Homeless Outreach Person-Centered Engagement (HOPE) Project - Overview: Zepf Center, in partnership with Neighborhood Properties, Inc., the Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board, Lucas County Metropolitan Housing, and the Mental Health and Recovery Services board of Lucas County, proposes the HOPE project. Target Populations: (1) Families with children who have at least one member of the family with a CoD; (2) Homeless veterans and their families who have a CoD; and (3) Single individuals who are identified as chronically homeless with CoD. The HOPE project will serve 60 unduplicated individuals and their children each year, for total of 300 unduplicated individuals across five years. Clinical and Demographic Considerations: This population was selected because of their complex needs related to maintaining housing while addressing mental health and substance use disorders while parenting, or are averse to utilizing services because they are younger and feel uncomfortable in traditional shelter settings. HOPE is in alignment with the local Continuum of Care’s Housing First Model and the Two Generational Model for addressing the needs of families. Project Goals and Objectives: The goal of The Hope Project is to increase capacity and provide accessible, effective, comprehensive, coordinated, integrated, and evidence-based treatment services, peer support and other recovery support services, and linkages to sustainable permanent housing. Objective 1: 80% of participants will maintain stable, permanent housing after one year of being in the program; Objective 2: 80% of participants will engage in treatment and follow their integrated service plan; Objective 3: 80% of participants will receive requested services made through linkage and referral; Objective 4: 75% of participants will work with a peer support specialist, recovery coach or sponsor to assist them with maintaining their recovery; Objective 5: 90% of participants will enroll in benefits and improve their resources; Objective 6: 75% of participants will reduce substance use, with the goal of sobriety and stability and Objective 7: 75% of participants will report improvement in mental health symptoms. Evidence-Based Practices: This project will allow Zepf to implement a new EBP within substance use treatment and mental health services, as well as building collective impact with LMHA who is piloting the same EBP. The selected EBP is known as “2Gen.” 2Gen is an antipoverty initiative that provides support for both children and their parents in an integrated manner. The 2Gen approach helps children and families get the education and workforce training, social supports like parenting skills, and health care they need to create a legacy of economic stability and overall well-being that passes from one generation to the next. NPI’s staff are trained in the EBP Critical Time Intervention (CTI). The goal of CTI is to get the individual housed, and that time is the critical factor for that individual to make the positive changes necessary to maintain housing. Lead Organization: The Zepf Center; Project Director: Craig Gebers, cgebers@zepfcenter.org
