Project RETURN – Changes Support Groups

Project RETURN – Changes Support Groups was added in 2018 to the program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to help reduce recidivism rates in the community. Project RETURN helps people who have been incarcerated to transition and reintegrate into the community. They offer weekly drug and alcohol counseling support groups at their offices and a minimum security prison. The groups are facilitated by a certified substance abuse counselor with over two decades of experience.

You can participate in the program through a referral from the Department of Corrections, or you can refer yourself. Counseling helps reduce the risk of relapse and provides you with the structured assistance to help maintain your sobriety. Changes Support Groups provides a stable and supportive network of peers who are returning to the community after incarceration. Other members of the circle of support include community volunteers and a trained circle keeper. The group provides a structured process for members to grow together and learn from each other.

The goal is to help heal you from trauma that you may have experienced through poverty and crime and from the direct impact that incarceration had on your mental and emotional health. Alongside individual Changes Support Groups, they also offer a Family Circle that meets once a month to help support family members of individuals who have been incarcerated. Within the family support groups, members explore topics that have impacted their lives, including the incarceration of a loved one.

The program opened in 1980 as Cross Lutheran Church attempted to address the challenge of high recidivism in Milwaukee. They are supported financially by several foundations and accept donations from the public in items or funds to help support the programs.

The program is located along the shores of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin’s largest city. Milwaukee boasts attractions like the Art Museum, Harley-Davidson Museum, and one of the world’s largest music festivals – Summerfest.