Community Corrections at Marion County Sheriff’s Office is launching its new Resilience and Recovery Project this February.
The project involves the addition of peer mentors from the Pathfinder Network who will help Community Corrections clients navigate local resources that promote successful reentry and completion of supervision.
Through the use of trained peer support specialists, the program will provide individual support, peer support groups, classes, workshops and action planning.
“For many years we’ve known about the value of peer mentors through the other programs we offer,” said Kevin Karvandi, Community Corrections Division commander. “This project increases peer mentor access for all of our clients, giving them one more resource to help them navigate barriers during the reentry process.”
The Resilience and Recovery Project will follow a program model which incorporates evidence-based practices to increase access for historically underserved communities and fosters engagement with existing programs and services such as housing, substance abuse treatment, and mental health treatment.
“Successful reentry isn’t possible without a strong network of support systems within the community,” Karvandi said. “The partnerships we’ve built with treatment and service providers, departments across Marion County, and the courts have been instrumental in reducing recidivism in Marion County.”
The peer mentors at the center of this program will draw from lived experience to engage participants in a goal oriented and collaborative partnership. Funding for the Resilience and Recovery Project was obtained through the 2021 – 2023 Oregon Justice Reinvestment Initiative grant. To learn more about this program and other efforts supported by the Oregon JRI grant, visit countymarion.or.us/SO.
