In response to the ongoing challenges of identifying and securing housing and supports for individuals returning to the community after incarceration, Gulf Coast Community Foundation recently provided a $156,000 grant to Community Assisted and Supported Living, Inc. (CASL). In February 2020, Gulf Coast partnered with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) to launch the inaugural Re-entry Navigator Program to positively reintegrate individuals into the community upon their release from the correctional facility. With funding from Gulf Coast, the Sheriff’s Office hired two full-time “re-entry navigators,” who connect inmates to reintegration programs before and after they leave the county correctional facility, helping them avoid returning. Since inception the navigators have connected with 222 inmates in the correction facility and about 40 individuals annually continue to receive support in the community.

The collaboration between Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Sheriff’s Office, and CASL was groundbreaking from the start. “Formerly incarcerated individuals are ten times more likely to fall into homelessness than the general public,” said Mark Pritchett, President|CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “This unique collaboration has given individuals a successful reintroduction to the community with the critical supports they need now and in the future.” Through the $156,000 grant from Gulf Coast Community Foundation, CASL was able to dedicate five beds for this project. CASL case managers worked with individuals to develop plans for success within five days of admission, coordinating food access, transportation services, assistance in applying for benefits, and more. The individuals in the Transitions program have benefited tremendously from the supports.

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