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Drug-Free Workforce Promising Practice
Since 2001, over 100 job seekers with a history
of substance abuse were referred for mandated services from the Davidson County
Drug Court to the Nashville Career Advancement Center. The majority were able to secure employment
through the combination of bother career center resources and personal
networking skills. This collaboration
between the drug court and Nashville Career Advancement Center is successful
because it leverages the strengths of both partners.
-Lisa Pote
Director
of Community Services
Nashville Career Advancement Center
The Nashville Career Advancement Center (NCAC) is the administrative entity for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds in Nashville, Tennessee and three surrounding counties. As a partner in the Middle Tennessee Career Center, NCAC provides a range of services to job seekers, including workshops, career guidance and training. NCAC employer services include job clubs, a skills-matching database for jobs and on-site interviewing of prospective employees. In addition to traditional WIA services, NCAC operates grant-funded activities to serve hard-to-serve job seekers, such a those with a history of substance abuse and those moving from welfare to work.
The Davidson County Drug Court provides residential treatment/counseling for some drug offenders in lieu of a prison term. The program has three phases, the last being a job readiness component during which participants transition to employment. In completing this phase, participants access NCAC services. Once employed, they continue in a residential setting until they move into a halfway house and continue with outpatient treatment and employment.
The Drug Court manages participants treatment plan while NCAC provides access to employment and training resources. The Drug Court reports that most program participants find employment because of the assistance they receive at NCAC.
Want to learn more?
Lisa Pote
Director of Community Services
Nashville Career Advancement Center
c/o Davidson County Career Center
621 Mainstream Drive, No. 210
Nashville, TN 37228
Phone: (615) 862-8890, ext. 277
E-mail: lisa.pote@nashville.gov
Internet: www.careeradvancement.org/davidson/
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