To get around challenges presented by the pandemic, the Tuolumne County Day Reporting Center and Jail Reentry Program in Sonora, California recently hosted a “Virtual Open House” to introduce members of Tuolumne County Probation and other community partners to the program’s offerings.
Tuolumne DRC and JRP Program Manager Heather Smith came up with the idea for the virtual event, which was delivered in the form of a PowerPoint presentation and featured a simulated tour of the facility, introductions to programming and staff, and an overview of treatment delivery.
The event was part and parcel of the DRC’s methods for delivering services over the past year, a hybrid remote/in-person formula consisting of approximately 25% in-person visits, onsite drug testing and one-on-one services, while virtual services were held over the phone or through Microsoft Teams.
Brought to all via technology-based platforms, the open house served to inform customers and community organizations about DRC activities and begin establishing a pathway for them to become more involved. Attendees included the Tuolumne County Chief of Probation and Probation Officers, as well as representatives from the Adult Division of Supervision and nearby Columbia College.
“We are committed to partnering with our customers and local organizations to create a safe and productive community by helping participants reenter society with the proper tools to embrace a crime-free lifestyle,” said Ms. Smith, who plans to host another Virtual Open House presentation on May 25 for representatives of Child Support Services.
The Tuolumne County DRC is a non-residential reentry center operated by GEO Reentry Services that provides evidence-based treatment and training designed to change thinking that can lead to criminal behavior. The center also offers referrals to service providers for participants who require services related to domestic violence issues, anger management and parenting skills.
DRC program participants attend one-on-one meetings, classes and groups related to coping skills, substance abuse treatment and Moral Reconation Therapy, while individuals who are in-custody take part in Tuolumne County’s Jail Reentry Program, where they attend one-on-one meetings and receive coping skills and MRT training. Many individuals who begin programming at the JRP eventually progress to the DRC.