ABOUT US

Founded in 2016 by Kevin Fawcett to help serve the growing homeless population in Minnesota’s Southern St. Louis County

New Opportunities program provide long-term supportive housing solutions. New Opportunities Program slowly grew to include five different physical sites with up to twenty-four clients housed.

New Opportunities targets clients with co-occurring disorders who may have criminal histories.  Since its inception, New Opportunities has served fifty-eight people with twenty-one currently housed.   These clients often experience high barriers and are considered “hard to serve.”  This clientele often falls through the cracks resulting in increased involvement with the criminal justice system and/or substance abuse programs.  A best practice approach with this clientele is often overlooked or not implemented.  

New Opportunities uses a harm reduction, best practices approach which separates the criminal elements from responsivity factors such mental illness, trauma and other barriers. 

Clientele are screened using risk assessments such as the VI-SPDAT, which looks at vulnerabilities and the Level Service Crisis Management inventory (LSCMI), which looks at criminality.  Assessments are used to help build an individual case plan targeting both criminal tendencies and non-criminogenic needs.  Non-criminogenic needs often include mental health, trauma, individual therapy, diagnostic assessments and ARHMS.  Exclusionary criteria is used to protect the vulnerabilities of all clients and assist with proper placement of clients.  

Supportive services provided include, but not limited to, roommate conflicts, medication compliance, personal health and diet, transportation and community appointments to include probation, individual and group therapy.  Individual case plans are developed with each client, detailing individual goals and needs.  Each client is rewarded monthly for follow through with individual goals.  

Corrective measures are built into the program structure with the use of minor and major rule violations for those who fail to comply with program rules and expectations. 

Major and minor rules sanctions are imposed for breach of rules.  Those who fail to correct their behaviors face termination from the program.  In addition to the corrective measures, clients are offered treatment direction and support for the areas of struggle.  Examples of this include requests for a Diagnostic assessment or ARHMS services.

Kevin Fawcett has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Leadership. He has over thirty year’s experience in the corrections and mental health field to include program development, fund development, program management and re-entry. 

Mr. Fawcett is trained as a program evaluator using the Correctional Program Checklist (CPC), which is an evidenced based tool that assists programs to comply with national standards proven to reduce recidivism with a criminal population. 

In addition, Mr. Fawcett is a certified trainer in Motivational Interviewing, Core Corrections Practices, Carey Guides, Cultural Diversity, Life Space Crisis Intervention and Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI)

New Opportunities has a case manager that is responsible for case management duties to include screening, orientation, and case planning. 

New Opportunities Case Manager, Kayla Fawcett, has over two years experience. Ms. Fawcett’s duties include intake, case planning, support, assisting with problem solving, medication management, and assistance with transportation. 

Ms. Fawcett has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, and over 40 hours of training and shadowing with Kevin Fawcett.