BDIPS’s Workforce Development Program Aims to Connect People with Opportunities

In March 2025, Better Days Integrated Programs (BDIPS) launched a Workforce Development Program, dedicated to supporting individuals who are recipients of the supportive living program and clients receiving services from the organization.

The program was birthed out of a need to support people in the community with gaining job experience and completing certifications, according to Chief Operating Officer Shonté Reeves, LCSW. The Workforce Development Program hosts a guard card class in which participants complete online and in-person training to become certified, led by Program Coordinator Jamal Sewell.

“I believe the program benefits participants by giving them a pathway to provide for themselves and their families while building long-term stability and independence. Many people spend most of their time in survival mode, focused only on getting by day-to-day,” Sewell said. “This program gives them an opportunity to gain skills, employment opportunities, and a sense of autonomy so they can begin taking greater control of their lives and future.”

Since the program’s inception, 105 individuals have participated in the guard card program. In his role, Sewell is tasked with managing logistics, participant support, scheduling, and overall program operations.

In addition to the guard card class, the Workforce Development Program has a 12-week internship program that prepares participants for the workforce by hosting trainings on resumes and job interviews. Interns are offered paid opportunities to work within BDIPS across different departments to gain work experience. So far, 13 interns have participated in the internship program.

“For people who have been a part of our Supportive Living Program, or who currently have internships, they're being groomed to be able to take positions,” Reeves explained. Currently, supportive living participants and previous interns are working at a BDIPS gym in Gardena, operated by Bellicose. Their positions have the opportunity to turn into full-time or part-time employment for those participants like 38-year-old Ginger Parks.

After experiencing some of her friends pass away, Parks faced some trouble that led to a conviction. Parks is estranged from her family and found herself alone, but was able to access mental health support at Valley Star Behavioral Health before coming to BDIPS.

“I was in a really bad spot before I got into the program,” Parks said. Parks said one of the case workers at BDIPS spent months working to get Parks into the program, and since participating in the behavioral health program, Parks said she's learned new skills.

“I'm still in the program, but I'm gonna graduate soon,” Parks shared. “[BDIPS] taught me a lot of coping mechanisms, and a lot of things to think about, financially and emotionally. So, I learned a lot of stuff along the way.”

Parks currently works as the receptionist at the BDIPS Gardena gym and picks up other short-term jobs as well. For Parks, working at the gym is a stepping stone until she can find something that aligns with her goals.

For individuals who share similar stories and experiences to Parks, she shared: “Trust the program. I get it, like everybody wants to do their own thing, and nobody wants to follow rules and all that stuff, but it really does help if you just do the process.”

Reeves hopes to see the BDIPS’s Workforce Development Program expand by offering other training and certifications such as nursing. With additional funding, Reeves envisions supporting people with buying interview clothes, introducing more classes, and helping individuals get more work experience.

“If we could find a way to offer more certifications for people, I think that would be great. And then, as far as the internship with BDIPS, I would like to see that grow a bit bigger, too,” Reeves said.

Workforce Development Programs pave a way for individuals to become empowered through education, job training, support services, and employment.

“At BDIPS, we focus on supporting mental health, but I believe true progress also comes from having stability in other areas of life. When people are constantly in survival mode worrying about providing for themselves or their families, it can be difficult to focus on personal growth and mental wellness,” Sewell said. “Workforce development helps bridge that gap by creating opportunities for stability and self-sufficiency.”