St John Center Inc

ST. JOHN CENTER IS ON A MISSION TO HELP PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ADDRESS THE BARRIERS TO HOUSING AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY SO THEY CAN LEAVE HOMELESSNESS FOR GOOD. OUR VISION IS A CITY WHERE ALL PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAVE THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO LEAVE HOMELESSNESS FOR GOOD.

ST JOHN CENTER'S DAY SHELTER AND SOCIAL SERVICES CENTER OFFERS INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS A PLACE TO GO DURING THE DAY TO ACCESS RESOURCES, SHELTER, AND SERVICES. CLIENTS ARRIVE WITH MULTIPLE BARRIERS TO PERMANENT HOUSING INCLUDING EXPERIENCING HEALTH DISPARITIES IN COMPARISON TO THE HOUSED POPULATION. THE DAY SHELTER AND SOCIAL SERVICES CENTER ASSISTS CLIENTS IN REMOVING BARRIERS ONE BY ONE SO THAT THEY MAY LEAVE HOMELESSNESS FOR GOOD. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024, OVER 3,070 CLIENTS VISITED THE DAY SHELTER AND SOCIAL SERVICES CENTER NEARLY 51,676 TIMES TO ACCESS THESE SERVICES: 1) REFERRALS, DOCUMENTATION, AND SAFETY: THE SAFETY AND SERVICES STAFF ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITH SERVICE PROVISION, MAINTAIN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT, AND ASSIST CLIENTS WITH PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTATION AND COMMUNITY RESOURCE REFERRALS. 2) HOUSING SUPPORT SERVICES. TWO HOUSING SPECIALISTS WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO NEED ASSISTANCE WITH NAVIGATING THE HOUSING PROCESS. 3) SERVICE PARTNERS. THE PROGRAM WELCOMES COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS AND OTHER HOMELESS SERVICES PARTNERS. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION, LEGAL AID, THE COMMON ASSESSMENT TEAM, KY HARM REDUCTION COALITION AND WELLSPRING'S ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT TEAM (FOR MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS) ARE ONSITE REGULARLY. 4) BASIC SERVICES. THE DAY SHELTER AND SOCIAL SERVICES CENTER OFFERS A PLACE FOR INDIVIDUALS TO RECEIVE MAIL, MAKE PHONE CALLS, AND TAKE SHOWERS.

ST JOHN CENTER'S PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING (PSH) PROGRAM FOCUSES ON INDIVIDUALS WHO FIND MAINTAINING PERMANENT HOUSING MOST CHALLENGING. THESE VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS HAVE CHRONIC AND COMPLICATED NEEDS, INCLUDING SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS, SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, A HISTORY OF TRAUMA, AND A HISTORY OF INCARCERATION. PSH CLIENTS OFTEN HAVE LITTLE TO NO INCOME AND ARE CONSIDERED CHRONICALLY HOMELESS (HOMELESS FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS OR WHO HAVE THREE OR MORE INSTANCES OF HOMELESSNESS WITHIN THREE YEARS). THE PSH PROGRAM OFFERS CONSISTENT, DEDICATED SUPPORT TO THOSE WHO FACE THESE AND OTHER BARRIERS SO THAT THEY MAY MAINTAIN THEIR HOME. IN FY24, SJC'S PSH PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHED THE FOLLOWING: 135 CLIENTS WERE PLACED IN PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING; 99% OF CLIENTS RETAINED THEIR HOUSING FOR 12 OR MORE MONTHS, WHICH EXCEEDS HUD'S INDICATOR FOR HOUSING RETENTION OF 80% ; 52% OF CLIENTS OBTAINED, MAINTAINED, OR INCREASED INCOME.

THE STREET OUTREACH PROGRAM BEGAN IN JANUARY 2019 AS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN ST. JOHN CENTER (SJC), UNITING PARTNERS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN (UP), AND LOUISVILLE METRO GOVERNMENT. THE PROGRAM'S PRIMARY FOCUS IS CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON THE STREETS AND IN ENCAMPMENTS WITH SERVICES AVAILABLE AT OVERNIGHT SHELTERS AND RESOURCES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. EACH ACTIVITY IS DONE WITH THE PURPOSE OF MOVING CLIENTS TOWARD PERMANENT HOUSINGIN FY24, THE STREET OUTREACH TEAM WORKED WITH 837 PEOPLE WHERE 7,839 SERVICES WERE PROVIDED, SUCH AS OBTAINING DOCUMENTS AND FOOD AND WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING PERMANENT HOUSING. 66 OF THOSE SERVED MOVED HOME.