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EVERETT
<br /> WASHINGTON
<br /> Program Components and Structure:
<br /> Housing Hope offers a comprehensive program designed to assist parents aged 16 to 24,who are homeless upon
<br /> entry and experiencing poverty,to gain the competencies,assets,and confidence to transition to their adult roles and
<br /> responsibilities,maintain housing,and increase levels of self-sufficiency.Family Support Coaches in this project
<br /> focus on helping these parents complete their basic education,establish a strong foundation of employment,acquire
<br /> life skills, and parent their very young children. The primary role of the Family Support Coach is to provide a
<br /> trusting,consistent,and supportive adult relationship that becomes the launching point from which these teens and
<br /> young adults build connections with the community and gain the confidence to view themselves as capable
<br /> individuals.Family Support Coaches support these parents to create a vision for their adult lives and to develop an
<br /> Individualized Family Plan, outlining long and short-term goals for permanent housing and self-sufficiency.
<br /> Through in-home services and connections to community services,Family Support Coaches help families learn new
<br /> skills,change attitudes,and complete activities that move them progressively towards the achievement of their
<br /> goals. The type, frequency,and amount of services provided are tailored to meet the unique needs of each family.
<br /> Adult Education and Employment Services are offered on-site for all program participants.Housing Hope employs
<br /> Education and Employment Specialists,who provide one-on-one support to assist parents in the development of
<br /> educational and employment skills. Employment offers these individuals the opportunity to increase their sense of
<br /> self-worth and is critical to sustaining permanent housing and increased levels of self-sufficiency. A continuum of
<br /> employment services assist participants to move to job readiness and then towards a career with a livable wage.
<br /> Housing Hope collaborates with Worksource,Department of Social and Health Services WorkFirst,Workforce
<br /> Snohomish,Department of Vocational Rehabilitation,Everett and Edmonds Community College, Refugee and
<br /> Immigrant Services Northwest, Washington State Employment Security Department, and Service Alternatives.
<br /> Housing Hope provides weekly,on-site teens and young adult life skills classes to help participants to learn the
<br /> skills they need to be successful adults:budgeting,nutrition, mental health,time management,etc.Parenting
<br /> education classes are a critical component and include topics like positive discipline and de-escalation. Child and
<br /> Family Specialists also assist these very young parents to learn child development concepts,relevant community
<br /> resources,and parenting skills through one-on-one,real-time coaching. Childcare is essential for these parents to
<br /> achieve their goals.Housing Hope's Tomorrow's Hope Child Development Center provides a supportive
<br /> environment that specializes in the development of high-risk children.Tomorrow's Hope provides transportation to
<br /> and from their home.
<br /> Housing Hope's program design is consistent with current research regarding the needs of homeless teen families
<br /> and effective program components and approaches.
<br /> •Comprehensive services are critical for teen and young adult parents experiencing homelessness. These young
<br /> parents often have childhoods of abuse and neglect. They suddenly find themselves in a position of having to grow
<br /> up very quickly.Programs for homeless teen parents need to include a range of services: affordable housing,Family
<br /> Support Services, life skills training, support groups,emotion management training,child development,parent
<br /> education,childcare, school completion,employment services, and basic needs.
<br /> •Motivational Interviewing and Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Emerging research indicates that families
<br /> experiencing homelessness benefit greatly from a strength-based approach that is tailored to their unique needs.
<br /> Motivational Interviewing and Dialectical Behavior Therapy are collaborative,person-centered, and evidence-based
<br /> approaches that elicit and strengthen personal motivation for change. Both Motivational Interviewing and
<br /> Dialectical Behavior Therapy are identified as best practices by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
<br /> Administration(SAMHSA).
<br /> •Housing Hope utilizes a tailored approach to supportive services,which is believed to be effective in assisting
<br /> families to shift from crisis to stability and to acquire and retain safe,affordable,permanent housing.
<br /> •Trauma-informed services require that all aspects of programming are offered within the context of trusting
<br /> relationships and purposeful interactions that help participants heal and develop personal and interpersonal skills to
<br /> successfully achieving adult roles and responsibilities.Research indicates that trauma-informed practices have a
<br /> positive impact on program outcomes such as housing stability, substance abuse recovery,mental health,self-
<br /> esteem,etc.
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