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First Lady of North Carolina Anna Stein and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services celebrated the opening of the Jubilee Home for women in Durham on Thursday. Serving as reentry support for women who are released from prison or jail, the center will provide mental health, housing, employment, and other services to assist in improving outcomes.
"People reentering their communities following incarceration face unbelievable challenges, including access to resources," said First Lady Anna Stein. "Reentry programs like Jubilee Home help people get on their feet by connecting people to housing, transportation, employment, and substance use or mental health counseling and by showing returning residents that they belong."
Jubilee Home is among 11 organizations awarded funding through NCDHHS. The awards are part of an initiative to help strengthen the continuum of services and supports for adults who are involved in the justice community and have a mental health need, substance use disorder, intellectual or developmental disability, and/or needs related to a traumatic brain injury. Four of the funding recipients will focus on diversion, which helps divert people from incarceration by connecting them to community resources, including treatment, when appropriate. Some of the recipients, including Jubilee Home, will offer reentry support.
Reentry programs support people who are making the transition back into their communities following incarceration. These programs incorporate guidance and case management support, and they help address non-medical needs like transportation, housing, and employment. Diversion programs help people connect with treatment and avoid incarceration, while reentry programs strive to reduce the number of people who cycle back into the justice system. NCDHHS supports more than 50 reentry and diversion programs in North Carolina.
"Ensuring people have the support they need when they are released from incarceration is critical for their long-term success," said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. "We are grateful for these partnerships across the state as we work to increase the number of reentry supports available and work to keep people from cycling back into the justice system."
The women’s home can house up to four residents at a time and includes daily support with a full-time, on-site Peer Navigator team. Peer Navigators are people who have prior experience with the justice system and can use that knowledge to support successful reentry. Jubilee Home clients are able to stay up to 12 months and are required to pay a modest monthly room fee when making income. The house features a common kitchen, living area, dining room, and outdoor space.
"We want our clients to feel like this is their home," said Anna Banke, Director of Wellness Initiatives for Jubilee Home. "Offering low-barrier housing and fostering a sense of belonging for justice-involved people transitioning back to society is a crucial part of setting them up to flourish. We are grateful for the support we received from NCDHHS and from our other partners."
Residents engage in weekly check-ins with a Peer Navigator to address individualized goals, such as pursuing education, finding employment, or receiving help for substance use or health issues. Jubilee Home also offers onsite wellness programming two to three nights per week to address topics such as financial literacy, relationships, meditation and mindfulness, recovery skills, and self-care.
"Reducing the number of people who cycle through the justice system requires connection, care, and community-based support," said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. "Jubilee Women’s Home is an exciting new resource that is part of a larger, statewide effort to provide people with the tools and services they need – like counseling, housing, and employment support – to successfully transition back into their communities and build more stable, healthy lives."
NCDHHS is committed to supporting people in the justice system by expanding services for reentry, diversion, and capacity restoration while advancing access to high-quality mental health care for all North Carolinians.
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