Connecting With Vital Resources After Incarceration

Connecting With Vital Resources After Incarceration

02/28/2024

At Fortune, our Benefits Access program helps participants determine if they can receive public benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Insurance. The program connects participants with advice to help them with issues such as child support, evictions, accessing criminal records and other vital information for our participants when returning home. 

When Michael first became a Fortune participant in 2018, he was referred to the Benefits Access program during his intake process. In particular, he wanted to obtain SNAP benefits and insurance coverage but didn’t know where to start.   

Michael approached the benefits team with questions regarding his eligibility, how to prepare for his eligibility interview and how utilizing public benefits might impact the jobs he could have. When he tried to look for answers online, he was unsure how to navigate the information he found. Michael felt overwhelmed, but luckily, the benefits team answered all his questions and provided up-to-date and easy-to-understand information.    

“I needed a better understanding of what exactly the benefits were and how I could utilize them,” Michael explained. “They helped me with everything I needed. It was something I expected to be a hectic and stressful process, but it ended up being very easy.”

The benefits team helped Michael fill out an application to receive Medicaid insurance. He didn’t know that doctors’ offices may not accept some insurance plans or that coverage can change yearly. Once he submitted his application, they updated Michael on any status changes in his application and talked him through how to utilize his insurance once he was approved.  

Now that Michael is covered by Medicaid, he can easily schedule appointments for physical exams often required by employers. Coupled with his experience in Fortune’s Job Readiness Training program, Michael feels much more prepared and confident as he navigates the workforce and continues to shape his career. He shared that he would not have found the same success during reentry without the Benefits Access program. 

“The whole Benefits Access office – they are the foundation of Fortune. Without them, things would have been so much harder for me, so I am very grateful to have had their help.” 

For individuals released from prison, the reentry process can pose many obstacles. Michael is grateful to have found support from the Benefits Access program to ease his stress and help smooth the transition into his community.   

“For the population that I am a part of, it’s rare to have a place you can come to, and people understand what you are going through. You may be shy to talk to people who don’t understand your experience and what you have been through. Here at Fortune, everyone has some level of effect from the justice system. I love coming here because of that.”

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