The “My Homes” began as a semi independent living arrangement (supported residential services) for female youth 16 to 17 years old.Since 1997 the My Homes have evolved for both female and male youth who are interested in leaving their high risk street lifestyle. Youth must make a commitment to working with the home, agency and community supports available to gain personal growth, continued education and or employment opportunities in order to gain tools and skills that will allow for their own positive independence. “My Home concept” offers young women and men a safe and supportive living environment with internal and external supports which includes the Mentor (house mother), Support Worker, Street Outreach staff, and each youths Social Worker from the Ministry of Social Services, all of which assist each youth in their own individual case plan that leads towards independent living.In 1997 the My Home began with one home with a mentor to now include a continuum of3 peer homes, 1 boys staffed home, 3 female staffed homes for younger youth, 2 structured independent living homes, 2 more homes under construction with a Feb, 2011 completion date, and our Baby Steps and Micheal’s Place for a total of 13 homes.
“My Home” while overseen and supported through EGADZ is provided direction through a youth committee comprised of former and current street youth. The Committee members meet on a regular basis to develop, review and update guidelines for the home.
Youth who live in the home gain or share their skills through direct involvement of grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, recreation activities, as well as daily home upkeep. The “My Home” is one of the only homes that the youth feel and realize that they have influence in the operation and actually feel the ownership of their own independence. Many of the youth find that “My Home” and those connected almost always becomes a real sense of family.Often the youth who have moved on still come to visit and sometimes stay for a day or two, just to come “home” for a visit.
Support for those who decide they are ready to move on is critical and ongoing through the Support Worker and EGADZ Outreach Staff.“My Home” is a safe place for those who want to make positive changes for themselves, however it is recognized that this will see these young people’s lives move up and down as they address their issues. The only way a youth is required to leave “My Home” is as a result of signs, threats or acts of violence to the Mentor, support staff or other youth in the home.These youth are often diverted into addictions treatment, mental health services, elder services, parenting programs, or any other community programs deemed appropriate and necessary for their success. If a youth is asked to leave they are always welcomed back after they deal with the issue(s) that caused them to be asked to leave for, keeping in mind that support is available to assist them.
Recognizing that each person has their own unique set of challenges and circumstances the ultimate end result of “My Home” is to support and assist the youth to transition to their own independent living. In order for youth to be successful they, like anyone else, must have or obtain the skills and confidence to lead a healthy independent lifestyle. This is determined on a case by case basis for each youth. Determination of need is made as the result of monitoring progress of youth in obtaining the necessary life skills, personal growth, education, and or employment needed to better their opportunity to gain independence and function on their own with minimal to no support.
Youth who enter the My Homes require support after the age of 18 as they, like our own children, need support and guidance into young adulthood.
The homes are supported independent living that builds on the continued growth of young women after they turn 18 to build on the continuum of care and stop these same women from returning back to homelessness and the street because they lack the necessary level of support of their financial and living situations.
History showed us that so often young women that resided at the My Homes turned 18 and there was no support or sufficient housing and often they returned to the street or became homeless because the support they received was not adequate.Also, often a case plan and the goals of these people disappeared because the support and structure they had become accustomed to were gone because they had not become long term wards of the government.
Often youth leave once they become 18 and once they are out in the real world they often want to return to the homes to finish what they had started.The homes are called the “My Home – Supported Independence” because each person in the home has ownership in the homes’ success.The homes work with young women between the ages of 17 to 23 even though there is no legislative basis to go beyond 21. The youth that enter the homes are young women who continue to strive for the better lifestyles they have chosen.
Other persons in the home will come from dysfunctional homes that make the street safer than home.Others will come from long term wards that do not fit into conventional room and board situations and need that sense of family.The objective of the home is to provide support to each individual at the adequate level of their own specific needs while striving to move these individuals to total independence with an adequate level of education or employment skills.
This type of model appears at first glance to replicate what most would do living in any family type environment.Like any family this model has its challenges as well as its rewards.
Pros
-Allows youth to have a sense of family.
-Utilizes peer to peer relationships.
-Allows youth to feel ownership in their home and in their own futures.
-Allows a youth a voice in their case plan.
-Holds youth more accountable because this was their plan
-They want to be here.
-Works on progress not perfection.
-Support comes from outside.
-Outreach support when youth don’t come home.
-Utilizes the community in their healing journey.
-Focuses on education and employment.
-Focuses on moving youth to independence while respects the fact that their age is not a determining factor.
-Forces all service providers to work together for the best interest of the youth.
-More organizations and levels of government are partnering together.
Why EGADZ believes in the My Homes
Volunteer or Youth Centered Services – My Home
-It is the individual’s choice to be here.
-Safety is a prerequisite to be here.Expectation to make good choices.
-Relapse is expected.
-Individuals living at the homes are allowed to be involved in the decision making process.
-Support.
-Choices.
-Move them on to independence and attempt to teach them about choices in their own community/environment.
-Long Term.
-Family Based.
-Individual make the choice with either a positive or negative consequence of the action.
The My Homes structure is based on the individual’s ability to function safely in their own community.Since the conception of the My Homes the youth committee have asked for the Five Golden Rules be applied in order for the safe operation of the homes.
