SUMMARY:
The
Grace Hill Family Center provides housing and a variety of other services
to mothers (pregnant, post-partum or those moving from welfare to work)
experiencing problems with substance abuse and their children.
Besides treatment for substance-abuse, women receive employment
services as well as educational opportunities.
Clients
are encouraged to complete the COCARE
training to assist in improved parenting skills. Many of the
children are enrolled in our daycare
program too.
DETAIL: The Family Center in
addition to providing a substance-free living environment for homeless,
substance abusing women and their children provides job readiness training
and employment services to parents. These parents are usually receiving
welfare, Temporary Assistance (TA), through the State’s Division of
Family Services and must, as all TA recipients, enter into work-eligible
activities, even while participating in treatment and recovery programs.
Treatment services are provided through a contractual agreement with Black
Alcohol/Drug Service Information Center (B.A.S.I.C.). The Family Center
works closely with Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers, Grace Hill
Settlement House and other social service agencies to provide
"wrap-around" services, and in 1999 the Family Center and its
full continuum of services reached and supported 58 women and 75
children.
In order to operate a full multi- service
program for these challenged families, Grace Hill was fortunate to once
again be selected by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) as a
federal grantee to initiate its program in October, 1999. This meant that
COCARE parenting, day care services, employment and housing services to
help stabilize substance-abusing families could be provided. The Center
also enrolled 15 participants into its Special Literacy program from
August to December, 1999 due to securing a special grant from Grace Hill’s
Bascom Fund.
Center participants also took advantage
of the services provided by the MORE Time Dollar Exchange program by
enrolling and exchanging goods and services with each other, as well as
utilizing the Time Dollar Store to acquire critically needed goods.
Participants utilize the Grace Hill
Neighborhood College as well. Families obtain helpful budgeting skills
teaching them how to save and manage their finances which is beneficial
especially when transitioning to long-term transitional housing and
permanent housing.
