Description
The Goldring Reentry Initiative (GRI), a program within the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), is a field placement option for Master of Social Work (MSW) students. MSW students, referred to as GRI Caseworkers, work one-on-one with individuals transitioning out of the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) both pre- and post-release to provide therapeutic case management support.
The continuum of care model within which the GRI operates is designed to bridge the service gap between jail and the community in order to support clients in their transition back into society. GRI Caseworkers meet with a caseload of clients weekly for approximately the last three months of a client’s incarceration and their first three months in the community.
While clients are incarcerated, GRI Caseworkers work with clients to develop individualized reentry plans, focusing on client strengths, goals, and needs to successfully transition into the community. Reentry plans address housing, employment, education, mental and physical health, substance use, family reunification, obtaining identification documents, coordination of benefits, and any other goals or obstacles that arise. Once released, GRI Caseworkers and their clients continue to meet each week in the community to work to implement the goals of the reentry plan. At the end of April, the GRI has a large client graduation to celebrate client successes
