Program areas at My Friend's Place / M F Place Inc
The safe haven program provides immediate and drop-in services that help youth meet their basic and immediate needs with meals, clothing, showers, communication and transportation services. Safe haven staff work with youth to establish trust, encourage youth to share their stories and dreams and offer linkages to case management, health and mental health services as well as numerous other resources. More than 60% of the youth served through our safe haven program go on to access higher-commitment programming, such as employment readiness services and case management, which are critical in supporting youth as they move toward a permanent exit from homelessness.
The transformative education program is a vital part of our continuum of care and provides youth with creative arts programming, education, and employment readiness services. Through workshops, one-on-one sessions, and more intensive programming, the transformative education program aims to equip youth with marketable skills, encourage positive behaviors and create an alternative way for staff to build rapport with youth who are reluctant to access more intensive services.
The health and well-being program provides youth with clinically and culturally appropriate medical, health and mental health services and support with the goal of helping youth to move toward stability and self-sufficiency. Clinical case management services such as advocacy, goal setting, documentation support and public-benefits assistance are offered by master of social work (msw) clinical case managers who conduct risk assessment and crisis intervention to provide support for substance abuse, interpersonal violence, emotional regulation and mental health distress with the ultimate goal to help youth secure housing and move toward a permanent exit from homelessness. This program supports youth in obtaining housing through the youth coordinated engagement system by providing the required initial screening and assessment, problem solving conversations, and intensive care coordination with partner providers and public systems.
The intake triage and crisis care program provides youth with clinically, culturally and developmentally appropriate services that include intake assessments, triage case management, crisis intervention, animal companion support and documentation and support to access legal services.