New Funding will Expand and Enhance Services and Employment Opportunities

Phoenix Programs, Inc. has received new funding to create new jobs in Columbia. The organization was recently awarded $200,000 from the Missouri Department of Corrections (DOC).

The funds will establish a new program, In2Action, that will provide incentives to employers who hire ex-offenders including: bonding, tax credits, and partial reimbursement for wages paid. A continuing program, the REENTRY Project, provides transportation, skills training, and support for transitioning offenders. The programs will serve 234 people annually.

“Phoenix Programs utilizes evidence-based treatment approaches in order to enhance the success of participants,” said James Kimbro, Phoenix Programs Clinical Director. “Through our treatment approach emphasis is placed on establishing an individual within a community of peers, and also connecting individuals to a community at large.”

The agency will also be creating three new positions in their detox unit. Supported in part by tax credits recently made available by the Missouri Housing Development Commission, the new positions will help Phoenix Programs extend their detoxification services to women–a service previously unavailable in our community. AHAP tax credits will be available for
eligible donors until April 30, 2010.