cornerstone Assistance Network

Enhanced Transitional Jobs GrantResponsible Fatherhood grantEvery grant we apply for now will include

transitional employment when allowed

Casting a Wide Net: Strengthening Families through Collaboration and Partnerships

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STEP, CONTACT:

Debby [email protected]

(817) 528-0402