Westchester County Department of Correction Hosts Graduation Ceremony
The Westchester County Departments of Correction (WCDOC) held a ceremony at its Valhalla campus to formally recognize nine students who completed the first stage of the newly developed “Lives Forward” program. The innovative program was developed and created by the Department of Community Mental Health (DCMH) as a dual-certification course which may lead to a career path as a Peer for people with lived criminal justice experience, who are working towards recovery from mental health and/or addiction needs. The program was launched at the Westchester County Jail in April 2024.
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins said: “To date, this new model program has been a huge success, and we are hopeful to see it being replicated in other parts of our state and country. Along with helping incarcerated individuals get on a better life path, this unique program also helps fill a shortage of much needed trained para-professionals for mental health and addiction treatment. I commend the group of students in this cohort for completing the first stage of this dual certificate program and look forward to seeing them become certified behavioral health peers. I’m also pleased to see such meaningful collaboration between County departments, with State and local agencies; it’s a complement to their commitment to engineering positive change and to helping others.”
The certifications are overseen through two state agencies, the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) certifying “Peer Specialists” and the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) certifying “Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPAs).” In partnership with Westchester County, the OMH certification training was provided by the Mental Health Empowerment Project (MHEP), based in Mount Vernon, and the OASAS certification training was provided by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence/Westchester, Inc. (NCADD), based in White Plains. Funding for the program comes from Westchester County’s Opioid Response and Overdose Prevention Initiative Committee (ORI).
Department of Correction First Deputy Commissioner Nory Padilla opened the ceremony and offered an overview of this program: “Lives Forward brings together two separate community training providers, and consecutively trains the two certifications to one group of students – individuals living with addiction, mental health and criminal justice backgrounds, during their period of incarceration at the Westchester County Jail.”
The fourth program cohort consisted of one woman and eight men successfully completed six (6) weeks of intensive academic training for this dual certification program with each receiving certificates of completion for the Mental Health Peer Specialist and the Recovery Peer Advocates training courses. As part of their next steps, the students will connect with the Mental Health Empowerment Project and the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence/Westchester Inc. and receive tutoring and other supports to prepare for the state certification examination. Working with DCMH, the community providers will further work to ensure the dually academic trained peers, upon return to the community, are connected with potential employers, anticipating expeditious employment as para-professionals.
Westchester County Commissioner of Correction Joseph Spano said: “A special thanks to our students for volunteering to participate in this initiative and for the tremendous effort they put forward to complete the first stage of training. Both actions highlight their desire to transform your lives, and to support others in need. Also, the continued collaboration and partnerships associated with this program deserves special recognition. It’s these types of partnerships that greatly assist us in offering “Best in Class” rehabilitation programs and services to the men and women in our care.”
Westchester County Commissioner of Community Mental Health Michael Orth said: “It is very fulfilling to see another group of individuals graduate from our Lives Forward program. With a growing need for well-qualified peers, the Lives Forward program is at the forefront of giving hope and opportunity to individuals who in turn can provide support for others in need. Peer support has become an integral part of assisting individuals with similar struggles to find their own paths to recovery. I thank all of our partners who joined us in this endeavor, but most of all I congratulate those who took on the challenging coursework to make a difference for themselves and others in our community.”
At the ceremony, the students received certificates of achievement from the County Executive’s office and many accolades from others in attendance.
Participating student David Small said: “What I love about the Lives Forward program is that it gave me a chance to be an agent of change.”
The Westchester County Department of Correction is considered a national leader in the space, recognized for its robust rehabilitation program system and accreditation certifications through the American Correctional Association, the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare and the Prison Rape Elimination Act.