• Home
• Contact

Safer Foundation's Faith and Community-Based Initiatives helps clients receive services close to where they live.

Through these partnerships, our clients receive the attention and resources needed to successfully reenter the working world and the larger community. With access to job training and placement, case management, and faith-based mentoring services, the men and women returning to Cook County receive the guidance and encouragement needed to promote positive goals and decrease recidivism.

Safer’s Faith and Community-Based Initiative focuses on the neighborhoods most affected by reentry: including Englewood, East Garfield Park, Auburn Gresham, Austin, Harvey, and Maywood. The services provided within these communities have three primary aspects. These include:

Mentoring

At each location, mentors work with clients during biweekly group sessions. With a 2:4 mentor to mentee group structure, clients are able to share their experiences and discuss strategies for parenting, job-searching, and other issues confronted during the reentry process. While the faith partners recruit and select their own mentors, Safer helps by providing background screening and training.

Reentry Counseling

Safer Foundation Reentry Counselors provide clients with valuable resources needed to assist with the transition process. From housing arrangements and legal assistance to substance abuse treatment, healthcare, and mental health counseling, clients receive direction for a variety of reentry needs. The Reentry Counselors are located at each of the partner sites, where the provide direct services to program participants.

Employment/Retention Assistance

Through each of our partner sites, Safer provides clients with the support and training needed to reenter the job market. Many program participants have limited to no job experience, so as part of the Faith and Community-Based Initiative, Safer and its partners offer a variety employment and retention services, including assistance with basic life skills and job-readiness training.

Helping those with criminal records find jobs has directly led to a decrease in recidivism. Though 51 percent of those released by the Illinois Department of Corrections are arrested for another crime within three years, that number drops to 22 percent among clients finding employment for at least 30 days through Safer’s program. Those maintaining steady employment for over a year through Safer’s programs have a recidivism rate of just 13 percent.

• Services & Programs
  • > Faith-Based Locations