CLAIBORNE COUNTY, Tenn. — A Claiborne County project meant to help women recover from substance use disorders and reenter the workforce after prison is getting funding.
Mayor Joe Brooks announced that the Claiborne County Women's Jail to Work Program was one of the 30 projects chosen by the Appalachian Regional Commission to receive support. The county will receive $500,000 to fund the project, as part of the ARC's Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems Initiative.
"The program will help individuals recover from substance use disorders, get the support services and work support training they need to maintain recovery, and successfully enter or reenter the workforce," said Brooks. "The innovative program moves women from jail to recovery to sustainable employment."
The project also invests in the community's mental health center — The McNabb Center. Through the program, women will also have temporary housing while receiving inpatient treatment for substance use disorder, job preparation skills and employment placement services.
The project will also provide medical care and transportation assistance. Brooks said 45 women are expected to participate in it, transitioning from a prison setting into a residential one while receiving treatment.
"I would like to thank ARC for awarding Claiborne County this money to help start this program," said Brooks. "I look forward to working with Helen Ross McNabb who will be operating the facility and for the work done by them to assist in this grant as well as the local partners who have supported this initiative."
