Men and women like those we work with every day, have a decreased life expectancy of two years for every year they spent behind bars, she says, because national policies and laws often work against them in their quest to get healthy and stay healthy. For example, formerly incarcerated individuals with even one felony drug offense are subject to a lifetime ban on welfare and food assistance and many with criminal records are denied admission into public housing facilities. In other words, their physical health is negatively affected by the inability to have certain needs met–but the social determinants of their health—housing, access to food—are impacted as well. It’s an unfortunate cycle all too familiar to the at-risk men enrolled in our program.

And that’s why our model is different here at Better Futures–we don’t address health or social factors—we address both health and social factors using a holistic model focused on health, housing, jobs, community and coaching. The Better Futures model is designed to directly address the basic health needs of our participants, but also focuses on jobs, community and coaching to improve the social determinants of their health.

As Dr. Maybank, writes:

Having consistent access to quality healthcare, in addition to having quality jobs, housing, education, food, and social support all help design a blueprint for how healthy you, your family, and your community will be.

…and that’s what we’re shooting for—healthy men, healthy families and healthy communities.

> Learn more about how the Better Futures model addresses basic needs on our website

> Read the full article at Ebony.com

Further, the study identified policies to reduce recidivism and minimize the intergenerational impact of incarceration by boosting the chances the ex-offenders will successfully rejoin the community and labor market, including “reconnecting former inmates to the labor market through education and training, job search and placement support and follow-up services”—exactly what our Better Futures model seeks to accomplish.

In fact, when partnered with housing and health, we feel that coaching and jobs are the fundamental elements needed to help a formerly incarcerated individual find a… better future.

> Read more about how our model works on our website.

> Read the full Pew report: “Collateral Costs…” at Pewtrusts.org

Each year, 7 million individuals are released from local jails and return to local communities.  Assisting with their employment needs can reduce recidivism and ease in the re-entry process. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to learn more about how our distinctive model has been combating this problem in Minnesota!

During the webinar, Steve will explain the inner workings of our model, how we’re helping to reduce recidivism and how your county can adopt our principals to achieve better outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals. Registration >

NACo President Chris Rodgers adds, “NACo looks forward to our new partnership with Better Futures Enterprises to develop and share innovative ways for counties to assist individuals with a successful transition to their community following their release from jail or prison. The goal is to help counties use their existing resources more efficiently to break the costly cycle of incarceration, release, incarceration, release.” Additional details are available for download on NaCo’s newsroom.

]]> http://betterfuturesenterprises.com/naco-better-futures-enterprises-announce-partnership-to-advance-cost-saving-smart-justice-practices/feed/ 0 http://betterfuturesenterprises.com/pay-for-success-contracting-and-the-employment-of-returning-citizens/ http://betterfuturesenterprises.com/pay-for-success-contracting-and-the-employment-of-returning-citizens/#comments Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:27:37 +0000 MSoto@betterfutures.net http://betterfuturesenterprises.com/?p=1495 The National Association of Counties (NACo) wrote an article on Better Futures Minnesota pay-for-success contracting. The article discusses how Better Futures pay-for-success contracts and earned revenue from its business enterprise helps finance and sustain the social innovation. Pay-for-success reimbursement is designed to improve service effectiveness, participant outcomes and provider accountability. Read more about this smart and effective way to finance social innovations.

After 5 years of working to improve the lives of high-risk men in Minnesota, The NetWork for Better Futures announced today it is changing its name to Better Futures Minnesota.

In 2008, The NetWork for Better Futures set out to test, assess, and improve the lives of high-risk men who wanted to change their lifestyle and walk a better path. We worked to address the problem that state and county officials have grappled with among high-risk adults for years — the repeated use of multiple, expensive public services.

Since our founding, our commitment has been to build and test a new model of success for high-risk adults in Minnesota; demonstrate cost effective ways to reform costly systems; and adapt the model in communities across the country.

We have developed a new model of success that provides four fundamentals: housing, jobs, health, and coaching; supported by meaningful relationships and a vibrant community.

We have reached a point in our young history where we are prepared to introduce our model to other communities. Our work is being organized under the Better Futures umbrella, as we work to create better futures for the high-risk men we serve.

We will no longer be known as The NetWork for Better Futures. Our new brand name and trademark is Better Futures. Our Minnesota branch is Better Futures Minnesota and our national brand is Better Futures Enterprises.

This change better reflects who we are and supports our replication endeavors as we build our model nationally. For example, if we help partners develop our model in Nebraska, that operation would be called Better Futures Nebraska and the new entity would be under the national brand of Better Futures Enterprises.

Darryl Lindsey who has served as our chief operating officer will oversee and lead our Minnesota office – Better Futures Minnesota.

I, Steve Thomas, will serve as president and CEO of Better Futures Enterprises and will focus my efforts on taking the lessons we have learned in Minnesota to help other communities adapt our unique model.

Better Futures Minnesota will continue to be the flagship enterprise, where we draw inspiration, remain grounded in practice, and continuously refine and assess our model.

Our goal is not only to create a better path for high-risk adults but for society as well. By showing there is a better way, we hope to reform the systems that perpetuate a culture of dependency and create insurmountable barriers to work. A generation from now, men and women across the country, regardless of circumstance, will have the opportunity to do well for themselves, for their families, and for their communities.

Thank you for supporting our innovative mission and work.

Better Futures, success works here.

Steve Thomas

President & CEO

Better Futures Enterprises

The bikes are loaned through social service, government, non-profit, and community institutions directly engaged with low-income community members, especially those traditionally marginalized from the cycling movement including immigrants, women, and communities of color.

This is the 4th year that Better Futures has collaborated with Cycles for Change. They have provided 8-10 bikes each year for our participants. This has helped men with transportation, recreation and exercise goals. The Bike Library currently provides: up to six months of bicycle use with free mechanical support; learn-to-ride, riding in traffic, and bike maintenance classes; volunteer, internship, and leadership opportunities; and options for continuation including deep discounts on the loaned bicycle, the Earn-a-Bike program, a 25% discount voucher at Cycles for Change and/or a renewed loan on the Bike Library bike for winter riding.

Thank you Cycles for Change!

The NetWork is also pioneering similar government contracts called “pay-for-success.” The pay-for-success outcomes are tied to The NetWork’s participants achieving housing stability, acquiring health insurance, making child support payments, and reducing return to prison rates. Learn more about The NetWork’s impact on the community.

One new feature of our transformed business model is a 90-day basic training regimen for all new participants. Training includes safety and equipment use along with workshops to support a change in thinking, behaviors, empowerment training and mental health counseling. We expect men will develop into ready to work workers under this new regimen. They will then have greater success finding and retaining a job, completing traditional job training and enrolling in education programs.

Our new approach also focuses on creating more full-time jobs for our participants at a decent wage while maintaining a fixed number of part-time jobs for the development of ready to work workers. We intend to create more full-time jobs by growing and increasing the profitability of our waste diversion business activities. In January, we hired six participants full-time.

If you are interested in hiring a work crew or want to donate your gently used appliances, household goods, books, and or building materials please contact Tim Hanson at 612-718-6089 or thanson@betterfutures.net.