Talbot Hall in Kearny, New Jersey, is a residential reentry center that proudly introduced two new resident seminars that took place this past summer.
The assessment and treatment center accommodates a capacity of 500 male residents referred from the New Jersey Department of Corrections. GEO Care provides a full program of evidence-based reentry treatment services at Talbot Hall through its contract with Education and Health Centers of America (EHCA).
Sheila Leonardo, EHCA’s Director of Talbot Hall, is always on the lookout for ideas that will increase residents’ chances for a successful return to the community. Two new peer-facilitated seminars have recently joined the curriculum of vocational training; Floor Waxing/Buffing and Introduction to Pesticides. Peer-facilitated seminars are taught by residents who are licensed and/or certified in the field they plan to teach or volunteers from outside professional services. These seminars have been very successful at Talbot Hall by introducing residents to career options and providing basic knowledge of a trade. Fifteen residents successfully completed the seminar, receiving a certificate of completion. An added bonus of the seminar is a contact that will help secure employment upon release for individuals willing to work.
The summer seminars proved beneficial, resulting in twenty-five residents at Talbot Hall who will be released with a start in a profession. In addition, a Commercial Driver’s License class is being implemented at the center, as well as an Introduction to Kitchen work class.
