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Span http://www.spaninc.org/

Span

Inc.

105 Chauncy Street

6th Floor

Boston, MA 02111Map this

As the oldest Boston-based provider of services solely dedicated to prisoners and ex-offenders, Span strives to make the greater Boston area a safer and stronger community. In collaboration with numerous community providers, Span accomplishes its mission of assisting those who are or have been in...

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For more information:

Name: Laurie Bloom
Position: Associate Executive Director
Email: lbloom@spaninc.org
Phone: 617-423-0750 x162
Fax: 617-482-2717

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Health Services HIV HEALTH EDUCATION Span works to improve public health and the health of the client by providing education-based programs and workshops that teach clients how to prevent contracting, as well as spreading, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Span offers individual and small group learning sessions that address various health issues and help clients access health care services. Through its Comprehensive Risk Counseling Services (CRCS) program, Span collaborates with the Boston Medical Center's Project Trust to provide free, on-site HIV testing. CRCS staff also offer individual counseling to clients who are at very high risk of contracting HIV. CASE MANAGEMENT FOR HIV+ CLIENTS Span offers both short-term and long-term, health-service specific case management for clients living with HIV. Span works with individuals who are being released from prison or who have been in the community for some time. Clients are assisted in their own efforts to achieve and maintain healthy outcomes after release from prison. Case managers work to ensure that medical and social services are in place upon resettlement in order to guarantee continuity of care and preserve the health of the client. SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELING For those clients struggling with substance abuse, Span's trained clinicians offer substance abuse assessment, and individual and group substance abuse counseling. Span clinicians also provide specialized counseling to dually diagnosed clients (those dealing with both mental health and addiction related issues). Clients are either referred from Parole Release Centers or are HIV+ and referred from Span's HIV Case Management program.
Case Management Case Management is integrated into most of Span's program services. Through individual meetings and telephone contact, case managers work directly with clients to assess needs, develop service plans, assist with discharge planning, and provide other hands-on assistance as needed. In addition to providing direct services, case managers also help clients access entitlements to meet basic needs, such as Mass Health or other subsidized health care, Social Security and food stamps. Case managers can also assist clients in securing affordable housing, employment, food, clothing, transportation, and other resources to meet basic needs. In addition to providing direct services, Span case managers also provide supported referrals for clients in need of mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, often accessing collaborating providers. Clients are also assisted to take steps toward reaching personal goals related to enriching their quality of life, such as becoming involved in their community through social activities, volunteering, etc.
Career Development PRISONER RE-ENTRY INITIATIVE (PRI) The objectives of PRI are for recently released clients to find work and develop career goals. PRI supports clients toward these goals in several ways: By offering an optional two-week stipend-based job-training program and by referring clients to The Workplace - a Span partner that provides a one-stop-career center for the City of Boston. Clients also have the opportunity to work toward reaching their PRI goals with the help of Span-trained volunteer mentors.
Peer Support Services THE ADOLPH GRANT DROP-IN CENTER Named after a long-time Span staff and former client, The Adolph Grant Drop-In Center is a safe place for clients with HIV to develop social and recreational skills that can enhance their ability to live their lives without crime and drugs. At the Center, Span provides nutritious, family-style meals, a safe and drug-free environment, activities, events, and job search tools. PEER SUPPORT GROUPS Span staff offer daily peer-facilitated support groups where peers can support each other to address the issues of relapse prevention, reintegration and social skills development. Span also provides a weekly Women's Support Group and a weekly Latino Group, which is conducted in Spanish.
Housing HIV TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM (THP) This is a three to six month subsidized housing program for clients who are being released from prison and who are HIV+, homeless and without income. Upon release, clients are housed in partnering halfway houses and sober houses as they work toward acquiring permanent housing and maintaining their recovery. REINTEGRATION SUPPORT PROGRAM (RSP) This is a brief (three to five week) subsidized housing program for clients who are being released from prison and who are homeless and without income. Span accesses subsidized housing for clients through its partnerships with treatment facilities, sober houses and single room occupancy buildings. At the same time, Span staff provide intensive support to enable and motivate clients to find employment, so that they can sustain housing independently by the end of the program.
Career MentorsThursday, November 13, 2008 - Friday, November 13, 2009Span's Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative (PRI) employs the use of volunteer mentors to help former prisoners achieve career goals, maintain employment and stay out of prison. The PRI Mentoring Program connects clients with committed, community-connected and personally experienced volunteer mentors who empower clients through role modeling, experience sharing, on-going discussion and action planning. Mentors work with clients to achieve reintegration goals, such as establishing initial employment, accessing interim job-training, and searching for long-term career opportunities that will provide a living wage and improved quality of life. Demonstrated to be a vital link to successful re-entry, mentoring support is a central part of any PRI client's successful reintegration into society. Volunteers bring a different perspective and approach to career development that draws upon real life experiences and personal responses. Mentor responsibilities include: - Calling client on a weekly basis - Meeting with client in person on a monthly basis - Submitting progress reports to mentor coordinator on a monthly basis Mentor support includes: - Training sessions - Monthly mentor support groups - Mentor coordinator support
Administrative SupportMonday, November 24, 2008 - Monday, November 30, 2009Span, Inc. is looking for administrative support in a variety of capacities. Whether you are a student with limited office experience or a seasoned non-profit professional, we can use your help! Various tasks include: Data entry Reception Web & Graphic design Photography Event planning
Teach A WorkshopMonday, November 24, 2008 - Monday, November 30, 2009Do you have an expertise in a specific subject that may serve as a fun and important workshop for our formerly imprisoned clients? If so, contact Span today. Various workshop themes can include, but are not limited to: cooking, greeting card crafting, journaling, nutrition, tax preparation, English as a Second Language, GED tutoring, the arts, and how to start a small business.
Various Gift Cards Needed to Support Re-Entry EffortsSpan, Inc. is looking for donations of gift cards from the following locations: Local Grocery Stores - Star Market, Stop & Shop Local Pharmacies - CVS, Walgreens Local cinemas Local restaurants Local retail stores Dunkin Donuts Starbucks Local performing arts centers Boston Center for Adult Education Cambridge Center for Adult Education The donation of gift cards to Span, Inc. can benefit clients in either one of two ways: 1) Gift cards are often used as incentives in order to encourage our formerly imprisoned clients to access the life-changing and stabilizing services we provide. Sometimes the mere prospect of earning two tickets to the movies can influence clients to attend a job training or relapse prevention workshop. 2) Gift cards can ensure that the most basic of needs are being met for our neediest clients. 98% of Span clients have low or no income through their first six months of release from prison. In this case, a Stop and Shop gift card may be a client's only access to groceries outside of Span's Drop-In Center until a food stamp benefit application is completed. Or perhaps a gift card to Target allows someone with no income to buy new clothes for the first time in ten years in order to make that important first impression at her next job interview.
Sponsor a Food Drive or Client CelebrationSpan is a place where our clients can feel safe and supported as they relearn positive social skills after their release from prison. This atmosphere is created in part by our congregate meals program. You can be a part of this essential program by donating food specifically for client celebrations, or by sponsoring a food drive at work or among friends and family.
A Record For Life: Ex-cons Battle Overwhelming ObstaclesCheck out this Bay State Banner article by Daniela Caride. The article explores the challenges that three Span clients have faced throughout their reintegration process. Lyn Levy, Executive Director of Span, Inc., joins Mary Nee (Executive Director, hopeFound) and Harold Clarke (Commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC)) to illustrate the importance of providing rehabilitative solutions to prisoners as they re-enter society.
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