Children Matter: The Effect of Collaboration

By Children’s Program Coordinator Josh Chittum

As a teacher I often worked in close collaboration with my school’s counselors. In fact, I would not have survived without them! I was quite fortunate to have worked with many highly skilled individuals as we addressed the social and emotional needs of my students, which helped improve their academic performance.

It’s not surprising that in my role as Children’s Program Coordinator, a close relationship has been forged with the counselors in our Mental Health Department as well. In fact, I would not survive without them!

The mental health services provided by Community LINC has positively impacted many of the children and teens we work with. A perfect example is how we recently worked together to meet the needs of a young resident I’ll call Nora.

With an effervescent and infectious personality, Nora was tremendously fun to be around. As an effective self-advocate and a spectacular conversationalist, she often showed up early to program and stayed until program staff were turning out the lights and locking the door behind them. It didn’t take much time around Nora, though, to pick up on the fact that she had internalized some negative perceptions of herself.

We knew that she was doing the absolute best she could in her situation, but even with her level of resiliency, it sometimes was a challenge for her to manage her emotions, particularly her anger. In fact, one time after tutoring, in a fit of rage directed towards me, she closed her fist, pulled her arm back and was ready to sock me in the nose if I didn’t comply with her demands.

In her eyes, past the anger, I couldn’t help but see her struggle and pain. I was not at risk for suffering any real harm due to her size, but she was in danger of doing this to the wrong person – a bigger kid, a teacher at school, even a friend. Repercussions from that would certainly add more hurdles to her path, which was already riddled with far too many.

Nora also struggled to maintain consistent relationships with her peers, loving them one day, and doing something cruel to them the next. This often left her feeling isolated and lonely, which only exacerbated the difficulties in regulating her emotions. Additionally, in an effort to seek attention, positive or negative, Nora would sometimes write inappropriate words on surfaces around campus. But most troubling was when a resident reported seeing Nora engage in a type of behavior that is often the sign of past or current mistreatment in a child’s life.

I visited with Nora’s Mother about some of these issues, and for her part, she was not quite sure what to do. But I let her know that we were here to provide support and offer referrals if interested. After bringing my supervisor into the loop and working with the Mental Health Department who successfully got Nora to open up and talk about things happening in her life, it was decided that she would continue to work with her counselor in the home after her family exited for permanent housing, which they did in fact successfully do a few weeks ago.

            This continuation of mental health services into the home seems like such a small decision when I put it in writing. But it’s something that can have a profound and lasting influence on Nora’s life. It would not have happened without our amazing counseling staff, our awesome leadership, and the solid collaborative relationship we have with one another.

Programs Matter: Coming Full Circle

By Family Coach Frenchie Pulluaim

It is always a Blessing to see our residents come full circle.  It’s a huge thrill when they see the value in giving as well as receiving.

Ms. M, a single mother of 5, has done just that.  She suggested that her co-workers adopt a Community LINC family for this Christmas season.  She told them how she and her family were homeless last year with no transportation or employment.  

The group took off like wild fire. They adopted a mom and 4 children and the came down with armloads of gifts to meet and greet the family. 

What a Christmas Story!

Jobs Matter: "Giving Back at Christmastime"

By Employment Job Coach Constance Taylor

It was exciting to be approached to partner with an employer who is a past participant, now the Operations Manager for a local parts company.

I remember the day he came to the computer lab for assistance with his resume. His family had just moved into permanent housing. Shortly after they moved from our campus, he lost his job. He was discouraged and concerned about what might happen next. We created a resume and he applied for an entry level position with the parts company. Within one week, he contacted my office and told me that he had an interview scheduled. The next time we spoke, he advised me that he did get the job.

In less than 2 years, he has become the Operations Manager for that same company.

He came to Community LINC to give back to our agency and offer work that will make someone’s dream a reality. His desire is to bless someone who has a less than favorable background history with a job that will allow their family to move forward and reach their life goals. He understands that even people who have made bad decisions, but have decided to move forward, need support and another chance.

What an awesome gift to give someone during this Christmas season. The gift to work, make a livable income and become self-sufficient.

Mental Health Matters: Why Recognizing Your Strengths Matters

By Director of Mental Health Services Griselda Williams

Why does recognizing your strengths matter? Because when you recognize your ‘good stuff’ you can build on it.

It seems that as humans we tend to recognize the ‘bad stuff’ in ourselves and in others and say that we are being boastful or bragging, if we speak about our strengths.

I have seen this happen, especially with female clients that I have worked with over the years in human services. There is a young woman-Miss Q, in residence at Community LINC who was like that when she first came with her family. However, over the course the two months that she has been here, she has begun to recognize her strengths and now feels that it is appropriate to speak about them. 

When she first came she would only do what others told her and did not feel it was appropriate to make her own choices. When she came to program group, she would sit at the end of the table by herself and would not speak. She often looked down and would not make much eye contact and she appeared sad and lost.

