Damascus is not your typical staffing agency.

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Because of what we know to be true about incarceration, reentry and those swirling about in that ginormous eddy, we created a model that puts people and process first. The results: PROFIT.   (See Mission and Philosophy.)

 

Damascus  employees are part of a community. Our goal: to walk with people from the time they are incarcerated through their transition back into society and into a sustainable life. Examples of how Damascus  does this:

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Reentry Programming

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In partnership with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC), Damascus provides evidence-based programs inside state prisons for both those returning home within a year, as well as those who have more time to learn, refect and seek transformation inside prison.

 

The curriculum covers topics such as:

 

• Society's impression of people with criminal history

• How to navigate the workplace professionally

• Family/work balance

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Chaplaincy

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One-on-one pastoral counseling is available at each step of the reentry process.  Men and women are encouraged to tell their personal stories in order to uncover the patterns and move into the choices they've made for a better life.  Change is hard. Trustworthy and confidential support matters.

 

Transition Bridge

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When men and women leave incarceration for halfway houses or community-based programming, Damascus  follows them to their new location.  In partnership with Talbert House, Volunteers of America, River City Correctional and other facilities in the Cincinnati/Dayton area, we show up, continue the conversation and work in tandem with our transition partners to continue reentry momentum.

 

Intake Partners

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To address the collateral consequences of incarceration, Damascus  works with community partners to provide avenues for restoration.  Our partners assist men and women with regaining their driver's licenses, understanding outstanding court fines, cleaning up their criminal record, obtaining workforce readiness training and addressing child custody issues. This lattice of support allows workers to focus on their jobs, not their loose ends. 

 

Employment Partners

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The learning curve for employers who embrace second-chance hiring can be steep. Damascus  works with employers by providing training for staff, showing up at the worksite to check in with workers and answering any questions employers may have about employees or their collateral concerns.  (See Training Workshops.)  Damascus'  model includes hiring men and women in TEAMS to encourage peer accountability and incentivize our workers to be responsible to something larger than themselves.  We reward employees for work success and celebrate the individual and team successes.

 

Community

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Through and above it all, Damascus  gives back what we've been given: a sense of belonging and membership in something bigger than ourselves.  We celebrate the small and big successes.  We reinvest in workers who make mistakes along the way and, because of that, can provide workers who focus on their job while they are at work, rather than all the other pieces of their life.