Westside Digital Skills Development

Integrity’s Digital Skills Development class is an entry level course designed to introduce users to basic computer principles. It is a basic course; it requires little to no experience to complete the class. The class provides basic information technology (IT) literacy and ensures one understands the terminology and the functionality of the basic Microsoft Office Suite. Students learn how to access the software and their documents from a desktop, laptop or personal phone. After the initial class session, each student’s next step varies based on the level of computer literacy they have. Students with little to no computer experience focus on the basic skills and then progress to cover some of the more complex functions of Microsoft Word. Students are tested before they begin the program and then tested again at the conclusion of the course. Study capabilities are assessed using the Northstar digital literacy standard. Students continue to work in a specific module until they receive a score of 85 or better. Most employers recognize this score as the level of proficiency needed to effectively participate in today’s office environments.  Once students are proficient at a particular skill level in the Word software, they may pursue a higher level of competency or receive training in another software like Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint or a database program. Janet was a typical program participant who is part of the AARP Senior Program. At age 62, Janet had never touched a computer in her life and didn’t believe she was likely to be successful gaining greater computer literacy. But by the close of her four-week training session she had received the required score of 85 and was recommended for employment. You too can strengthen your computer skills and gain employment. The next session of Integrity’s Digital Literacy training begins on February 17th.

Case Management

Integrity has many people who are vital to its success as a nonprofit. One group, however, assists clients in a more personal way. The Intake and Case Management Specialists have the unique opportunity of being with clients throughout the whole process of their time with Integrity. 

The client begins their journey by registering via Integrity or Westside Works' website. Once they have registered, Recruitment Specialist, Arlene Bowles contacts them and informs them about orientation date. It is mandatory that all clients attend orientation which is an important part of the process.

At the beginning of Orientation day, clients are required to take the Westside Connection which requests demographics and personal information. They also must complete a Career Assessment Test to determine which career path is most suitable for them. 

Clients learn about all of the beneficial programs and services that Integrity and Westside Works offer during Orientation. The Director of Intake Services Rosemerry Redd, explains each item thoroughly, ensuring the clients know about programs that are offered. Integrity's Intake Specialist and Career Advisor, Teshauna Hambrick then administers the Test for Adult Basic Education also known as the TABE test. The TABE is used to assess their abilities and to aid in recommending a program that would suit the clients' needs. When orientation is complete, the clients are assigned to a specific case manager and appointments are booked for each individual. 

Once the clients leave Orientation, the TABE tests are graded and the results are entered into Salesforce. This allows for each client to have a complete profile on file to help ensure their success and reduce attrition rates. The day after Orientation, the individual meetings begin with either Teshauna or fellow Intake Specialist and Career Advisor Judy McDaniel. This meeting is an essential step for the client. The Intake Specialist works with them to determine the correct career path which involves discussing what needs to be done to move forward with their training. "The goal is to help them find a career and not just to get certified. The younger clients especially don't have any idea what they want to do so we have to help them," Teshauna says. It is during this meeting that the client, along with input from the Intake Specialist, decides on what training program they want to enroll in. 

The clients then move on to their respective training programs to pursue the skill set that will help them get a job. The case manager's job is still not finished at this point. They are responsible for following up with clients while they are in the program. "We are really part of the main support system for our clients. Some of them don't have family or friends to guide them through so it's up to us," Judy says. Upon successful completion of the program, the client attends graduation. Most of Integrity's staff tries to attend these ceremonies. "It's exciting to see because a lot of them have never graduated from anything before so it's a big accomplishment for them. It makes you feel good to be a part of it," Teshauna says. Once the client graduates, the case managers do another follow up call to see how they are doing. After graduation, the focus shifts to helping the client to find a job utilizing their newly learned skills as well as providing additional support that they may need. 

The case managers and intake specialists accompany clients on their journey from orientation to graduation and beyond. "The best part of this job is when I can see the change that is made in the client's life. A lot of times they come in broken and I can see the progress they've made as they reach their goals. That makes me feel like I'm doing the right thing," Judy says smiling. Integrity and its case managers are committed to helping the Westside one client at a time. 

Westside Works 4th Anniversary

The celebration of Westside Works' fourth anniversary took place on July 20th. The anniversary coincided with the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Westside Works Building B. Community members, staff, and partner organizations joined together to make the day a success. Jeff Harris of the YMCA was the emcee for the ceremony and introduced Integrity CEO Reverend Beckham to start off the celebration. Reverend Beckham gave some opening remarks regarding the success and partnership of Integrity and Westside Works saying, "We went from a little small area in the kitchen of New Jerusalem Baptist Church and here we are today on what I would call a campus." He then acknowledged each of the partner organizations and their contributions.

There were several other speakers in addition to Reverend Beckham, including Atlanta City Councilmember Ivory Lee Young Jr., Frank Fernandez from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Vine City resident Linda Adams, and English Avenue resident Rosario Hernandez. Each speaker highlighted the importance of Westside Works and the impact it continues to have on the community. Immediately following the speeches was the ribbon cutting ceremony for Westside Works Building B. The new building will house Integrity Transformations' staff, program orientation sessions, case management and registration services. 

