Newsletter

TLP Newsletter Cover Story, May 2008

Broadening SCOPe

A heartbreaking fact: On any given night in greater Chicago, there are 2,000 youth without a safe place to stay. A distressing fact: There are only enough beds to shelter 250 of those youth. That means 88 out of 100 youth who are homeless are out of luck and on the street. With its 36 beds (and with the new Belfort House, soon to be 42), Teen Living Programs does its part to provide safe and stable housing for these youth. Still, we are compelled to do more. Even though we cannot provide housing for every youth who needs it, we strive to meet the basic needs of as many young people as possible by hitting the streets and distributing food, clothing, hygiene kits and other necessities. Additionally, TLP seeks to educate youth on the street about the housing and supportive services we (and other agencies) offer.

That’s where our Street and Community Outreach (SCOPe) program comes in.

Although street and community outreach has been part of TLP’s programming for many years, SCOPe was recently revamped and expanded, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services awarded this past fall.

Led by SCOPe Supervisor Bina Rubinson, formerly TLP’s coordinator of permanent housing, the program implementation is ahead of schedule. SCOPe has already started to amp up outreach efforts by engaging more youth in a larger geographic area and by reaching more youth who are in crisis.

SCOPe also educates the community about TLP and youth homelessness on a regular basis via connections with schools, faith-based communities, neighborhood associations, police departments and other community members.

In addition to Bina, the team consists of two outreach specialists and three peer outreach workers. They help youth on the streets meet their basic needs by distributing five kinds of survival kits: one- and seven-day bus passes, food kits, hygiene kits, safer-sex kits and clothing.

The outreach specialists, Sherilynn Westin-Bush and Gerard Kwaaning, also provide case management and crisis intervention on-site, which can range from providing emotional support to helping youth navigate emergency housing and medical services. “Sheri and Gerard are out on the street, trying to engage youth,” Bina says. “They also provide case management — setting short-term goals with youth and helping them achieve those goals, such as obtaining employment, medical and psychiatric services, stable housing and education.” The peer educators, drawn from TLP residential youth, are a real asset to the program.

“We try to capitalize on what they do best: Connecting with peers,” Bina says. “Imagine a young person approaching another young person and striking up a conversation — it’s much less intimidating than if an adult approached them.”

The peer educators’ work is always done in partnership with the outreach specialists, and through their involvement with SCOPe, the peer educators gain and develop professional skills.

“It’s a unique bridge for youth between their housing and their employment,” Bina says. “It gives them an opportunity to give back and help their peers, just like they were helped. In fact, that’s what many youth say in their peer educator interviews.”

It is this desire to help that drives the entire SCOPe team; even though it is impossible to reach every young person in crisis, SCOPe is committed to helping as many young people as possible.

If you would like to learn about how you can donate items for SCOPe survival kits, please contact Nia Tavoularis at (312) 568-5700 ext. 228, or niat@teenliving.org

Complete May 2008 Newsletter

TLP Newsletter Cover Story, November 2007

Smart Giving

The winter season is almost here, and with it comes the holidays, family and gift giving. For many, this also is the time to make end-of-year decisions about charitable contributions. Newsletters in the holiday season often lead with stories that appeal to the heart. Teen Living Programs (TLP) definitely has these (see Sabrina’s story, “Home for the Holidays,” on page 3). But for this newsletter, TLP is leading with another concern during the holidays: Where will my charitable investment have the most lasting impact?

Where will it make the most difference? TLP truly offers a “blue-chip” option.

First, TLP is efficient. For every dollar you invest, 80 cents goes directly to programs. The average cost per night, per youth, across all TLP programs is $116 — a remarkably low number in comparison with many state-run programs that go up as high as $250 a night. And TLP’s comprehensive resources put it in the top tier among residential programs nationally. For example, the organization’s commitment to its youths’ immediate and longterm health extends to having a full-time nurse practitioner and a full-time culinary nutritionist on staff! TLP’s nationally recognized staff members also provide innovative educational support, vocational training and life-skills programming.

Second, TLP is effective. The return on this investment is significant. When youth graduate from TLP programs, 75 percent secure and maintain stable housing for at least six months, 75 percent demonstrate competence to live independently and 70 percent have completed or are attending an educational or vocational program. Additionally, nearly 90 percent acquire a job, often for the first time, while enrolled in TLP programs.

TLP’s philanthropic community and friends already understand why the work the organization does is so important. The roster of resources TLP offers, as well as the professional and loving staff members who deliver these resources, transform lives.

Choosing where to invest year-end charitable contributions should be a joint decision between the heart and mind. Call 312-568-5700 or see page 5 for ideas about how your gift to Teen Living Programs can make a difference!

Teen Living Programs is prudent with donor contributions — we take care to invest wisely where the need is greatest. Additionally, we prioritize, streamline and hold ourselves to the highest standard when it comes to demonstrating result.

Eighty percent of every dollar donated goes directly to programs and tangibles, such as food and clothing, that support youth. Twenty percent is reinvested in advocacy, public relations and fundraising. On average, the cost to serve one youth for one night at TLP is $116. That money goes to:

• A safe place to stay
• Vocational training
• Three healthy meals
• One-on-one tutoring and educational advocacy
• Life-skills training and goal-setting guidance
• Direct health care services such as immunizations and medical treatment
• Mental health care
• Active and compassionate listening
• A sense of community
• A place to heal

Complete November 2007 Newsletter

TLP Newsletter Cover Story, October 2007

Year-in-Review: What our Youth Achieved

The primary goal of Teen Living Programs is helping youth who are homeless to build self-sufficient, satisfying lives. Our 31 years of experience have taught us there are two critical events that occur on their road to success: securing stable housing and gaining employment. Last fiscal year (FY 2007, from 7/1/06 through 6/30/07), TLP youth made exciting progress in both of these areas. Of all youth entering Belfort House (the group transitional living program) or CaSSA (the independent living program), 76 percent obtained stable housing by the time they left the programs, and maintained it for at least six months after leaving the programs. This is a 29 percent increase from last year. TLP staff at this year’s Program Summit agreed that this increase in housing stability was due in large part to youth’s participation in Shoulder-to-Shoulder, TLP’s new after-care program. “By giving youth access to all of TLP’s services after they leave the residential programs, Shoulder-to-Shoulder provides youth with a critical safety net during their transition into self-sufficiency,” says Casey Holtschneider, TLP’s residential program manager. “This safety net supported them during times of crisis when they might otherwise have slipped back into homelessness.” Employment is another critical component of self-sufficiency. Last year, 88 percent of Belfort House and CaSSA youth obtained employment while at TLP. Congratulations to our youth for all they have accomplished!

Every summer, TLP’s agency leadership team, program managers and board members come together for the annual Program Summit, to review the past year, and plan for the upcoming one. The day begins with a celebration of the previous year’s accomplishments. Then program outcomes are analyzed for successes and challenges, and new program developments are explored. By day’s end, new goals are set, against which outcomes will be measured in the six domains that TLP’s board has determined are critical to delivering the agency’s mission:

• housing stability
• educational/career advancement
• employment achievement/continuity
• living skills competency
• health maintenance
• personal goal success.

Complete October 2007 Newsletter