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Homeless Charity Offers Hope and Change
Homeless Charity Offers Hope and Change
Motivated by Mathew 25:35
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
Good Shepherd Alliance (GSA) Case Managers (CMs) Jayda Roberts and Angela Frye assist individuals and families in moving toward self-sufficiency. Through one-on-one case management services, CMs introduce guests to GSA’s Six Steps Self-Sufficiency Model, assess the guest’s options, and then plan the quickest route to success. By engaging guests in the Model from the point of intake, they maximize their access, utilization and willingness to accept the proposed program and related case management services.
The goal of the Six-Step program is to work intimately with those challenged with what may be the most difficult burden of their lives and provide them a step by step approach to ending their crisis and finding a way to again be a stable, self-sufficient family or individual with permanent housing. GSA does this while providing temporary or transitional housing in one of the three shelters; one emergency shelter for women and children, one emergency shelter for families, and one transitional home for single, homeless, pregnant women.
The Good Shepherd Alliance’s Six Steps to Self-Sufficiency Program recognizes that some needs must be met before others can even be addressed. Physical, emotional and intellectual needs as well as medical concerns, mental illness or substance abuse, must be dealt with before any person can reach their full potential. In fact, not dealing with them makes success for attaining the next steps almost impossible.
GSA Case Manager Jayda Roberts
When GSA first began receiving homeless over 26 years ago, meeting their basic emergency needs was about all they could do for them. However, with so much support from our community, the GSA has now grown to such an extent that they are able to provide guests with much more than just shelter, food, and clothing. Every person or family served by GSA has access to the following services: crisis intervention referrals, spiritual guidance, financial responsibility classes, life-skills & parenting education, work-training referrals and case management & counseling. The broad array of services and support GSA offers all aim to achieve one common goal: sustained self-sufficiency. The GSA strategy for guaranteeing this is dual: (1) transition guests back into the mainstream workforce/classroom, while simultaneously (2) making the most of the time they spend in the shelter by training, counseling, and otherwise preparing them for independence in order to drastically reduce their chance of relapse into a previous undesirable type of behavior.
Intensive Case Management Tasks:
· Homelessness documented and verified
· Thorough guest assessment
· Detailed service plan developed
· Weekly documented face to face meetings to review service plan
· Advocacy and referrals to required services
· Group training and education sessions
· Case files maintained with frequent and consistent notes on guest progress, agencies referred and guest budgets
· Formally trained case workers receive on-going, documented training on issues relevant to the local homeless population.
GSA Case Manager Angie Frye
Many people recognize a parallel between GSA’s Six Steps to Self-Sufficiency Model and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Indeed, in countless sessions scheduled to discuss the hurdles on the path to self-sufficiency, the CMs noted that some needs must be met before others can even be addressed. Maslow recognized that physical, emotional, and intellectual needs must be met before any person can reach their full potential. Similarly, GSA recognizes that such problems as medical and mental disabilities and substance abuse problems—affecting approximately one third of GSA guests-must be treated before a guest can be expected to live independently. Thus the six needs identified and addressed by the GSA Model are as follows:
(1) Emergency Needs. Case Managers introduce the Six Step to Self-Sufficiency program and work with guests to determine at what step they are entering our program. They are assigned to a shelter and rules and requirements are explained. Many assessments are done including medical, transportation needs, counseling, and human needs such as clothing and other basic necessities. Scheduled weekly case management meetings are also set.
(2) Personal Development & Education. The entire plan of action is built around how the guest can end their homelessness. Under the guidance of their case manager, guests answer this question by drawing up an individualized, task-oriented plan for securing income and re-integrating into the community. The plan addresses potential barriers to progress and sets measurable objectives, including realistic budgetary goals. Personal development includes parenting, hygiene, nutrition, budgeting and other basic practical life skills.
(3) Job Training & Placement. Participant’s job skills are evaluated and areas of expertise or preference are noted. Guests are counseled on interview presence and job retention and set weekly goals for job searches. Once they have successfully attained employment, guests begin putting money in an “escrow” account so they have savings when they reach the end of the program. This savings will help with the first month’s rent and other needs as they move on to self-sufficiency.
(4) Housing Assistance. With employment secured, the focus moves to preparing to exit the shelter. Activities include job advancement, following up on housing applications, and significant development of familiarity with and referrals to agencies that will remain relevant to the individual/family even after housing has been secured.
(5) Securing Housing. Most guests exit the shelter at this stage, yet there is still work to be done. Once immediate, affordable housing is secured, a guest must still secure transportation, banking services, childcare, further advance employment if possible, and tabulate escrow amounts with GSA.
(6) Self-Sufficiency. At this stage the guests are living in transitional or permanent housing. They have proven their budgeting skills, hold a stable job, and are making regular housing payments. Many guests who reach this stage continue to shop at the thrift store, where they can purchase subsidized clothing, furniture, household appliances, and kitchenware, and thus begin giving back to the organization that first enabled them to succeed.
GSA Homeless Statistician Janet Kelley
Throughout this process, GSA enforces policies that safeguard against long-term dependence and encourage guests to become self-sufficient as quickly as possible. All shelter residents are fully aware that GSA provides short-term shelter for a maximum of 89 days. The shelters enforce house rules, including a 10 PM curfew and a prohibition of all alcohol, drugs, and weapons. Parents are responsible for cooking for their own families, for cleaning their family’s private space, and for finding and financing childcare for their children during work hours. Children are required to maintain self-control, clean up after themselves, and show courtesy to others; they and their parents are held responsible for their behavior. These policies may seem strict or burdensome to people already living independently, but in GSA's many years of experience they have learned that they not only are necessary for us to maintain order, but that they also encourage action and promote self-awareness, personal responsibility, and fundamental change in our guests. At every stage of the process, the guests are ever-aware that the walls of GSA are not the boundaries of the homeless person’s environment.
Every single service we provide is in some way supported by the Northern Virginia community. Several of the shelter buildings themselves are on long-term loan to GSA. The food pantries are stocked by individuals, families, and community groups and local restaurant donations. The GSA uses a network of community volunteers to assist us in maintaining our facilities and work with homeless men, women and children. The organization has called on local painters, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, roofers, vehicle mechanics and landscapers to restore living spaces, vehicles and outdoor areas. Software engineers and technicians have helped to establish computer workstations at our facilities. Physicians, dentists, nurses, lawyers, and counselors support the residents living in crisis situations. Local corporations provide adult-education teachers for classes in financial responsibility and similar practical subjects. Many Church congregations and high school students’ volunteer and supply much needed support as tutors for children at the shelters and sorting and hanging of clothing and replenishing items on the shelves at our thrift stores located at the Regal Center in Sterling and in Ashburn. GSA partners with ECHO and uses many of their employees to help in our store providing them the opportunity to learn a new skill and support those living in need.
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God" (1 John 3:1).
"We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
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