A Circle of Support Ensures Housing Stability

Circles of Support
Compassion Coalition of Knoxville

Social workers and those who serve in similar lines of work acknowledge the critical role supportive relationships play in an individual’s success. For the recently re-housed, the social networks established while homeless often do not provide adequate support for the transition into housing stability and self-sufficiency.

Circles of Support, a mentoring program operated by Compassion Coalition in Knoxville, Tennessee, creates these supportive relationships through team-based mentorship. This program targets “Neighbors”, chronically homeless individuals who have just become housed. In 2011, 20 neighbors were each partnered with a team of 4 – 5 volunteers from the faith community. Although the volunteer Mentors often come from local congregations, Neighbors and Mentors need not be affiliated with any particular faith to participate, and the program is not a vehicle for proselytizing.

Here is how it works:

• Compassion Coalition partners with local homeless services programs and with the faith community.

• Neighbors are recruited through their case managers; Mentor teams are recruited through local congregations.

• Both Neighbors and Mentor Teams participate in trainings; topics include setting boundaries, listening, confidentiality and relationship building.

• Neighbors and Mentors create a Mentor Plan that complements the Neighbors’ case management plan (for example: if a Neighbor has a goal to learn how to care for their new home, the Mentors can encourage him or her to keep it clean, learn to cook, find inexpensive decorations, etc. Mentors need not be professionals.

• Commitment: Neighbors and Mentors agree to participate in the program for a minimum of 12 months; two mentors each week visit with their neighbor for about 1 hour; during this time they build relationships and work on the Mentor Plan.

• A typical meeting between two Mentors and the Neighbor might involve playing a game, going to the grocery store, learning a new skill, taking a drive, sharing a meal together, etc.

The results of this program include the formation of healthy community relationships and increased likelihood of ending chronic homelessness. It also helps members of the faith community serve in a meaningful way, turning the focus away from “transactional” help that manages homelessness, such as serving in a soup kitchen, to long-term solutions aimed at ending a person’s homelessness.

To learn more about Circles of Support, visit http://compassioncoalition.org/home/circles-of-support/ or email jessica@compassioncoalition.org

Speak Up for Innovation Among Nonprofits

Protip Biswas, Vice President of the Regional Coalition on Homelessness in Atlanta, Georgia, pushes funders to support innovative approaches to serving the homeless population. Read his thoughts, recently posted to the Funders Together blog:

http://funderstogether.org/blog/view/speak-up-for-innovation-among-nonprofits

VETSPACE: Helping Homeless Veterans in Florida

Human service agencies must be ready to provide a helping hand to service men and women as they transition back into their lives as civilians. To continue our discussion on homelessness among military veterans, we’d like to highlight VETSPACE, an agency that helps homeless veterans in the Gainesville, Florida, area achieve and maintain housing and financial stability. VETSPACE works specifically with homeless veterans who have a history of substance abuse, mental illness, or both. VETSPACE works with other area agencies to ensure clients get the highest quality services available.
How do they accomplish this? By providing services that include:

• transitional supportive housing for up to 30 veterans


• two group homes for men ages 18 and up


• scattered site two bedroom apartments for single female veterans or veterans with small families
  supportive services, including
  o case management,
  o counseling,
  o skills training and
  o follow up services for those that graduate from programs.
  · nutritionally balanced food
  · funding sources include HUD, the VA, and Disabled American Veterans (DAV)


• VETSPACE also meets the short-term needs of homeless veterans by providing assistance with purchasing employment-related supplies and money for apartment rental and utility start-up fees.

More information on VETSPACE is available at http://www.vetspace.org/

One client shares how VETSPACE helped him overcome alcoholism and homelessness:
“Most of my life I have struggled with alcoholism. As obvious a problem as it was to others, I was unable to see it as a problem myself. I would view myself as a victim of unfortunate circumstances which led even more trouble. I would temporarily stay with friends and family, all the while burning bridges and finding myself more frequently than not spending the night in detox centers, homeless shelters and eventually sleeping in the woods and next to dumpsters.
In 2007 I was accepted by VETSPACE which provided a sober living environment for me and other veterans with similar issues. Without VETSPACE, my life would not be what it is today. I have built a strong tie with Gainesville’s Alcoholics Anonymous community, am employed full time as a Service Manager, and am going to college part-time. Most importantly, I am a very active father to my daughter. Every day is not a great day, but through Gods’ gift of coming to Gainesville, the V.A., VETSPACE and A.A. I am no longer lost or homeless.”

Helping homeless veterans in North Carolina: TROSA

The numbers are staggering. America’s veterans are suffering from substance abuse, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental illnesses at record numbers. Every night, by the tens of thousands, they go homeless.

TROSA is a two year residential substance abuse treatment program. Serving adult men and women (at no charge to the individual receiving treatment), TROSA offers comprehensive services such as counseling, leadership and vocational training, educational services, and basic human services such as housing, food, clothing, and access to primary medical care. Close to thirty percent of the 350 men and women now at TROSA were homeless before they entered our program. Many are military veterans.

Mike and Herman are two veterans who came to TROSA for treatment. Mike is a well-spoken, intelligent and 40 years old. Seeing him today in his trademark khakis and blue blazer, it’s hard to imagine the life he led before he went through TROSA’s two year recovery program. He served in Saudi Arabia—and like many thought that joining the army would “straighten me out.” It didn’t. He left the army as addicted as when he enlisted. Mike’s life was a series of arrests, erratic home situations, prison stays, and failed attempts at rehabilitation. By the time he came to TROSA, he was addicted to cocaine and heroin and he knew, “this was the last chance.” Two years after walking through the front gates, he is our education coordinator arranging for other TROSA residents to get their GEDs, learn computer skills, or take a college class. “I feel different, not because of all the bad things I’m not doing but because of all the good things I do.”

Like Mike, Herman is doing a lot of good things. He’s TROSA’s Veterans Affairs liaison, and helps TROSA resident’s access veteran services during and after their time here. Herman’s deeply tanned complexion is a remnant of the 20 plus years of service he gave the Navy—stationed mainly in Florida. But besides the tan, after a lifetime of naval service, he retired with a crippling alcohol addiction. “I’m a rule follower. There weren’t rules about alcohol in the military.” Despite having had a father who died of alcoholism, alcohol ultimately cost Herman everything. “I lost everything—my savings, my home, my relationship —I was living in my truck in a Wal-Mart parking lot.”

TROSA is currently building two new 75 bed dormitories on its main campus (construction is overseen by William, a TROSA graduate and military veteran himself!). These single-sex dormitories will allow TROSA to serve even more people, including veterans.

To view a video for more information - click here: http://vimeo.com/25373044
For more about TROSA - click here: http://www.trosainc.org/

What are you doing for homeless veterans? Share some practices on google chat or comment below here!

Featured in MNN - Does everyone need a bathroom?

For me, running is a major outlet for my emotions, my fears, my anger and my excitement. It’s a time when I turn on my favorite music and simply run until I can’t run anymore. Luckily, I get to run about four or five times a week.

Although I don’t have one consistent route, I stick mostly to my neighborhood, Piedmont Park or downtown Atlanta. I enjoy the serene and refreshing feelings I get whilst running but I can’t neglect several of the social issues I see, or worse, smell! One of the most challenging aspects of my run through downtown Atlanta is the stench of urine.

Homeless individuals utilize whatever they can to excrete waste – whether it’s the sidewalk, the local creek or the park. How can you blame them, really? The majority of businesses in the community don’t have ‘public restrooms’. I can’t be the only one who wonders where people without homes go to use the bathroom.

As a runner, I have experienced that frightening urge to use the bathroom in the middle of my four-mile route. But you know what I have that homeless individuals don’t? A light at the end of my tunnel – I can go home and go right to my bathroom.

However, after my internship at United Way’s Regional Commission on Homelessness, I was shocked to learn that this is a known problem with an effective yet expensive solution: automated public toilets. I had seen them before but I never thought twice about what they were. It was touching to learn that people understand that everyone, including homeless individuals, need access to toilets.

The automated toilets sanitize themselves and offer relief to anyone passing by. The Regional Commission on Homelessness helped place four of them throughout the city. I didn’t know that they were erected for homeless individuals because I’ve seen so many people using them – including fellow runners at Piedmont Park.

I appreciate learning about these things, especially since I’ve seen homelessness in a new light lately: they might be humans without homes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have same basic needs as humans with homes.

This article was featured on Mother Nature Network. Please click here to view the article.

Summary of Research

Thank you all very much for your work toward ending homelessness. Earlier this year, the United Way Regional Commission on Homelessness (metro Atlanta) administered a survey on best practices being used. The results are interesting and thought provoking. We were thrilled with the input, without which, we could not have put together a summary of findings. Please click here to view the report. We look forward to any feedback surrounding the report!

These are some photographs taken during an outreach using the Housing First best practice. What are some of yours?

To view more pictures and find out more about the Regional Commission on Homelessness, find us on facebook by visiting the following link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Regional-Commission-on-Homelessness/136844743010674 or by scanning the QR code with your smart phone.

Welcome!

In July, 2011 a group of representatives from the southern region of the United States gathered at the National Conference on Ending Homelessness - there were a lot of great ideas & energy around continuing to stay in contact beyond the conference. This site will serve as a hub for people to stay in contact & share ideas.  ...Stay Tuned!