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Offender Workforce Development Specialist Partnership Training: Ohio
:: HOME > What We Are Doing > Transition and Offender ... > The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) has long been involved in the Offender Workforce Development Specialist initiative. In 2001, the first OWDS team attended the three-week training in St. Louis. Team members and current OWDS instructors include Gwendolyn Woods (Ohio Project Manager), Timothy Buchanan, and Ingrid Jones.

Recognizing the continuing need to train correctional professionals in the curriculum, ODRC sponsored a second team that traveled to San Diego in 2003. Team members and current OWDS instructors include Jermaine Brown, Carole Marsh, Lynda Siff, and Jeffrey Tallman.

In preparation for the NIC OWDS partnership grant to provide the OWDS training in Ohio, ODRC sponsored a third team consisting of internal and external partners from around the state. These team members and current instructors OWDS training in Denver in 2005 and include Randy Baker, Daniel Cannode, James Dowdell, Shirley Maul, Debra Shirley, and Sam Wainscott.

Additional ODRC staff including Joyce Chisar, Patti Filipski, and John Geras completed the OWDS training in cooperation with Federal Probation and joined the training team as instructors. Jimmy Tyree and Kathy Oakar (Federal Probation) joined the existing trainers and assisted in the Partnership training.

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction fulfilled the NIC Offender Workforce Development Specialist Partnership with twenty-nine (29) community partners successfully completing the training in May 2006.

As a result of the 2005 Ohio training a number of collaborations have resulted that increase the likelihood that Ohio’s offenders are given the opportunity to re-establish themselves in the community upon reentry. OWDS instructors and the graduates from the 2006 training will continue to work together with regional teams to educate, enhance and implement the regional plans as part of the effort to expand ex-offender employment within the state. The collaboration between ODRC and the community agencies are certain to assist inmates during their reentry and facilitate placement and retention in meaningful and sustained employment opportunities.

To discuss Offender Workforce Development Specialist Training in Ohio or to schedule Regional Training Workshops for staff working with Second Chance Job Seekers with a criminal history, please contact Gwendolyn Woods at the e-mail or phone number listed below.

Gwendolyn Woods
Ohio Project Manager
Columbus
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Gwendolyn.Woods@odrc.state.oh.us
1050 Freeway Drive North
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614-728-1534

Debra Shirley
Offender Workforce Development Administrator
Columbus
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Debra.Shirley@odrc.state.oh.us

Ohio OWDS Instructors

Jermaine Brown, Columbus, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Timothy Buchanan, Caldwell, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Joyce Chisar, Cleveland, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Dan Cannode, Toledo, The Source of Northwest Ohio (One-Stop)
James Dowdell, Akron, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Patti Filipski, Toledo, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
John Geras, Akron, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Ingrid Jones, Columbus, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Carole Marsh, Youngstown, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Randall Baker, Columbus, Community Connection for Ohio Offenders
Shirley Maul, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Community Action Agency
Debra Shirley, Columbus, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Lynda Siff, Cleveland, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Jeffrey Tallman, Lorain, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction
Sam Wainscott, Dayton, Montgomery County Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Jimmy Tyree, Cleveland, US District Court Probation Office
Kathy Oakar, Cleveland, US District Court Probation Office


Ohio OWDS 2006 Team Summaries

The Action Plans of the various teams are diverse, but the goals remain closely aligned with the Workforce Development efforts of the Offender Job Linkage Program. In addition to the previous OWDS teams trained through NIC, and who acted as instructors for the partnership training, these newly trained partners will be utilized to work with program administrators in the various regions to provide workforce development activities, education, and training to other resource agencies, local One-Stops, and community members. They will also assist in marketing the population for employment and serve as referral sources for ex-offender services.


Cleveland Team
Angela Isom, Cleveland, Henry Johnson Center
Cynthia Carleton, Cleveland, Vocational Guidance Services
David Keelor, Cleveland, Goodwill
Lynn Ruffner, Cleveland, Rehabilitation Services Commission
Matt Bechtold, Cleveland, Salvation Army/Harbor Lights Complex

This team is comprised of members from Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio, Vocational Guidance Services, The Henry Johnson Center, the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission, and the Salvation Army. This team’s Action Plan is to minimize the barriers surrounding employment documentation procurement in their local community by training other resource partners in OWDS facilitation skills and sharing their expertise in the area of document procurement.

Objective: To aid ex-offenders in the procurement of personal identification to increase the likelihood of employment and decrease recidivism.

Goal: Identify 100% of the organizations in the Greater Cleveland area that assists ex-offenders in workforce placement.
Goal: Design a staff information intervention to reduce the number of ex-offenders impacted by the lack of appropriate personal identification by 70%.
Goal: Train 75% if identified agency personnel in the use of the intervention within 12months.

