Project BELONG
Web site: https://vcurrtc.org/about/features/feature.cfm?id=9
Our Rehabilitation Research and Training Center is collaborating on Project Belong, a campuswide initiative led by Gary Cuddeback, Ph.D., dean of VCU’s School of Social Work, to enhance educational and employment outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system. This project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Karen Akom, Ed.D., director of field operations for RRTC, is a co-investigator on this multi-year, multidisciplinary project. She leads a $330,000 initiative to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities in detention and correctional settings. Project Belong supports the employment needs of 75 high-risk young adults with behavioral health disorders at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center in Richmond, Virginia.