Reimagine Reentry, Inc.
Title: MC4: Community Emergency Response Training – A Curriculum for Building Community Leaders
Student Interns:
McKenna Brunick
University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Graham Emery
University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health
Academic Preceptor:
Thuy Bui, MD
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Julia Donnelly, MPH
Director of Data & Evaluations, Reimagine Reentry
Community Site:
Reimagine Reentry is a Pittsburgh-based program that provides long-term, trauma-informed support to individuals returning from incarceration. For up to three years, participants receive personalized coaching, mentorship, and access to key resources such as housing assistance, workforce development, and family reunification support. The program focuses on reducing recidivism by building an individual’s strengths, helping them set and achieve personal goals, and fostering their community reintegration.
Team’s Experience:
At Reimagine Reentry, the Bridging the Gaps student interns were deeply engaged in developing a Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) program tailored to the unique needs of returning citizens. Their experience included collaborating closely with staff, observing the organization’s strength-informed approach, and gaining direct exposure to the day-to-day realities of individuals reentering society after incarceration. By attending meetings, workshops, and community events, they have built meaningful connections with program participants, gaining insight into their lived experiences, strengths, and challenges. Throughout the process, the interns have prioritized cultural competence, taking time to listen, reflect, and adapt their approach to ensure that the program is inclusive, respectful, and empowering. The interns left the organization with a thorough project proposal for training formally incarcerated individuals in disaster preparedness and community outreach that the organization can pursue grant support for.
Reflections
“This program taught me about the impact that community-centered work has, as well as how effective it can be at creating meaningful change. Coming from the very zoomed-in biology perspective, it was eye-opening to zoom out and explore how health is impacted at the policy and community level. I am grateful I got to gain experience in many aspects of community-centered initiatives, such as the grant writing process, curriculum development, and meetings with community partners. My time at Reimagine Reentry will impact how I navigate social services/the public health field and the impact I have on my surrounding communities.
Incarceration isn’t simply the result of a ‘bad decision’; it reflects a complex web of systemic barriers, personal circumstances, and histories that have been ignored. My time at Reimagine Reentry taught me that a person’s past should never take away from their potential. Everyone deserves a second chance, and I’ve seen what can take place when they are given one.”
McKenna Brunick
“This program has been a powerful foundation for my professional growth, allowing me to apply public health principles in a real-world setting while working directly with returning citizens. Through developing the CERT program and collaborating with community partners, I’ve gained valuable experience in policy-informed program design, trauma-informed care, and culturally competent outreach. It reinforced the critical role that health policy plays in addressing systemic barriers and showed me how community-centered solutions can drive equity, safety, and resilience from the ground up. Reimagine Reentry is not just a program or workshop for training; it’s a family. It was about building trust, restoring dignity, and creating new pathways. It reminded us that when a community invests in second chances, everyone rises. Everyone benefits.”
Graham Emery