Assisting Individuals With Felony Background

1. Assisting Individuals With FelonyBackground BehroozJahanshahi bjaha@okcareertech.org Oklahoma Department of Career & Technology Education Skills Centers School System August 2, 2013

2. Oklahoma’s CareerTech System Skills Centers Comprehensive Schools Business and Industry Technology Centers FY 2012 Skills Centers Students served, full-time 1,055 Students served, short-term 159 Completed, full-time 545 Positive placement 88.57% Average hourly wage $11.15 33 11 3 36 3 Full-time Programs Adult Skills Centers Juvenile Skills Centers Instructors Employment/Transition Coordinators

3. Source: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 2012 Annual Report, Page 17

4. Source: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 2012 Annual Report, Page 21

5. Source: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Facts At A Glance, May 31, 2013

6. Defining Reentry It is important to remember that reentry is aprocess of identifying treatment and training programs, according to individualized needs, to provide the offender with knowledge and skills necessary to rejoin the community successfully.

7. Understanding Offender Culture, Values, Attitudes: • Prisonization Process (adjusting to a confined, structured environment) • Dependency • “Inmate Attitude” • Prison Slang • Sense of entitlement • “Inmate body language” • What Ex-offenders Must Take Care of: • Probation & Parole Requirements • Court Cost and Restitution • Child Support

8. Resources • ID, Birth Certificate • Vital Records: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm • Social Security Administration: http://www.ssa.gov/ • Department of Public Safety: http://www.dps.state.ok.us/ • Veterans: Representatives at Workforce Oklahoma offices, • and: http://www.oklahoma.va.gov/ • Native Americans: Representatives at Workforce Oklahoma • Offices and: • Oklahoma County only: http://www.uuic.org/ • Oklahoma Native American Resource Guide at DHS: • http://www.okdhs.org/NR/rdonlyres/65DCFEDA-6E77-4E12-BC1E-62AEEA05EF4B/0/S11049_OKNativeAmerResource_fod_06012011.pdf • Medical Needs: • Low cost or free dental assistance, ww.ddokfoundation.org • Low cost or free medical, http://www.needymeds.org/free_clinics.taf

9. Resources (Continued) • Food: http://www.foodpantries.org/st/oklahoma • Housing: Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency: http://www.ohfa.org/ • Clothes: • Oklahoma City, Suited for Success: http://www.suitedforsuccessokc.com/ • Tulsa: Dress for Success: http://dressforsuccess.org • Child Support: DHS http://www.okdhs.org/programsandservices/ocss/ • Mental Health, Substance Abuse: http://ok.gov/odmhsas/

10. Multiple Services, Multiple Locations • Oklahoma Workforce Portal: http://www.ok.gov/okworks/ • Oklahoma Community Action Agencies: http://okacaa.org • Oklahoma 211: http://www.211oklahoma.org/ • Need Help Paying Bills: http://www.needhelppayingbills.com/ • Hand Up Ministries: http://www.huminc.org/ • Ex-offender Resources: http://www.ex-offenderresource.com/ • Community Service Council of Tulsa: http://csctulsa.org • Catholic Charities: • Oklahoma City: http://www.catholiccharitiesok.org/ • Tulsa: http://catholiccharitiestulsa.org/

11. Networking • Association of Reentry Professionals: • http://associationofreentryprofessionals.org/ • Partnership for Successful Reentry: http://okreentry.org/ • REACH, hosted by Upward Transition: http://www.upwardtransitions.org/ • Let’s Talk: Locates Community Resources • Community Services Council of Tulsa (Quarterly PRI Meeting)

12. Preparing for Employment • Being better prepared and organized • Importance of completing applications • First impressions and body language • Following up after the interview

13. You Must be Prepared and Organized Have copies of all documents: • Resume • Cover Letter • References • Portfolio • Licensures • Completed Sample Application

14. Online applications • Require creation of a user name and password • Sufficient time is required to complete it accurately • Some online applications are timed and will time out if left idle too long • Facebook and Twitter posts warning:Be careful what you post

15. A Few Tough Interview Questions • Tell me about yourself? • Where do you see yourself in 5 years? • We have many applicants, why hire you? • Why do you want to work for us? • Why did you leave your last job?

16. At the End of the Interview The employer will ask you: “Do you have any questions?” MUSThave at least 1-2 questions ready to ask!

17. Asking Employer Questions • What is a typical day like? • May I take a tour of the facility? • Is there a possibility for overtime? NEVER bring up money…. Pay, holidays, vacations, etc. until those subjects are raised by the employer

18. Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? Was there a…. • Merger, bought out, sold or downsized? • New management, new staff? • Owner retired, sold assets, closed business? • Family business, reorganized

19. Major State and National Data Resources Oklahoma Department of Corrections: Facts At A Glance http://ok.gov/doc/Newsroom/Facts_At_A_Glance/index.html Oklahoma Department of Corrections: Annual Reports http://www.ok.gov/doc/Newsroom/Annual_Reports/ Oklahoma Department of Libraries: Literacy Fact Sheet: Correctional Education http://www.odl.state.ok.us/literacy/statistics/corrections.htm Office of Justice Programs: Bureau of Justice Statistics http://bjs.gov/ The national Reentry Resource Center: A Project of the Council of State Governments http://nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/library http://www.nationalreentryresourcecenter.org/facts

20. Employment and Other Services Sites Oklahoma Department of Corrections: Reentry Resource Guide http://www.doc.state.ok.us/newsroom/publications/Reentry_Resource_Guide.pdf Oklahoma Workforce Portal: Including E-lessons, okjobmatch.com, Grow Oklahoma: okcareerplanner.com, and much more. http://www.ok.gov/okworks/ Indeed Job Search Engine http://www.indeed.com/ Career Builder http://www.careerbuilder.com/ Monster http://www.monster.com/ Craig’s List http://www.craigslist.com/