Mission

Staffed primarily by former prisoners, The Fortune Society is a not-for-profit community-based organization offering a broad range of services to help ex-prisoners and at-risk youth break the cycle of crime and incarceration. Peer to Peer develops peer leaders who model successful recovery and provide support for peers at early stages of the recovery process who are reentering the community from a correctional facility.

Peer Support

Peer leaders provide ongoing support consisting of companionship, listening to emotional problems, giving advice on social networking and lifestyle changes, and providing information in one-on-one and group formats.

Instrumental Support

Help in completing applications for employment and/or housing is available from the peer leaders. Other peer services include escorting clients when they leave the building for therapy or doctors’ appointments, helping them apply for Medicaid or public assistance, providing assistance with reading documents received in the mail, navigating public transportation, and alleviating stress.

Curriculum Development

A peer leader training curriculum has been completed. It consists of eight modules: orientation and overview; social skills and conflict resolution; conflict resolution skills and active listening; training; cognitive distortions; decision making and problem solving I and II; and losses in addiction.

Leadership Development

Two groups of peers have completed the 12-week training for peer leaders and The Fortune Society’s human resources orientation. In addition, they received group facilitation training from Fortune’s clinical supervisor, and were briefed on processes for establishing and maintaining boundaries when working with peers.