Successful Transition of Incarcerated Veterans to Employment (STRIVE)
John Flinn, Columbus, Ohio Department of Job And Family Services
Gary Cox, Marion, Ohio Department of Job And Family Services
Kenneth Kaufman, Toledo, Ohio Department of Job And Family Services

This team is comprised of Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Veteran Representatives from around the state. This group is already working with the Offender Job Linkage Program to interview incarcerated veterans via videoconference and establish a priority of services that will be needed upon release. Services may include housing, medication, employment training, disability compensation, employment readiness, and job placement.

Objective: Reduce recidivism among the Veteran population through employment.
Objective: Evaluate the job readiness of STRIVE participants.

Goal: Provide Intensive Services immediately upon release.
Goal: Provide employment services for STRIVE participants seeking the assistance of the Ohio Department of Job And Family Services Veteran Services.
Goal: Establish process between Ohio Department Of Job And Family Services and Ohio Department Of Rehabilitation And Correction to facilitate program eligibility and linkages prior to release.

Central Ohio Team
Cynthia Turner, Columbus, Alvis House
Robert Brown, Columbus, Community Connection for Ohio Offenders
Stephen Burgess, Columbus, Community Connection for Ohio Offenders
April Kearton, Newark, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Sherri Ford, Columbus, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction
Regina Mitchell, Columbus, Africentric Personal Development, Inc.
Christy Nichols, Newark, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Virginia Shelton, Mansfield, Volunteers of America

This team is comprised of members from Community Connections, Alvis House, Ohio Department of Job And Family Services, and Ohio Department of Rehabilitation And Correction. This group is planning to identify and target Central Ohio employers in the fastest growing industries to educate them about the benefits of hiring ex-offenders and the increased savings within the communities.

Objective: Educate area employers regarding the overlooked ex-offender population for employment recruitment.

Goal: Develop, plan, and coordinate quarterly panel discussions in Franklin, Licking, and Fairfield counties regarding the employment of ex-offenders.
Goal: Increase employer awareness regarding the under-utilized ex-offender workforce.
Goal: Educate area employers regarding the hiring incentives including Federal Bonding and Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

Northeast Ohio Team
Connie Jarvis, Akron, Goodwill
Garrie McDaniel, Canton, Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Paul Wesner, Wooster, Rehabilitation Services Commission
Richard Leonti, Akron, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

This team is comprised of members from Neighbors Helping Neighbors (Canton), The Goodwill Employment Center of Akron, Summit County One-Stop, and the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation in Wooster. The Action Plan for this team includes providing standard assessments for ex-offenders to determine interests and skills in order to match candidates with appropriate jobs in order to assist the ex-offender to obtain and retain employment. The team will also be educating and assisting employers and other resource partners to recognize and minimize employment barriers within the population as well as the financial incentives of hiring ex-offenders.

Objective: Provide training to local employers regarding the importance and use of O*Net Codes.
Objective: Provide training and education to local employers regarding the hiring incentives.

Goal: Increase the awareness of local employers regarding the Federal Bonding Program and Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
Goal: Circulate employer questionnaires regarding current job opportunities and future employment expectations.
Goal: Educate employers regarding the use of O*Net codes to increase worker retention.

Southwestern Ohio Team
Danny Payton, Cincinnati, Urban League
Kimberly Dehn, Cincinnati, River City
Lori Frazier, Cincinnati, Community Action Agency
Michael Matacia, Cincinnati, A &M Placement
Willie Rogers, Cincinnati, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services

This team is comprised of members from the Community Action Agency, the local One-Stop, A&M Placement Services, and Greater Cincinnati Urban League. This team’s Action Plan includes providing training in facilitation skills to other social service agencies, identifying myths and dispelling the myths surrounding ex-offender employment and educating employers about the hiring incentives available for hiring ex-offenders.

Objective: The primary objective of this team is to provide assistance to Greater Cincinnati/Hamilton County area partners to enhance public safety.

Goal: Identify linkage opportunities for ex-offenders returning to Southwestern Ohio with team member agencies.
Goal: Utilize regional team members to train and educate current and future partners about ex-offender workforce development.
Goal: Increase employer awareness regarding hiring incentives including Federal Bonding and Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
Goal: Dispel myths about ex-offenders.

Rural Areas Team
Kay Hofacker, Fremont, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
Megan Bock, Bowling Green, Northwest Community Corrections Center
Rebecca Bates, Athens, Rehabilitation Services Commission

This small team is comprised of members from the Northwest Community Corrections Center, the Fremont Job Store, and the Rehabilitation Services Commission of Northwest Ohio. The purpose of this team’s Action Plan is to inform and bring awareness to communities regarding the need for ex-offender specific programming. They will educate community members and partners about the barriers faced by ex-offenders as they re-enter the community, the necessity of ex-offender employment, and the resources available to members of this population.

