SAFE HARBOR OF GREATER WEST CHESTERProviding Shelter and Encouragement for the Homeless |
HomeProgramMission and Goals
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The shelterSafe Harbor operates a low-demand, emergency shelter providing for the needs of homeless men and women who, because of addictions or mental health issues, do not qualify for other shelter programs operating in the area. We are willing to serve those with no place else to turn while maintaining a level of expectations that seeks to build self esteem and empower individuals most in need.The shelter is designed to sleep 20 men and 4 women dormitory style with separate shower and bathroom facilities. Residents are given a nutritious evening meal and morning breakfast everyday. The shelter also has laundry facilities and provides clothing, personal care and other items to help residents maintain their personal hygiene. As a volunteer driven organization, Safe Harbor uses both experienced volunteers and professional staff to run the shelter. Over 50% of total staffing coming from volunteers. In addition, over 80% of the evening meals are donated by individuals, businesses, church groups or other organizations which helps to keep operating costs down. New and returning residents receive an intake interview designed to identify immediate needs, understand their history and begin the process of their recovery. The shelter rules are also reviewed at this time to ensure residents understand that proper conduct is expected at all times. An action plan is developed for each resident and reviewed weekly by the Shelter Review Committee to ensure each resident's goals and needs are being met. Working in concert with various referral agencies, these plans are designed to help residents achieve greater self-esteem, a higher level of independence and more stability. In addition, various activities are scheduled throughout the week to help residents deal with issues such as drug and alcohol addiction, life skills, budgeting and employment. Safe Harbor also operates a Community Hot Lunch Program that is open weekdays to all low income men, women and children in the West Chester area. This meal is all too often the only nutritious food many people receive on a daily basis. This program also serves as an entry point to the shelter for individuals and provides a means of supporting past residents who have moved onto independent housing. Program Operations and Population ServedSafe Harbor provides a place of comfort for the homeless 365 days a year. The shelter opens its doors at 6:00PM everyday. Residents maintain their bed status provided they sign-in by 7:00 or have a valid late slip for work or other approved purposes. Dinner is served at 6:30 and residents have access to shower and laundry facilities until 9:30PM and again in the morning. The dining area also serves as a common room, which residents use to read, play cards or board games, watch TV or socialize with volunteers and each other. Residents are assigned chores on a weekly basis to help with the maintenance of the facility. Lights are turned out in the dormitory areas at 10:00PM and all residents must be in their beds by 11:30.Our weekly schedule includes various in-house and collaborative programs. Monday evening residents attend a local AA meeting and on Tuesday those with drug addictions attend NA meetings in cooperation with the Salvation Army's Railton House. On Wednesday members of the Review Committee meet with residents individually to review the status of their progress and update their action plans. Thursday evenings are set aside for life skills training sessions, while savings activities are encouraged all week long. Friday nights we watch recent movie video releases. New residents enter the shelter through a lottery system which is held at 7:05 each evening. They have dinner and meet fellow residents. After dinner they receive an in-take interview. Any immediate needs are addressed, especially a fresh set of clothing or toiletries from our donations closet. Within the first week of entering the shelter, residents meet with their assigned case manager. The case manager works as part of the Shelter Review Committee to establish and prioritize action plan items for each resident. Action plans can include counseling for addiction or mental health issues, life skills training, referral to treatment facilities, budget and savings plans and assistance in searching for housing. The case manager meets with each resident at least weekly. The Shelter Review Committee reviews progress and adjusts the action plans as necessary. During 2001, Safe Harbor provided shelter for over 200 homeless men and women, up from an average of about 170 during the previous two years. Over the past year, 47% of residents were drug dependent and 57% alcohol dependent, with 37% dependant on both. Mental health issues affected 45% of residents, with 3% assessed as being mentally retarded. Nearly 35% fall into the category of dual diagnosis, whereby, they exhibit mental health problems as well as substance abuse. Shelter ActivitiesSafe Harbor's shelter and lunch programs have been in continuous operation since our permanent facility opened in December 1995. The program's activities are designed to meet the the shelter's objectives. During the current year, the changes discussed below were implemented to improve upon the level of services provided.Extended Hours: Weekday wakeup occurs at 5:30AM with earlier calls for residents as requested. Showers, morning chores and breakfast take place until the shelter is closed at 7:00. This past year the shelter began extending its weekday closing until 8:00 during the winter months to facilitate residents, especially those with mental health issues, waiting for other local agencies to open for services. In addition, we have extended weekend closing hours year round to 8:00 on Saturdays and 11:00 on Sundays providing many of our working residents with extra time to sleep and the chance for a relaxing Sunday morning, including a breakfast prepared and served by volunteers. Case Management Partnership: Central to Safe Harbor's program of recovery is the setting of action plan goals for each resident. During 2002, we entered into a collaborative agreement with the Human Services, Inc., for providing case management staff to work with residents. This new arrangement has provided many enhanced services, including better transportation services for treatment programs and job interviews, follow-up monitoring of residents for up to 6 months after leaving the shelter and more case managers to provide better support for residents. Assessment Manager Position: Safe Harbor also provides on-site counseling and support available to residents during the evening hours when they are in the shelter. Our Resident Advocate is available three evenings each week to have in-depth meetings with residents on their issues and progress. By having a professional experienced with addiction and mental health issues, we are able to identify critical issues that are major factors in homelessness and better assess the need for additional support and treatment services for residents. Working directly with individuals during the evening in the shelter also enhances our ability to monitor each resident's progress and to observe other behavior that may be contributing to their homelessness. Top ©2003-2005 Safe Harbor of Greater West Chester
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