Programs
The programs provided at Alternative Directions offer a more cost-effective way of holding offenders accountable than jail or prison. In addition, our programs produce more positive outcomes, such as the ability for offenders to maintain employment, pay taxes, support their families, restore their victims, and provide a more self-sustaining lifestyle.
Residential
Alternative Directions Residential Program offers services to offenders who may otherwise be in jail or prison. We provide our residents with structure, guidance, and assistance in developing a more productive and pro-social lifestyle. Residents have the ability to seek and maintain employment, the ability to receive counseling and to continue their education. They have the opportunity to restore their victims by earning and budgeting their money to pay restitution and court costs.
Services provided while in the residential program
Case management- 24-hour supervision
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Community service hours
- Job readiness groups
- Anger management classes
- Structured job seeking
- Referral to counseling, as needed
- GED preparation classes
- Income management
- Health education
- 12-step group
- Bible study
- Alpha men's group
- Fatherhood group
Transitional Housing
Alternative Directions provides a temporary housing option for returning citizens as they reenter their communities following incarceration. Objectives during a transitional housing stay include securing permanent suitable housing and obtaining employment. Because transitional housing is temporary, on-site programming is not generally required, but is encouraged to aid in the reentry process.
Cognitive Behavioral Treatment
Alternative Directions provides Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) to program residents. The goal of CBT is to provide an opportunity to aid the offender in changing their thinking and decision-making processes in order to make more appropriate life choices and avoid future criminal activity. The CBT group provided by Alternative Directions is designed to create a foundation for motivating change in an offender’s problematic behaviors. The group members are presented with basic cognitive behavioral concepts in addition to ways to apply the new set of skills to everyday situations. An individual’s ability to control their thinking and behavior is what determines law-abiding as opposed to criminal behavior.
GED
Alternative Directions educational programming assists offenders in their educational growth. We provide GED classes and practice testing, assistance in obtaining educational records, and tutoring. An assessment will be conducted at enrollment to determine the offender’s readiness to begin GED testing or to determine which areas are in need of additional study (i.e. Mathematical Reasoning, Reasoning through Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies). Alternative Directions staff provides transportation to and from the GED testing site. GED tests are free of charge for program participants who complete programming requirements leading up to testing.
Substance Abuse Testing
Alternative Directions has partnered with Arbor Circle to address substance abuse needs of Federal Probation/Pretrial clients. Arbor Circle provides a wide variety of counseling services, while we provide urinalysis collection and testing.