Aftercare Matters: It doesn't stop there...

By CTI Case Manager Sara Barrett

 

Moving into permanent housing is an exciting and monumental goal for families of Community LINC. There are few things in this line of work, in my opinion, that come with the feeling of watching a family walk into a home to be theirs for the first time.

 

A common question I am asked by clients when they first come to Aftercare is, “So, what now?”

 

Aftercare helps families address this question. A roof over their heads, is just the foundation and starting point for a journey of success. Aftercare, often for the first time, challenges families to believe there is more to them than a goal of not being homeless. Once housing is stabilized, and budgets are in place, Aftercare pushes families to think further and answer questions about their goals for them personally and dreams they have wanted to accomplish. Often times these goals and dreams include establishing a substantial savings, finishing basic education credentials or beginning college or finishing a certification, home or small business ownership, and extra-curricular activities to help shape the talents of their children.

 

Nearly every family starts Aftercare meetings with the CTI Case Manager and the family sitting on the floor of their new space, with only beds to call their own, answering that question of, “So, what now?” It is a beautiful journey to move from floor-sitting to thriving in the community and dreams coming true that never could have been touched or thought of without a permanent place to call  home...

 

Aftercare Matters: Surviving to thriving

By: CTI Case Manager Sara Barrett

 

This Christmas is bringing a whole new kind of gift to a Community LINC family. Jodi came to Community LINC to gain independence from a cycle of domestic violence that was dangerous to her and her children.

 

Jodi was housed in a  rental home within thirty days of her entry to Community LINC's campus. She held on to her job in Customer Service and managed to keep her three children in school. However, working off of one income was a new challenge for Jodi.

 

Upon moving into her rental home, Jodi agreed to participate in Aftercare Services, including weekly case management. During that time, Jodi was able to develop new spending habits and secure a manageable budget for her family. This opened up an opportunity for her to continue her finance and business education and grow her very small business she ran out of her home. In addition, Jodi was able to purchase a new vehicle to improve her transportation and allow her children to be in extra-curricular activities to promote their social well-being.

 

Because of her drive and her responsibility in using the resources offered to her, Jodi was referred to a program in the community which could provide her with the opportunity for no-interest home ownership.  Jodi's story captivated community leaders, and this Christmas, to her surprise she will receive ownership of a new home in her name.

 

Jodi is proof of a motto Aftercare Clients often repeat throughout their time in services; "I don't have to just survive, I can thrive." Community LINC not only gives families a boost in finding and acquiring housing, but opens doors to financial stability, community resources and ownership.

 

In one year, Jodi changed her situation from homeless to homeowner, car owner and small business owner...she is a picture of thriving, not just surviving.

 

Success is in the Eye of the Beholder

Senior Director of Programs and Operations Jeannine Short observes:

We have historically defined success by such factors as the number of life skills classes attended, the amount of money saved, the amount of debt retired, and the number of housing and economic barriers removed. While these are all good measurements of success, we are becoming increasingly convinced that success is really in the eye of the beholder.

Monique and her 3 children entered Community Linc in May 2009 after years of physical and emotional abuse and its resulting cycles of homelessness and instability. Unemployed and extremely unsure of who she was or what she wanted to do, she admittedly got off to a very slow and rocky start. However, after much encouragement and support from her coach, she was able to begin the daunting process of putting the pieces of her family’s life back together. She eventually obtained employment as a Concession Stand Supervisor and began saving money toward her future… for the first time in her life.

Although Monique hit some rough spots during her time at Community LINC and left the program prematurely, she considers her brief journey a success. In her exit interview, she expressed how thankful she was for all that she had gained—namely, her sense of value, self-worth and self-confidence. In addition, she learned the importance of setting goals, taking responsibility for her choices, and putting the needs of her children above her need for (costly) companionship--all of the ingredients for living a life of independence and self-sufficiency.

- Laura Gray

Leaving the Nest

Some observations from Senior Director of Programming and Operations Jeannine Short:

I remember studying in elementary school about the process that nestlings (particularly baby eagles) go through when preparing to leave the nest. Fledging, as it’s called, is the development of the feathers necessary for flight. More generally, however, it is the development of enough independence to leave the nest. Ask any baby eagle, and I’m sure he’d say that the first flight is absolutely terrifying. In fact, in some instances the mama eagle has to actually push the eaglet from the nest. But once the baby catches the prevailing wind, he’s able to soar to a life of independence.

The process isn’t much different for our residents—minus the feathers of course. For many of them, the structure and accountability provided through Community LINC’s Supportive Housing Program has given them the sense of safety and security that they have needed and perhaps secretly longed for. Consequently, when the time comes to leave the program there is often much trepidation.

Admittedly, it is not terribly unusual for a resident to sabotage their program by making choices that could very possibly result in an early and unfavorable exit. After all, being asked to leave and possibly failing is much more palatable for them than choosing to leave and possibly failing.

The converse is the resident who attempts to prolong their program by such methods as missing housing appointments. For this group, however, a gentle nudge is usually all it takes for them to flap their wings and fly. Like the baby eagle, they may initially stay close to the nest with frequent calls and visits to their former coach, but once they catch the prevailing wind they are off and soaring to a life of independence and self-sufficiency.

- Laura Gray

Pulling a Share of the Load

We’ve long been proud of the unique success of our program in ending homelessness for families – over the years an average of 80% of our families leave our transitional housing for a permanent home. About the same percentage DO NOT become homeless again for at least our two year follow-up period.

We always felt that tracking those results was a measure of the independence our families achieve after they have completed our program.

Jeannine Short, our Senior Director of Programs and Operations, just completed a study that revealed another measure of independence and our success in addressing the root causes of poverty. The study covered all of the families that left our program from 2005 through August of 2009. She compared the sources of income at entry and exit.

The results were gratifying.

On average, our families decreased their dependence on public assistance by 46% and increased income they earned by 109%. By becoming taxpayers themselves, our residents are saving the government more than $15,000 per month. That savings will total $180,000 every year.

The increase in income from private sources like wages and child support was even more gratifying. Our families increased the tax base by almost $55,000 per month, or $660,000 per year.

- Laura Gray