HOUSING AND SERVICE FOR FAMILIES The tough economic times challenge House of Ruth to assist more homeless families and cut costs. To meet this challenge, we have opened a new program, called A New Way, to expand our capacity for families. We have also combined two small programs at one larger location in a move that adds space for two more families while reducing operating costs by $200,000 a year. Taken together, these two expansions increase our capacity for families to 76. House of Ruth created A New Way to respond to the urgent need for more housing and services for women and their children left homeless by domestic violence. A New Way provides 12 more families with safe housing and comprehensive services to help them overcome homelessness and abuse. A New Way emerged from a study we conducted for the city in 2004 to identify the greatest needs of survivors of domestic violence. Additional housing (by itself) is not enough. Survivors need constant support in a structured, nurturing environment in order to recover and create a new way of life for themselves and their children. This expansion was only made possible through a one-time grant from the city. Like our other service-enriched housing programs, A New Way occupies a small apartment building in Southeast DC. Staff is on-site around the clock to keep the women and children safe and help them cope with the after-effects of abuse while they build the many skills they need in order to create safe and stable lives. In a cost-saving measure, House of Ruth consolidated our two smallest programs for families in one location. The new location, called Herspace, houses 13 families – two more than we could accommodate previously. A portion of the cost of buying and renovating the 13-unit apartment building will be recovered by the sale of one of the buildings we have vacated. The rest is coming from donations. At the new, larger Herspace, are able to serve a larger number of families with fewer staff – generating savings of $200,000 per year. With these changes, House of Ruth is helping a total of 76 families, each comprised of a mother and her children, to overcome homelessness and abuse. • For 63 families, House of Ruth is home. They live at our five service-enriched housing programs: Herspace, Hope Rising, Freedom Place, A New Way and Reunified Families. • 13 families are able to manage more independently in rent-subsidized apartments because they can rely on the supports and services provided by our FamilySpace program. The housing, structure, and connections to other programs and services in the community that House of Ruth provides are all valuable. But most important is the relationship that the staff forges with each individual. By building a positive, nurturing relationship with each woman and child, the staff is able to encourage and persuade them to abandon destructive behaviors and learn and adopt safe and healthy behaviors instead. Mondays through Fridays, the women are busy with treatment programs, job training, or employment, while the children attend day care or school. Two or three evenings each week are set aside for structured supportive groups to help the women and children address their challenges and build critical skills. Staff is on-site 24/7 at the five residential programs and reaches out to every woman and child every day to provide support and encouragement as they do the hard work of rebuilding their lives. ANGELA'S FAMILY Angela struggled with addiction, mental health problems and domestic violence. She was 37 and homeless when she came to House of Ruth with her two-year son. The staff have worked with Angela and her son on a daily basis, first to gain their trust, and then to help them overcome their many challenges. Darius, the little boy, responded quickly to the safe and predictable surroundings at House of Ruth. Two years of play therapy and the enriched curriculum at our Kidspace Child and Family Development Center have helped him develop the capacity to soothe himself as well as overcome speech and language delays. When he enters kindergarten next year, Darius will be ready to learn. Progress has been slower and more difficult for Angela. Her case manager helped her develop goals and a plan to reach them. She has participated in a drug treatment program and continues to work on her recovery every day. She has been clean and sober for more than two years now. The staff has worked every day with Angela, concentrating on helping her build her capacity to be a good parent to Darius. Angela has also learned and is using many new daily living skills, such as how to manage on very little money, prepare nutritious meals, and keep her apartment in good order. Angela completed a job training program, but struggled to find work. She has been persistent in seeking employment, despite many disappointments and setbacks, and finally got a job in food service that can lead to a better position that will enable her to support herself and Darius. RESULTS House of Ruth sets outcomes for each program to measure the progress the women and children are making toward safety, stability and self-sufficiency. Data is collected and compiled into reports every six months for review by management to ensure that programs are having the intended effects and to identify opportunities to improve. In addition, the progress that each woman makes toward the many milestones that lead to stability and independence is carefully monitored. For example, a woman's sobriety is verified by clean toxicology screens; her emotional stability is monitored according to reports from therapists and psychiatrists; positive parent-child interactions are reported according to written staff observations; and abuse-free relationships are verified through written notes from counseling sessions. The children's progress toward their individualized goals is also monitored. Examples of the outcomes at the families programs for the most recent six-month interval include:
• At Herspace, 100% of the children served had their educational and developmental needs met through appropriate school and therapeutic placements. • At FamilySpace, 85% of the women completed parental responsibilities (ensured timely vaccinations, medical and dental care, secured health insurance, ensured school attendance, used appropriate discipline, provided nurturance.) • At Reunified Families, 85% of the children served six months or longer achieved at least 66% of their individualized goals (assessments, summer camps, day care, community involvement, academic stability). • At Hope Rising, 100% of the adults served provided an organized, uncluttered and clean living environment for the physical and emotional well-being of themselves and their children. • At A New Way, it is too soon to report results.
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