Crisis Center/Assessment Center
The Crisis Center is a residential program staffed 365 days a year providing services to
homeless youth ages 18-21. It is designed to assist homeless youth that are in need of
immediate housing and crisis intervention to obtain stability. Our program is designed
to assist youth in making the transition from dependence to independence. The Crisis
Center’s capacity is 15 beds (9 males and 6 females). When the beds are full we offer
emergency overnight assistance or make referrals to other agencies. While staying at the
Crisis Center, youth are provided with basic needs such as meals, personal care items, and
linens. Residents are required to meet regularly with a Case Manager to develop an individual
plan that addresses their immediate needs and long term plan mapping the path ahead.
Our Crisis Center is a short term facility that allows youth to stay a minimum of 60 days;
however the length of each resident’s stay depends on various factors. The essential component
for independent living is employment. Residents who are unemployed are required to job search
daily. In accordance with our mission to provide unconditional love and support, we understand
that each situation is unique and work with our youth by taking in account of the complexity of
needs and issues that may be present in their lives.
In addition to meeting basic needs and providing Case Management, the Crisis Center provides
a wide array of services which include but are not limited to: referrals for physicals, mental
health assessments, counseling, transportation, securing documents such as identification, and
weekly Life Skills workshops.
Intake Procedure
Although not required, we encourage our potential residents to contact our Case Management Team
by phone to ensure there is space at our Crisis Shelter. During the initial contact they are
screened for admission. This process gives the youth the opportunity to understand the
expectations and operations of our Shelter to assist in determining if our Shelter is a fit
for their needs. The screening process includes verification of age and their immediate needs.
The Case Manager will also review with the youth our Mission and guidelines to ensure the youth
are fully informed about our Program. Upon arrival, they will be greeted and all steps are taken
to insure their immediate needs are taken care of. Our staff will assist the youth with their
belongings; which are searched for any weapons, drugs, gang paraphernalia, etc to ensure safety
and security. If the youth has not eaten, they are provided with a nurturing meal prior to the
completion of intake. During the intake process the youth is provided with the policies and
procedures of the program, as well as an interview is conducted on their history of homelessness,
family, education, employment, medical, mental health, substance abuse, and legal concerns.
Once the assessment is completed, the youth will be assigned a room and provided with fresh
linens and toiletries, while successfully completing personal hygiene. In efforts of building
stability each youth is provided a weekly public transportation pass as part of their welcome
package, to assist in accomplishing their education, vocational, mental, and physical health
needs. In efforts of providing a nurturing and stabilizing environment all youth are required
to complete a physical and design an individualized case plan with in the first 3 days.
This plan will consist of their goals they will work on daily until they transition to
independent living.