YOUTH AND FAMILY ALLIANCE

HOUSING AND HOMELESS PROGRAMS:HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION SERVICES PROVIDE FLEXIBLE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND LIGHT-TOUCH CASE MANAGEMENT FOR YOUTH WHO ARE AT RISK OF EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. THESE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO ELIGIBLE YOUTH SERVED BY OTHER PROVIDERS ACROSS THE COMMUNITY. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 88.STREET OUTREACH PROVIDES OUTREACH AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. STREET OUTREACH OPERATES A YOUTH RESOURCE DROP-IN CENTER WHERE YOUTH CAN ACCESS BASIC NEEDS ASSISTANCE, MEALS, CLOTHING, HYGIENE SUPPLIES, SHOWERS, EDUCATIONAL/SUPPORT GROUPS, BUS PASSES, AND REFERRALS TO OTHER SERVICES SUCH AS COUNSELING, PEER SUPPORT, WORKFORCE, AND PSYCHIATRIC CARE. THE STREET OUTREACH TEAM ALSO CONDUCTS REGULAR OUTREACH TO LOCATE AND CONNECT WITH YOUTH EXPERIENCING LITERAL HOMELESSNESS. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 571. AFTER CARE TRANSITION SERVICES (ACTS) WORKS IN COLLABORATION WITH TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS TRANSITIONING OUT OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM ACROSS A 30-COUNTY AREA. ACTS PROVIDES CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES, RESOURCE REFERRALS, AND BENEFITS ASSISTANCE/NAVIGATION. A SUBSET OF THESE CLIENTS RECEIVED HOUSING VOUCHERS AS A HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION STRATEGY. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 117. THE DIVERSION PROGRAM PROVIDES SHORT-TERM CASE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR AT IMMINENT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS IN AUSTIN/TRAVIS COUNTY WITH THE GOAL OF QUICKLY RESOLVING EPISODES OF HOMELESSNESS/HOUSING INSTABILITY. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 41. THE EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVES YOUTH IN FOSTER CARE (UP TO AGE 21; MOST YOUTH ARE AGES 14-17), RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH (UP TO AGE 18), AND YOUTH IN NEED OF SHORT-TERM RESPITE SERVICES AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM (AGES 12-15). YOUTH HAVE ACCESS TO A SAFE PLACE TO SLEEP, FOOD, CLOTHING, AND CASE MANAGEMENT TO COORDINATE FAMILY REUNIFICATION, MEDICAL CARE, TRANSPORTATION, EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, AND COUNSELING. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 131.LIFEWORKS' TRANSITIONAL LIVING PROGRAM PROVIDES HOUSING, CASE MANAGEMENT, AND INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS CLASSES FOR UP TO 18 MONTHS FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS (UP TO AGE 21). TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 17. PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OFFERS LONG-TERM CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUBSIDIZED HOUSING TO YOUTH EXPERIENCING LITERAL HOMELESSNESS WITH A DIAGNOSED DISABILITY. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 90.RAPID REHOUSING PLACES YOUTH EXPERIENCING LITERAL HOMELESSNESS (AGES 18-24) INTO SCATTERED-SITE APARTMENTS. THE PROGRAM PROVIDES 2 YEARS OF RENTAL ASSISTANCE, AS WELL AS CASE MANAGEMENT AND CONNECTIONS TO OTHER SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO SUPPORT YOUTH'S LONG-TERM HOUSING AND FINANCIAL STABILITY. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 292.

COUNSELING PROGRAMS:YOUTH AND ADULT COUNSELING PROVIDES SHORT-TERM COUNSELING TO INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COUPLES. THE PROGRAM UTILIZES A RANGE OF EVIDENCE-BASED SERVICE MODALITIES, WITH A FOCUS ON HELPING CLIENTS BUILD COPING SKILLS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY HANDLE THE STRESS OF DAY-TO-DAY LIFE. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 560.RESOLUTION COUNSELING IS DEDICATED TO CREATING A SAFE COMMUNITY BY ENDING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ADVOCATING FOR RELATIONSHIPS BASED ON EQUALITY AND RESPECT. IT OFFERS PSYCHO-EDUCATIONAL GROUPS FOR ADULTS (MALE/FEMALE) WHO HAVE BEEN ABUSIVE TOWARD THEIR PARTNERS. GROUP GOALS INCLUDE TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIOLENT AND ABUSIVE BEHAVIOR, UNDERSTANDING POWER AND CONTROL, LEARNING ADAPTIVE COMMUNICATION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION SKILLS, AND MANAGING EMOTIONS. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 431.COMMUNITY-BASED COUNSELING SERVES YOUTH AGES 16 TO 26 WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRAUMATIC LIFE EVENTS, FREQUENTLY EXACERBATED BY HOMELESSNESS EPISODES AND/OR INVOLVEMENT IN THE FOSTER CARE OR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS. SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO SERVICE, INCLUDING CLIENTS' HOMES, COFFEE SHOPS, LIBRARIES, PARKS, OR WHATEVER LOCATION THE CLIENT PREFERS. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 154.PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS THROUGH A SUBCONTRACT WITH INTEGRAL CARE. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 128.PEER SUPPORT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOUTH AGES 13 TO 26 WITH MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE ISSUES. PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS HAVE LIVED EXPERIENCE NAVIGATING EITHER MENTAL HEALTH OR SUBSTANCE USE CHALLENGES; THEY ARE CERTIFIED TO DRAW UPON THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES TO HELP OTHERS NAVIGATES THEIR HEALING JOURNEYS. PEER SUPPORT SPECIALISTS PROVIDE OUTREACH AND ONGOING SUPPORT AS WELL AS LINKAGE TO MORE TRADITIONAL COUNSELING SERVICES (AND OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES). SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT CONVENIENT LOCATIONS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO SERVICE, INCLUDING CLIENTS' HOMES, COFFEE SHOPS, LIBRARIES, PARKS, OR WHATEVER LOCATION THE CLIENT PREFERS. MINORS AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE ACCESS TO A PEER-RUN DROP-IN CENTER. TOTAL SERVED EQUALS 161.