The Program for Women and Families

The transitional residence continuum of care initiative provides subsidized housing and comprehensive supportive services to homeless Women who are transitioning out of The criminal justice system or who are at risk of criminal behavior and their children for a period of 12 to 18 months. Services are based out of The agency's transitional residence - a seven unit apartment building located in center city allentown. Women must be referred by an established social service agency and then submit a formal application. Applicants must demonstrate they have made some effort toward positive lifestyle changes and must demonstrate that they are able to support themselves and their children with The help of subsidized housing and supportive services. Those services are designed to help them achieve specific individualized goals such as maintaining their recovery from addiction, establishing and maintaining healthy relationships, improving parenting skills and familial bonding, and improving personal and household budgeting skills.

Alpha serves a population of male and female adolescents who either have dropped out or have been permanently expelled from school and are under The supervision of lehigh county juvenile probation. The overriding goal of alpha is to reduce recidivism among juvenile offenders, breaking what all too often becomes a generational cycle of crime and delinquency. There are four main service components to alpha: 1) assessment of educational functioning level; 2) academic instruction; 3) behavioral instruction; and 4) job readiness training. Before beginning any alpha classes, students are assessed to determine their educational functioning level. Based on The results of this assessment, they are placed in one of two alpha academic tracks, both of which include behavioral instruction and job readiness training. Students who test at least at a 9th grade level are placed in The ged preparation track and those who test well below a 9th grade level are place in The academic remediation track. Alpha's behavioral instruction classes focus on improving life and social skills associated with reducing recidivism among delinquent youth. Those skills include self-awareness, value clarification, anger management, and effective communication. Alpha's job readiness training utilizes The evidence-based crossroads jobtec curriculum. Jobtec classes are designed to facilitate The development of pro-social life skill competencies and reinforce positive behavioral changes that promote success in The workplace.

The northampton county reentry enhancement initiative at The county jail begins with an in-depth validated risk needs assessment that is used to determine each individual's risk of recidivism and specific criminogenic needs. After The assessment is complete, inmates may be referred to ncrei classes or they may voluntarily request to participate. The completed assessments also serve as valuable tools for reentry planning and are placed in each person's treatment files at The jail. The ncrei classes include parenting inside out and thinking for a change. Parenting inside out (pio) is an evidence-based parenting education curriculum that addresses The needs of incarcerated parents. The classes are held twice a week and it takes five weeks to successfully complete a full cycle. Individuals who complete a full cycle are permitted to have contact visits with their children that are supervised by ncrei staff and a volunteer who works with The children's caregivers. Thinking for a change (t4c) is a cognitive behavioral evidence-based curriculum designed to bring about positive behavioral changes by focusing on three key areas: social skills, cognitive self-change, and problem-solving. Classes are held twice a week and it takes six weeks to successfully complete a full cycle.