The Academy of HOPE Offers Healing Opportunities and Personal Enrichment
The Academy of H.O.P.E (Healing Opportunities and Personal Enrichment) provides a supportive environment for individuals recently released from long-term incarceration. Our residents, who have earned state certification as counselors through Options Recovery Services’ in-prison programs, are given the resources they need to successfully reintegrate into society. The Academy offers stable housing and essential services to help ease their transition.
Services Provided by the Academy of HOPE
The essential services delivered by the Academy include:
- Comprehensive training in emotional and behavioral management, including strategies for managing stress, anger, conflict resolution, and relapse prevention.
- Assistance to residents who have essential needs such as housing, food, clothing, hygiene, and transportation passes for public transit (BART and buses).
- Support for the transition to independent living upon graduation from the Academy, ensuring that residents are equipped for sustained success in their reintegration into the community.
Valuable Partnerships Enhance Success
Options Recovery Services partners with these organizations to provide training and referrals for at-risk youth:
- The Department of Violence Prevention (OAK)
- EKG Trainings with Heart Healing Centered Coaching
- Above Adequate Life Coaching
- My Story Matters
- Alameda County Probation
The Life Skills Taught Multiply the Odds
Our programs cover life skills, including…
- Digital literacy
- Job readiness
- Financial literacy
- Housing system knowledge
- Healthcare
More Touchstones Through the YO! Program
The Y.O! (Youth with Options) program pairs our residents, who serve as mentors, with at-risk youth to provide support through evidence-based curricula, including…
- Motivational Interviewing
- Conflict Resolution
- Life Skills
- Gang Prevention
We collaborate with community organizations to serve youth at Oakland Tech High School, Emiliano Zapata Street Academy, and Berkeley High School.
Graduates of YO! may also earn paid on-the-job training, continuing the “lived experience” model that helps break cycles of violence, recidivism, and substance abuse. This approach equips youth with the skills to navigate legal challenges, education, and peer relationships while giving back to future participants in the program.
The Other Services Available at Options Recovery
The Academy of HOPE is only one way that we’re working to help people break free from substance use disorder in the Bay Area. We also provide: