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For the majority of us who have never had to sleep a night on the streets, or escape domestic violence or deal with a mental illness and/or drug addiction, we can’t imagine how it must feel to walk into a homeless shelter for the first time and ask for help.
Nor can we imagine what it must be like to stay at one for an extended period of time and hope that one day we will walk into our own, safe home.
At the Shepherds of Good Hope in downtown Ottawa, we are guided by the sentiment that everyone deserves a home of their own – a safe place to live.
That’s why we now employ diversion workers. Starting this month, they are working the front lines. They are some of the first people any individual sees when they are coming to the shelter to book a bed for the first time.
Part of the diversion worker’s mandate is to determine whether we can find housing for that individual within 30 days. That’s right, our goal is to find a home for some homeless men and women in 30 days.
When a client arrives at the shelter to book a bed, the diversion worker asks a series of questions in the hope he/she can present better options than staying in the shelter. Other options often do exist. For those with minimal needs, it can be relatively easy to transition someone to housing within 30 days of entering a shelter.
For those with greater needs, the diversion worker plays an important role in connecting a client with a case manager to work together on developing a plan over time. The end goal is to identify appropriate housing options.
For those with moderate to high needs, the process can be longer. We want to ensure when people access housing, they are also connected to supports in the community to ensure a successful transition. Ideally, this makes a return to the shelter unnecessary, or at the very least, unlikely.
At the Shepherds of Good Hope, diversion workers work hand in hand with front line workers, case managers, peer support workers, other professional staff and partnering agencies to identify the best possible options for those who most need our help. Everyone is unique and everyone’s needs vary, depending on their life experiences.
Shepherds of Good Hope has always been known to embrace new and innovative ways of serving the homeless and impoverished in our community. We want to continue being a leader in helping people find housing and in reducing shelter stays.
Creating a diversion worker position embraces that innovative philosophy, but more importantly, it reflects our belief that living in a shelter should only be a transition to better housing. We think this new position and the tools that go with it will make that transition happen more quickly for some.
We know that, rather than offering a bed, clean shower, tooth brush and a meal (which is the bare minimum of what we do), through diversion efforts, we can offer hope. By putting the right supports in place at the right time for the right person, hope becomes home.
Deirdre Freihiet is the president and CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope.
查看原文...
Nor can we imagine what it must be like to stay at one for an extended period of time and hope that one day we will walk into our own, safe home.
At the Shepherds of Good Hope in downtown Ottawa, we are guided by the sentiment that everyone deserves a home of their own – a safe place to live.
That’s why we now employ diversion workers. Starting this month, they are working the front lines. They are some of the first people any individual sees when they are coming to the shelter to book a bed for the first time.
Part of the diversion worker’s mandate is to determine whether we can find housing for that individual within 30 days. That’s right, our goal is to find a home for some homeless men and women in 30 days.
When a client arrives at the shelter to book a bed, the diversion worker asks a series of questions in the hope he/she can present better options than staying in the shelter. Other options often do exist. For those with minimal needs, it can be relatively easy to transition someone to housing within 30 days of entering a shelter.
For those with greater needs, the diversion worker plays an important role in connecting a client with a case manager to work together on developing a plan over time. The end goal is to identify appropriate housing options.
For those with moderate to high needs, the process can be longer. We want to ensure when people access housing, they are also connected to supports in the community to ensure a successful transition. Ideally, this makes a return to the shelter unnecessary, or at the very least, unlikely.
At the Shepherds of Good Hope, diversion workers work hand in hand with front line workers, case managers, peer support workers, other professional staff and partnering agencies to identify the best possible options for those who most need our help. Everyone is unique and everyone’s needs vary, depending on their life experiences.
Shepherds of Good Hope has always been known to embrace new and innovative ways of serving the homeless and impoverished in our community. We want to continue being a leader in helping people find housing and in reducing shelter stays.
Creating a diversion worker position embraces that innovative philosophy, but more importantly, it reflects our belief that living in a shelter should only be a transition to better housing. We think this new position and the tools that go with it will make that transition happen more quickly for some.
We know that, rather than offering a bed, clean shower, tooth brush and a meal (which is the bare minimum of what we do), through diversion efforts, we can offer hope. By putting the right supports in place at the right time for the right person, hope becomes home.
Deirdre Freihiet is the president and CEO of Shepherds of Good Hope.
查看原文...
