Monday, May 12, 2025
5/12/2025
The CaringWorks Offender Re-Entry Program - The CaringWorks Offender Re-Entry Program will provide substance abuse treatment and supportive services to adult offenders exiting the correctional system in DeKalb and Fulton counties of metro Atlanta, Georgia. Participants will have substance abuse history with possible, co-occurring mental illness. Other notable subsets of the population are those classifiable as homeless or at risk of homelessness, and those with a history of chronic unemployment and other barriers to employment. The project aims to combat behavioral health disparities by increasing the availability of substance abuse treatment, relapse prevention support and mental health therapy for this population, while also lowering recidivism rates through access to stable housing, job readiness supports, and family reunification services. Ancillary supports will include benefits advocacy, peer counseling, legal assistance and medical care, particularly HIV screening and services. The program's goals and objectives reinforce CaringWorks' mission to improve the quality of life for low-income individuals and families by assisting them to become more personally and economically self-sufficient. It is worthy of note that the agency's mission, in turn, coincides with SAMHSA's desire for successful providers to offer services that improve family functioning; help clients develop job skills and find jobs; reduce the likelihood the client will be re-arrested; and reduce the crime rate and the number of victims. In terms of demographics, the majority will be African-American males, age 18 and up, with heavy representation of the southern part of DeKalb and Fulton counties, due to the high concentration of poverty in those communities. It is expected that the project will serve 50 ex-offenders a year over the 3-year grant cycle, for a total of 150+ individuals served.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).