The Hechinger Report – LaShondra Jones went through years of mental illness and alcohol addiction, and in her late 40s she was living in a women’s shelter in New York.

Finally stable and sober, she needed work – any type of work – for which her history wouldn’t count against her. Read more at The Hechinger Report.

[Appearing in the photo: from left to right, Ken Iwama – Former VP, Economic Development, Continuing Studies & Gov’t Relations, Current Chancellor of Indiana University Northwest; Jasmine Cardona, Executive Director, Economic Development, Continuing Studies, and Gov’t Relations; Michael E. McMahon, District Attorney for Richmond County; Raymond Jordan, CRPA 2018 Graduate (featured in the article as a graduate of our inaugural training program); William H. Myhre, Former Senior Director of Workforce Transformation/HR, Staten Island Performing Provider System, currently Director of Human Resources, Eden II; Robert Kent, Former General Counsel, OASAS, Current General Counsel at White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; Joseph Conte, Executive Director, Staten Island Performing Provider System.]

By Alina Tugend