PROJECT NEW START
SUPPORTING PEERS WITH BARRIERS TO REENTRYThis job placement program offers mental health and legal services for individuals who have experienced incarceration.
Current Programs
Our team works together to develop an individualized plan that meets the needs of each participant in overcoming barriers to employment.
Peer Work
State-certified peer training in using lived experience and expertise to help others.
Industrial Arts
Studio-based that explores and expands marketable creative talents.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Develop skills in using social media to tell stories and engage followers.
Training Options
INDUSTRIAL ARTS
Studio-based that explores and expands marketable creative talents.
Participants can expect to learn and practice the following skills: use and maintenance of various materials and equipment, problem solving skills, attention to detail, critical thinking skills, hand-eye coordination, quality control, and safety training.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Develop skills in using social media to tell stories and engage followers.
Participants can expect to learn and practice the following skills: web writing skills (blog posting), search engine optimization, platform understanding and usage, and social media etiquette.
PEER WORK
State-certified peer training in using lived experience and expertise to help others.
Participants can expect to learn and practice the following skills: peer knowledge (what it is to be a peer), leadership skills for support and art groups, preparation for the use of one’s own story, confidentiality and its uses, the basics of advocacy, active listening and use of self, and goal setting.
Why participate in Project New Start ?
Gain the opportunity to build the skills and acquire the resources needed to obtain and enter entry-level jobs.
Every participant will receive support from a peer, occupational therapist, social worker, and an attorney.
Who is eligible to participate?
To be eligible for this program, you need to have at least one day of incarceration history. Project New Start is funded by the California Community Reinvestment Grant (CalCRG) which aims to provide relief and support to communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs.
 Criteria:
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Adults (18+)
Lived experience of mental illness
Have a justice-involved background or prior incarcerationÂ
- Individualized support from a Peer Specialist, a Social Worker, and an Occupational Therapist
- Legal Aid Assistance
- Work Readiness Workshops
- Skills Training in Industrial Arts, Technology and Social Media, and Peer Leadership and Counseling
- Support in Job Placement
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will the tracks be group-based or 1:1 trainings?
Each track is group-based. Participants will be placed into the different trainings with about 3-5 participants in each track.
What types of accommodations will be made for participants who can’t get to the community center that easily? Or for those who don’t have access to Zoom/wifi?
During the initial intake session, we will take note of the different needs that potential participants may have and determine if Painted Brain will be able to accommodate those needs and provide the necessary resources.
Will the tracks be group-based or 1:1 trainings?
Within Project New Start, there are 6 cohorts of 12-week training programs with 12 participants each. Sessions are approximately 90 hours each and they will take place twice a week– adding up to 24 90-minute sessions per cohort.
What does the referral and intake process look like?
Upon referral to the program, each client will meet directly with a social worker.
CRG 2020 from Painted Brain on Vimeo.