Much has happened in Miss Q’s life this year, most of it taxing and traumatizing. However, as Miss Q flexes her strengths muscles she is sharing a renewed sense of empowerment. She has begun setting boundaries with partner, family members and even an abusive boss.

In program group last night the topic was “strengths” and attendees were to identify 5 of their strengths and make a collage of pictures that represented those strengths. Miss Q sat in the first chair, she smiled with her head high and she freely shared her strengths as she made a collage. In addition Miss Q helped a fellow group member identify her 5 strengths when the member shared that it would be bragging to say them out loud.

Now that Miss Q recognizes her strengths and is not embarrassed or feels guilty about speaking them, I believe there is no limit to what she may accomplish. It is exciting to see what will come next for Miss Q, now that her strengths muscles are so strong.

An underappreciated partner in the struggle against homelessness

By CEO/Executive Director Laura Gray

Most of what you read about poverty and homelessness doesn’t focus on thankfulness. Because there are still homeless people, everything that has been done is often dismissed as “not enough”. But, since it’s Thanksgiving, I wanted to feel thankful. I was looking for an inspirational idea when I re-read a letter prepared for Senator Blunt encouraging support for McKinney-Vento funding.

We’re just one organization serving homeless families, but Community LINC ended homelessness for 76% of the families (236 people, 154 of whom were children) served in the first 10 months of 2014. If the past is any predictor of the future, 80% will not become homeless again. The cumulative impact of the “hand up” we gave is a $4 million increase in taxable income and $1 million less in public assistance for the families served over just the last seven years.

We could not have provided the “hand up” that ended homelessness for these parents and their children without funding from McKinney-Vento.

Also because of McKinney-Vento funding, we expanded our capacity to serve more families. Using the business model HUD promotes to rapidly re-house homeless families, over the last two years we have more than doubled the number of people who exit homelessness as a result of our program.

I’m grateful to all of the legislators on both sides of the aisle who have voted for funding to help end homelessness. And, I’m hopeful that they will continue to fund efforts to put an end to this insidious problem.

Mental Health Matters: "The Male Perspective"

By Director of Mental Health Services Griselda Williams

During a recent conversation with David Simpson, Mental Wellness Team Counselor, he shared an awareness that male residents at Community LINC, as well as those within the community, seem to disappear and are not as involved in support programs as women. David shared that many programs are organized to support female clients, i.e. WIC, other programs for single mothers or women with children but that few share as great a support of males or fathers. We have seen a few fathers at Community LINC with primary custody of their children or those who have come to the program without a female partner. David attempted to engage those men and provide them with support. I observed one male who would only talk with David in an individual session or in the parking lot, but would not attend program group which was predominately female.

David stated one time that he asked a male resident, “Why do you disappear from getting involved?” and the male resident shared, “People don’t notice”.

David shared other comments by male clients, like:

"I’m invisible. I can easily disappear into the background and shadows."

"My absence is not noticed; as a matter of fact sometimes it’s discouraged and expected that I will be absent."

"Sometimes I get involved with things, sometimes I don’t."

"It really doesn’t matter because people don’t notice."

"I don’t feel rejected or neglected. It’s just that no one expects me to always be involved."

"Now don’t get me wrong, I have circumstances that are hard for me to handle. Many times I just don’t know what to do, so it’s easy to become invisible."

"Sometimes, I will take care of my responsibilities and step up to the plate. Many times I have been really involved."

"I guess what I’m saying is if you don’t expect things of me, I will do them at my leisure."

As David shared this conversation with me, it made me realize that men don't engage in the same way as our female residents. I appreciated David sharing the male perspective with me.

Intake Matters: Screening

By Intake and Resident Specialist Holly Gardner

I love what I do at Community LINC, I have varied responsibilities and a nice balance between interacting with people and helping to take care of our lovely old buildings here on Troost. One of my primary functions is to screen / interview new families and work with staff to determine acceptance into our program or referrals to other programs that may serve that family better. 

It is interesting to me to see the families face to face and listen to their words as they describe the different issues that have contributed to their current situation and what has led them to our door.  Of course there are commonalities such as lack of sufficient income or loss of all income, unreliable childcare or none at all. Untreated health issues or treated health issues flaring up.  Loss of significant relationships including death and divorce.  For many families violence.  There are education deficiencies too and changes of plans as families survive day to day.  Many times a combination of all these things may be in one application to sort through and discuss.  All too often our screenings are weighed down with these challenges, but what also comes through in our conversations are how individuals reacted and responded to their hardships.  How and when they took initiative to ask for help, who they turned to in the community and the paths they are on now due to that strength and courage to reach out and where their journey may take them now.

I see that strength a lot in the faces of our prospective families, the ones we accept in and get to know better and the ones that will have a different journey.  There is a grace in loss, I see that and have experienced it many times too.  We lose, we have set backs, we have heart ache and we rebuild one relationship at a time, one step at a time.  It is such an honor to work for an organization that sees these strengths in homeless families, the most vulnerable populations in our community, vests with them and in so doing provides a sturdy stone or two on their housing journey’s path.