Occupational Mentor Certification Program
The Occupational Mentor Certification Program (OMCP) is a voluntary program for incarcerated persons with 3 or more years left to serve (including long-term and life-term incarcerated persons). The OMCP provides participants with accelerated Integrated Substance Use Disorder (ISUD) programming, training, education and practicum needed to become Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Counselors. Upon graduating from the OMCP, these OMCP mentors are assigned and paid as co-facilitators in DRP’s Cognitive Behavioral Interventions (CBI) programs throughout all adult institutions. OMCP mentors provide guidance and peer-to-peer support to incarcerated persons assigned to a CBI program.
At the completion of training and required internship hours, OMCP mentors can earn milestone credit, educational merit credit, and obtain an AOD Certification from a certifying organization recognized by the Department of Health Care Services. Additionally, after OMCP mentors obtain their certification, they will continue obtaining support to continue their development.
This certification and experience can be used to obtain employment upon release, thereby facilitating the incarcerated person’s successful transition into the community.
Locations
- California Correctional Institution (CCI)
- California Men’s Colony (CMC)
- California State Prison, Corcoran (COR)
- California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC)
- California State Prison, Solano (SOL)
- Central California Women’s Facility (CCWF)
- Valley State Prison (VSP)
Program Length
OMCP varies in length. Each incarcerated person candidate must complete approximately one year of education in Substance Use Disorder Programming, pass a California State recognized AOD exam, and participate in supervised internship hours to obtain AOD certification.
Eligibility/Enrollment
In order to be eligible, incarcerated persons must meet the following criteria:
- More than 3 years left to serve on your sentence (Lifers, LWOPs, Condemned are eligible)
- Sustained 2 years of incarceration
- No pending or adjudicated-guilty serious Rules Violation Reports (RVR) in the last 2 years (Div C, D, E, or F)
- No Pending A1, A2, or B Offenses
- No adjudicated-guilty serious RVRs in the last 3 years (Div A1, A2, or B)
- Case-by-case review for serious RVRs adjudicated-guilty in the last 3-5 years (Div A1, A2, or B)
- Case-by-case review for administrative RVRs adjudicated-guilty in the last 2 years
- No Segregated Housing Unit (SHU)/Restricted Housing Unit (RHU) terms (Projected or Audited and Approved) in the last 3 years from date of Minimum Eligible Release Date (MERD)/Maximum Release Date (MRD) or date Institutional Classification Committee (ICC) suspends the MERD/MRD.
- Case-by-case review for SHU/RHU terms (Projected or Audited and Approved) in the last 3 to 5 years from date of MERD/MRD or date ICC suspends the MERD/MRD.
- High School Diploma or General Education Development Completion
To apply to the OMCP, incarcerated persons must complete and submit an application packet to their institution Correctional Counselor (CC) I or DRP CC III and participate in an interview process.