Turning Experiences Into a Resume Builder

A free North County "Peer Support in Action Educational Summit and Resource Fair" highlighted various opportunities for justice-involved men and women to find support to pursue higher education at San Diego colleges.

The County's Public Safety Office, as a part of the Alternatives to Incarceration initiative, invited people within the justice system to the Oct. 28 summit at the North Inland Live Well Center in Escondido.

"We know there is a shortage of peers working in the behavioral health system and this event highlighted the opportunity for these folks to turn their lived experience into a meaningful career path through training and educational pathways," said one of the organizers, Marissa Rivera, Public Safety Executive Office.

The summit featured presentations from San Diego Workforce Partnership on peer support job opportunities in the San Diego market and panel discussions with peers who have transformed their lived experience into a career working in healthcare, treatment programs, and reentry services.

College representatives from Palomar College, Cal State San Marcos, MiraCosta College and Miramar College also gave presentations about how they support justice-involved students through a variety of educational pathways and programs.

The Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement provided attendees information on the hiring process and their rights under California's Fair Chance Act.

An Oceanside small grassroots organization, Lived Experiences, provided the keynote speech and a lowrider bike that was given away in an opportunity drawing.

As part of the event's resource fair, attendees had the opportunity to network and connect with community resource organizations.

All those who attended received transit passes, a catered lunch, pastries baked by the San Diego County Sheriff's Office Fresh Start Bakery Program, and Feeding San Diego provided 125 grocery bags filled with 16 pounds of food for each participant to take home.

The County's Department of Child Support Services, Emergency Medical Services, San Diego County Library, Probation Department, Human Resources, the Office of Equity and Racial Justice, and Health and Human Services Agency Behavioral Health Services, Self Sufficiency Services and Health Services participated with resource tables.