TRANFORMATION STORIES
Tracy - EPIC
"EPIC helped me deal with the feelings that I’ve had since I was an adolescent...," said Tracy, "I was able to find out who I was and why I did the things I did.”
EPIC
More than 50% of felons who are released from prison for the first time will return to prison within two years. Time in prison is supposed to include a rehabilitative component, but often, people come out of the system feeling a greater sense of alienation. Issues that led to a person’s incarceration have not been addressed or dealt with, the individual has been out of the community and workforce for months or years, and they now carry the stigma of having been in prison, making it even harder for them to find a job. Community re-entry programs like EPIC give people on parole a sense of hope as well as the tools they need to function self-sufficiently in society, and are imperative to reducing the likelihood of repeat offenders.
EPIC is the second largest residential program at the Weingart Center Association, assisting 167 participants at a time. With a referral from a parole officer, the EPIC program is open to males and females who are currently on parole, unemployed, homeless or at-risk, and are willing and motivated to accept employment. Case managers help participants develop short-term goals and a long-term plan. Participants reside in the program for six months to a year and are privy to three months of wrap-around services via community case management once they complete the program.
- Substance Abuse Recovery
- Literacy/Discovery Lab
- Individual Counseling
- Education & Vocational Training
- Personal and Family Relationships
- Medical, Dental, and Mental Health Care
- Legal Aid
- Recreation & Fitness
- Work Therapy
- Financial Planning
- Community Involvement
Basic Necessities
We provide basic necessities — transitional housing, meals, clothing, laundry and toiletries, and even voicemail and mail drop — so our participants can transform their lives and focus on their future goals.
Behavioral Changes
EPIC has a three-pronged wellness approach, which uses a behavioral approach in order to address the biological, physical and psychological factors that contributed to someone’s incarceration. Many of the participants that come to EPIC went to jail because of crimes they committed due to their addictions or because of mental health issues. The EPIC program model deals with the reasons for the addictions and unstable mental health such as past trauma, neglect, or biological factors. Participants have access to a parole outpatient clinic and to the WCA Clinical Services department.
Education
The EPIC program has its own computer-assisted learning lab on-site where participants can increase their literacy, obtain a GED, prepare their resumes and look for work.
Workforce Development
EPIC offers vocational training, job placement assistance, transportation, savings and money management training, and stresses the importance of finding and maintaining employment.
On-Site Savings Plan
Participants are required to save 75% of their income for use when transitioning into permanent housing and living on their own.
Group Sessions
The EPIC program hosts 75 group sessions a week, and participants who are not gainfully employed must attend at least 40 a week. The group sessions are holistic and multi-topic, dealing with anger management, grief and loss, family reunification, meditation, women’s issues/men’s issues, GED preparation, money management, and medication education. Other supportive groups and activities include healing drums, coffee house, spoken word and poetry reading.
Social Activities
EPIC has staged their very own talent competitions such as “EPIC Idol” and “Dancing with the Staff” as well as luaus and sober dances. EPIC also schedules various cultural events throughout the year, including trips to MOCA, Magic Mountain and the Al-Impics.
Graduations and Long Term Support
EPIC holds two graduations a year for participants who complete the program. EPIC also provides three months of long-term support to graduates, helping them ease back into the community.
A Community Re-Entry Program that Works
As the program moniker — Empowering People Illuminating Change — suggests, EPIC strives hard to empower people so they can change their behavior, and change their lives. The comprehensive approach and success of EPIC illustrates the importance of re-entry programs and has made it the model for other re-entry programs throughout the state and nation.
In Partnership
EPIC operates in partnership with the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation (CDCR).
