Programs: Community strategies - massachusetts (csma), a division of community resources for justice, provides comprehensive community based residential, vocational and clinical services in a highly supervised therapeutic environment to dually diagnosed individuals with behavioral challenges. Since its inception in 1993, the program has evolved into a specialized service provider with unique expertise in serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and psychiatric disorders, as well as those with past involvement in the criminal justice system. With an emphasis on positive behavior supports, the goal of csma is to provide these individuals with the opportunity to live happily and comfortably within the community while maintaining a safe, high quality and cost effective program. Csma operates thirty-five homes and thirty shared living arrangements in 28 communities. Presently, the program's primary funding source is the massachusetts department of developmental services. Funding is also provided by the department of mental health, department of children and families and out-of-state agencies. Csma maintains the safety of our individuals and members of the community while teaching individuals the skills they need to function more independently. We are successful when individuals learn necessary social and life skills, have greater opportunities for inclusion in the community, secure meaningful employment and require less external structure. We provide a continuum of supports - ranging from group programs with 24/7 supervision, through shared living with a provider, to case management where the individual lives alone with minimal services. We have been successful in supporting individuals move into situations requiring less support. In the last two years, we have placed a dozen individual from programs into shared living situations, and have supported three other clients who require case management or only intermittent supervision. In the last two years, we have seen a marked increase in the number of individuals who have gotten or maintained jobs and/or who have required less job coaching to be successful. Our individuals increasingly attend community college, formally study for their ged, take vocational classes, and attend religious study classes. Many more of our individuals have developed quality personal relationships with members of the community. This increased community involvement has been accompanied by a high level of demonstrated proactive social skills, community awareness, and safe behavior.
social justice services (sjs) consists of adult correctional programs and a residential program for young adults in the social service system. As with all of crj's programs, sjs services adhere to our treatment culture philosophy, and its guiding principles which apply to staff and clients alike: we welcome change; we listen; we focus on behavior; and we offer choices. Crj's adult correctional programs provide services to men and women who are involved with federal, state, or county correctional system or parole and probation agencies. Our goal is to assist our clients to reenter their communities as productive and contributing citizens. Based on a comprehensive assessment, our programs provide assistance with transitional issues including employment, housing, addictions, family support, counseling and treatment. Working with over 1,000 residents per year, crj's adult programs offer a balance of accountability and service options. The intent is to enable these men and women to break out of the cycle of gangs, crime, and incarceration, and create a new cycle of personal responsibility and positive community engagement. Crj's residential program works with young adults aging out of the supervision of the department of children and families. These are 18 to 22 year old young men who exhibit challenging behaviors due to trauma-based diagnoses, cognitive disabilities, and/or intellectual challenges. They may be eligible for dmh or dds services, but not until they turn 22 years of age. Our program uses a strength-based, person-centered approach, identifying our residents' strengths, and abilities and implements interventions to build on those strengths with an ultimate goal of skill attainment necessary to live a healthy and productive life, and the achievement of their full potential. Our education support and enrichment program works with all sjs programs. For clients, they provide a variety of life skills, educational and creative arts groups and classes. This includes coordinating interns and mentors from local colleges and universities to work with our residents. For staff, they coordinate and facilitate training opportunities: basic training for newly hired staff, core competency and other evidence-based curricula.
the crime & justice institute (cji) at community resources for justice (crj) works with local, state and federal government agencies and criminal justice organizations to improve public safety and the delivery of justice throughout the country. Cji offers innovative approaches, unbiased issue analysis, and a client-centered approach to agencies in the safety and justice sectors. Cji assists organizations achieve better, more cost-effective results for the communities they serve relying on the best research and evidence and data - to define the issue, the approach and communicate the results. We have demonstrated expertise in legislative and policy reform through the doj funded justice reinvestment initiative, implementation and training, as well as standards and accreditation. Cji's team has experience and success developing evidence-based, data-driven policies, managing complex processes with diverse stakeholders, and driving systems-level organizational change in all aspects of the sector from policing, pretrial, sentencing, community and residential corrections and restrictive housing.
