Homeless Prevention Services
What Is The Homeless Prevention Services Program?
The Homeless Prevention Services Program is an applied problem solving process in an effort to assist individuals to maintain housing, decrease evictions and improve their relationships. Individuals will learn and practice new problem solving and communication skills to live a healthier and balanced lifestyle. The outreach services are designed to reach clients where they live or visit and improve their quality of life.
How Does The Program Work?
The Homeless Prevention Services Program teaches social skills in a group process, or individually by a counsellor with follow-up sessions until skills are learned. We know that social skills can help us make changes in the problem areas of our lives. These areas may include family/friends, work/school, leisure activities, what we do in the community and how we feel about ourselves.
The skills taught include:
- Building Healthy Relationships
- Attending Behaviours – Listening Skills
- Anger and Stress Management
- Identifying Assertiveness Styles & Techniques
- Thinking Skills – Rational vs. Irrational
- Identifying Levels of Trust
- Problem Solving and Decision Making
- Giving & Receiving Feedback
Workshops run regularly introducing participants to social skills and other valuable programming and/or services that connect them to a support network in the community. A “Housing Help Kit” is distributed in order to provide information to tenants of their rights, supportive services available to them and places to call when they are facing stressful issues in their lives.
Why Does The John Howard Society Run This Program?
Social skills assist individuals in gaining new skills and tools for managing their lives and relationships. With the low vacancy rate in Sault Ste. Marie, it is important to reach individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, to maintain their housing, decrease the number of evictions, and improve social integration.
Who Is Eligible?
- Individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness are eligible. This program will not only reach out through social skills groups, but will be available for client support, advocacy and referrals to community agencies for clients who are dealing with issues that could interfere with maintaining their residence
- Individuals must be over the age of 16 years
