Pictured left to right: GJP's Social Services Director Atoyia Johnson; GJP Social Workers Rachel Gamblin, Ellen Goldwasser and Zandria Redding.
When Georgia Justice Project (GJP) opened its doors in 1986, we quickly realized that we needed to combine legal services with social services to provide the support that people need after an arrest or incarceration to stop the revolving door of crime and poverty. Thus began GJP's unique partnership of attorneys and social workers.
Our work has expanded since then, but that idea of addressing the underlying factors of an arrest is still at the core of what we do. GJP’s holistic model focuses on the whole person, not just the case – when we take on a client, we develop a relationship with, and craft an individual success plan for, that person. The main goal of our social work team is to help our clients forge a path forward and stay focused on their goals, staying with our clients for years if necessary.
For National Social Work Month, we are celebrating the critical work our social workers do every day. Check out the below interview with GJP Social Worker & Reentry Employment Specialist, Zandria Redding, for a look into how our social workers set up our clients for success.