Westside Works is a consortium of training partners that help equip Westside residents with hard and soft skills in order to become gainfully employed and begin a fruitful career. Four years ago the Arthur Blank Family Foundation built upon the
19 year recruitment and job placement success of Integrity Transformations Community Development Corporation and created Westside Works, a long-term neighborhood program focused on creating employment opportunities and job training for residents of the Westside community, including Vine City, English Avenue, Castleberry Hill and other contiguous neighborhoods. The goals of the organization are to create building blocks for job success, to remain resident focused, and
provide additional opportunities. The Arthur Blank Family Foundation is the primary sponsor of Westside Works. 

Integrity Transformations Community Development Corporation is the managing partner of Westside Works and provides client recruitment, case management and intake services, and training program referrals. The Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) sponsors a construction ready program; approximately 160 of CEFGA program graduates helped to build the Mercedes Benz stadium. The Center for Working Families, Inc. (TCWFI) provides a Certified Nursing Assistant program and STRIVE job readiness for local residents, Per Scholas sponsors an information technology program, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta's program trains and hires residents to become child development associates, and Levy Restaurants sponsors a culinary program. 

The challenges of many residents who live in 30314 and 30318 include the lack of living-wage employment opportunities, lack of opportunities and services for returning citizens (ex-offenders), low education levels, lack of affordable home
ownership, and lack of skilled workers. Westside Works addresses these issues by offering training and employment opportunities that are responsive to needs of the community. In addition, we provide a batter of assessments to assist us with determining needs and direct placement, offer remediation classes via a literacy program, case management support and wraparound services, programs that are ex-offender friendly, an employment pipeline to high demand industries, and offer home ownership readiness services via partnership. 

In conjunction with Westside Works, Integrity has registered over 7,000 residents and trained over 850 residents for a total of $17 million in wages earned. The 4th anniversary showcased one such resident, Thomas Ford, who went through the NET/BRIDGE program. After completing the soft skills program he decided to enroll in the culinary program through Levy Restaurants. Upon completing the program he became kitchen manager of the new Chick-fil-A on Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard. But that's not all Thomas has accomplished. He now has his own catering business and provided food for those who attended the celebration. Residents like Thomas prove that Integrity is committed to our vision of t...

Recruitment Process

Businessman Andrew Carnegie once said, "You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb." Integrity's work in the Westside involves finding those people who are willing to climb and providing them with the resources to aid them on their journey. This mission begins with recruitment. Most of our clients hear about our services via word of mouth, making hands on recruitment our best tool to attract new clients. Director of Intake Services and Recruitment Rosemerry Redd is the mastermind behind our recruitment strategies and says, "By spreading the word to the communities about the free programs that are available to Atlanta residents, we are able to provide life enhancing services and programs to help the residents become self-sufficient, thereby improving the communities that we serve."

Rosemerry has worked hard to make connections on the Westside with various community organizations. She also has facilitated community partnerships encouraging Westside organizations and government entities to share Integrity's mission with their constituents. In addition to making these types of connections, the recruitment team attends community events to help spread the word about Integrity's programs and services.

Intake Specialist and Career Advisor Judy McDaniel usually attends these events and says, "We set up a table with flyers to advertise what we offer. When the clients approach our table we explain our programs and services and register them on site."

In addition to attending events, Judy and other members of the recruitment team occasionally take to the streets and hand out flyers. Rosemerry has broken down the Westside into specific quadrants and created a strategic plan to hand out flyers repeatedly to the entire Westside. "It's important for case mangers like Judy to make the one-to-one connections with our participants to build respect and trust. By having that connection, the case managers are able to build strong relationships that allow us to successfully identify barriers and provide wrap-around services to meet the needs of the participants, to set realistic and attainable goals, and provide the necessary tools to empower participants to succeed," Rosemerry said.

Integrity is now expanding its reach to assist people throughout all of Metro Atlanta which means making changes to its recruitment strategies. Rosemerry has been hard at work creating a more inclusive and far reaching plan to boost recruitment numbers. Even with this expansion, the end goal remains the same: helping to prepare individuals to enter the workforce with the tools they need to be successful.

Judy loves her job and being able to see the impact she has on the lives of the people she recruits and helps through the program. She says, "We train a lot of families; we don't just train individuals, we train generations. If you can touch generations then you are making a big difference in the community." Integrity hopes to continue to make a difference in the community both on the Westside and throughtou the entire city of Atlanta. 

Resume Writing Class

One of the most important services that we offer at Integrity is our Resume Writing Class. This class is designed to help current and potential clients learn how to craft a resume. The class is held each Tuesday from 9 AM – 12 PM. Intake Specialist and Career Advisor Judy McDaniel supervises the class. Her job is to ensure that clients use a resume template and input all of the relevant information in the correct format, which can be more challenging than it sounds. "You get a variety of people whose computer knowledge level differs. Beginners are nervous or scared so they need more help," Judy explains. Those who attend the class use Integrity's laptops to either create a resume from scratch or to update their resume. "A lot of our clients don't have resumes," Judy says, which makes the class an integral part of Integrity. Those who utilize the opportunity walk away with a resume that is properly formatted and that showcases their skills and experience in the best possible way. "It gives them a sense of pride to have it completed," Judy says. The Resume Writing Class is just another way that Integrity helps our clients to prepare for a job.