This letter is written not in response to but in addition to Duane Atter’s letter in the August Camden News, “Support Your Community- a little effort goes a long way.”
As the Executive Director of Correctional Transition Services Inc. (CTSI), at Queen and Dowling, I want to express to all our neighbors how fortunate we are to be here providing direct services to help our community and also to say thanks to all you for welcoming our organization into the neighborhood.
CTSI is a nonprofit, comprehensive outpatient chemical dependency program designed specifically to serve people who have or have had extensive contact with the criminal justice system. Our program, known as the ‘Day One’ program serves the need of the whole person due to the widespread damage caused to family, career, physical health, and other affected areas of their lives caused by drug and/or alcohol use and the associated criminal activity.
Our program is founded on accepted research with its primary focus on the two most prevalent crime producing attributes, substance abuse and criminal or anti-social thinking. Our services are delivered by professional people credentialed in their respective fields, from our Anger Management, Family Therapy, Adult Basic Education, Personal Financial Management, Women’s Motivation & Empowerment, to our core programs of Chemical Dependency Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
The need for services to serve this population has never been greater. Our community and the Northside in general is the place where most of the 7,000 state prisoners released each year return to. This is in addition to the untold thousands currently under supervision in Hennepin County.
Duane is right on the mark. Creating and maintaining a sense of community involves active participation and involvement. CTSI recently collaborated with the 3800 Queen Ave Block Club for its annual street sale along with Papa’s Pizza and together provided the community an opportunity to become familiar with each other. The client’s of CTSI served food to neighbors, organized chess and checker matches and most importantly, had the opportunity to be part of the solution. The feedback from our clients was tremendous. They received far more than they gave and felt welcomed and wanted.
For our community to be proactive in addressing the challenges, we can be more effective working together than we can alone. CTSI looks forward to continuing to be an active part of the Victory Neighborhood and welcomes any opportunity where we can be of service.
Paul Kustermann
CTSI, 2308 Dowling Ave. N.