Objective: To increase knowledge and bring awareness to the communities served regarding the need for specific programs for ex-offenders.

Goal: To assist stakeholders in understanding the barriers faced my ex-offenders reentering Ohio communities.
Goal: To make the community aware of the importance of ex-offender employment.
Goal: To educate communities regarding the resources available within local communities.


Referrals and Linkages

OWDS Instructors and Graduates recognized the need for increased collaboration between internal and external stakeholders to enhance opportunities for offenders to successfully reenter the community and workforce upon release from incarceration. As a result, the first Offender Workforce Development Workshop was sponsored by Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director, Terry Collins, and was held on August 24-25, 2006 at the Ohio Institute on Correctional Best Practices in London, Ohio. Participants included staff from the institution and APA, external stakeholders, employers and ex-offenders. The purpose of the summit was to engage in dialogue to discuss ex-offender employment and what is needed to design and implement effective job readiness programming for inmates.

Three panels were convened on day one to address issues related to ex-offender employment. The ex-offender panel included six individuals who had been released from a ODRC institution. Discussions included the programs and services offered, the consistency and quality of program delivery across sites, and the need to begin the process at reception was a common consensus. The employer panel discussions reinforced the fact that most have the willingness to hire someone with a criminal background; however the majority lack significant soft skills that lead to a positive workplace interaction and job retention. The special needs panel discussed the challenges and barriers for persons with physical and mental disabilities and the fact that there are external agencies in place to assist with training and placement assistance for this population.

Day two focused on identifying components of a comprehensive job readiness and workforce development program for the institutions. Four major focus areas were identified and participants attended one of the following groups: Pre-Employment; Marketing Incentives and Linkages; Job Retention and Special Needs. Each group was given the opportunity to dialogue about the information from the panelists as well as the current state of programming in the institutions. They were then tasked with identifying the modules that should be included in a job readiness program that would prepare offenders for employment on all levels to include not only job skill training but interpersonal, communication skills, cultural awareness and conflict resolution and job retention.

Participant evaluations from the summit were extremely positive. Participants found the panel presentations to be informative. One of the first observations is that the summit was one of the largest gatherings that included institution and APA staff working together for a shared purpose and goal. This collaboration extends to the partnerships with external agencies that are very interested, willing and committed to work with ODRC to prepare inmates for the world or work and providing them with a customer that understands what is expected during the job search, placement and retention process. Networking was one of the most common themes identified in the participant evaluations as being valuable. Participants recognized the importance of workforce development programming and expressed the need for continued commitment and momentum from executive staff through correctional managers to line staff.

As a result of the Veteran’s Teamwork during OWDS training, and in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), ODRC has established a videoconference process that will facilitate the linkage of incarcerated veteran offenders to employment services in their respective county of return.

The team established the following eligibility criteria for offenders seeking to participate in the videoconference:
  • Offenders must have served on Active Duty in the American Armed Forces
  • Offenders who self-report a discharge status that is other than Dishonorable
  • Offenders must be within 60 days of release and returning to any of Ohio’s 88 counties

During the assessment videoconference interview, information will be collected regarding barriers and employment limitations, work skills, work history, and areas of interest. This information will be disseminated to the appropriate county Veteran Intensive Service Coordinator (VISC). The county VISC will send a letter to the offender prior to release that will provide contact information and direct him/her to call and establish an appointment immediately upon release.

Program Administrators, volunteer OWDS instructors, and volunteer graduates assist with the marketing and training of community partners and other state agency staff in workforce development initiatives to assist ex-offenders find and maintain sustainable employment upon release from incarceration. Requesting agencies may choose from a menu of workshops including Facilitation Skills, Recognizing and Minimizing Barriers to Employment for the Second Chance Job Seeker, and Tips, Tools, and Techniques Specific to Ex-Offender Applications, Resumes, and Interviews. It is expected that Ohio Offender Workforce Development Specialists will soon be adding to the workshop library of available topics.

Regional training began in August 2006 and continues to the present. To date, approximately 500 Community Partners, ODJFS Staff, and Rehabilitation Services Staff have attended the one- half and one-day regional workshops throughout the state.

The Future of OWDS in Ohio

The National Institute of Correction’s Offender Workforce Development Specialist Training curriculum has placed added value and professionalism to the work that partners have been doing on behalf of ex-offenders reentering the workforce. Interest is high for individuals who wish to participate in the OWDS training and it is the intention of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to provide the full training once again in 2007, and adding the 2006 graduates to the list of certified trainers.

Additionally, the OWDS training has had an impact on the enhancement of referral networks and partnerships throughout Ohio to benefit workforce development for ex-offenders. Graduates and Instructors are able to call upon each other in their respective regions to offer and refer necessary services for the Second Chance Job Seeking Population.

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