Volunteers of America of Utah

Promoting self-sufficiency for individuals and families who have experienced homelessness, or other personal crisis, including chemical dependency, involvement with the corrections system, and unemployment, with a focus on solution-oriented approaches, using a continuum of services from prevention to intervention to long-term support. 1. The substance abuse programs provide social model detoxification and withdrawal services primarily to very low income and homeless clients. The treatment programs vary in length depending on need and may either be offered at one of the organization's detoxification centers, or outpatient treatment centers. Substance abuse counseling with case management and/or life skill training is given to enable clients to become self-sufficient, productive members of society. 2. Voa operates its men's detoxification center in salt lake city. The center for women and children, located in murray, provides social detox services to women with a safe and supervised place to withdraw and prepare for the next step of treatment and recovery. Women can bring their dependent children up to age 10 into the center with them. Both detoxification centers can accept medicaid for social detoxification services which will help provide more access to addiction treatment as well as medical services for those in need.3. The vocational employment support team (vest) is a supported employment program to help cornerstone counseling center clients find and keep meaningful and competitive jobs in the community. These individuals may struggle with barriers which may include mental health, criminal history, or substance abuse history. Clients are paired with an employment specialist who assists them with personalized job search, job placement and support. 4. The homeless outreach program (hop) conducts street outreach to connect with homeless individuals who are living on the streets, in parks, along rivers, and spending daytime in libraries, etc. They meet basic needs and link homeless individuals to community services including shelters, detox centers, medical providers, benefits, and workforce services as well as community housing to stabilize people. 5. Voa operates a 200-bed emergency shelter and resource center for homeless women. The geraldine e. king women's resource center (gek) is the largest residential program operated by voa in a 60,000 square foot facility owned by shelter the homeless. The program began operation in august 2019 and is operated as part of the adult homeless division. Voa also operates the resource center as an overflow shelter with an additional 50-75 beds to provide clients a safe and warm place to sleep during the cold winter months.

Fostering independence and health of persons with disabilities, mental illness, and hiv/aids through mental health care services and a wide range of community services. 1. Behavioral health outpatient treatment programs are offered at two locations, cornerstone counseling center in salt lake city and family counseling center in murray. Behavioral health treatment services include assessment and treatment services for substance abuse and mental illness as well as medication prescribing and management. Individual and group sessions are offered at all asam levels of outpatient cornerstone's children's care center is a unique on-site childcare setting staffed by trained professionals to meet the needs of the children during the time their parent is in the counseling center for treatment. The facility is open both day and evening hours. Treatment is available on a sliding fee scale to help those with a limited ability to pay. 2. The assertive community treatment team (act) is a high intensity intervention for people with severe mental illness. The two multidisciplinary teams are mobile and focused on improved personal stability and successful integration into the community. The team supports clients at their place of residence.3. Two voa programs provide permanent supportive housing vital to the community. Denver apartments is a 22-apartment project with a focus on providing housing and support for people with serious and persistent mental illness. The theodora is a permanent supportive housing program that provides a safe, residential setting in a group home for up to 14 women with serious and persistent mental illness. Both programs include 24-hour onsite staffing and require support from voa's assertive community treatment team (act). 4. The intensive case management team works at the geraldine e king women's resource center, to provide services to clients with mental health needs. The multidisciplinary team moves women toward community housing with an additional focus on mental health stabilization.

Encouraging positive development for troubled and at-risk children and youth, while also promoting the healthy development of all children, adolescents, and their families. These programs provide a continuum of care and support for young people ages birth to 24 through prevention, early intervention, crisis intervention, and long-term services. 1. The youth resource center (yrc) which opened in 2016 seeks to improve the quality of life for homeless youth (15-24 years old) by meeting basic needs including emergency shelter, meals, clothing, and showers/laundry. Yrc staff also assist youth to obtain employment and/or education and facilitate entry into affordable housing. On-site services include the youth legal clinic to support clients with legal issues they may face. The youth empowered solutions to succeed program (yess) provides additional mental health access and support for homeless youth.2. Housed at yrc, voa's prevention program offers opportunities to elementary through high school age students to educate and deter them from drug and alcohol use, through increase coping skills, prosocial behaviors, and relationship skills. The amplified mentoring program (amp) provides mentoring for youth through a dept. of justice funded grant. This program matches screened adult Volunteers with youth for a 9-month supportive intervention.

Ceased program operations: the young women's transition home, a seven bed, transitional housing program was closed during the year and the property sold to another non-profit agency.