Shelter for the Homeless provides a number of services and programs to help our clients in every way possible.  Click on one of the following programs or scroll down to find the program you are interested in learning more about.
Night Program Day Program  Recovery Program Employment Development Program Transitional Housing Night Program/Emergency Shelter: The emergency overnight shelter is the point of entry for most Shelter for the Homeless clients.  Whether they enter the program through our outreach services or of their own accord, all clients complete a comprehensive intake assessment and must agree to case management services before being allowed to stay. The Night Program is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Every night clients are served a hot, nutritious meal and start the day with breakfast.  Clients who work closely with their case manager are given the privilege of an assigned program bed and may keep belongings in their room.  This program is only open to men 18 years of age or older.	Photo credit: Marc Zaref
Day Program: Shelter for the Homeless provides client support services through its drop-in Day Program operating from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  This program does except women.  A mandatory policy requires clients to meet for weekly counseling sessions, to work towards goals specified in their service plan, and to participate in on-site and community services.  The ultimate goal for each client is to become self-sufficient, maintain sobriety, and obtain appropriate, permanent housing. In addition to counseling, individualized planning, assessments, groups and referrals, the following services are provided:
Independent Living Skills:  Case managers help clients to develop basic living skills including budgeting, hygiene, banking, and conflict resolution.  They also help clients with housing referrals and placements, entitlement assistance, and transportation needs. Drug/HIV Education and Prevention:  Our Drug Treatment Advocate counsels and educates clients in AIDS prevention and refers them to substance abuse resources.  Collaborative efforts are made with other area agencies to address these problems Mental Health:  The Shelter’s Mental Health case manager and staff provide services on-site and collaboratively with a psychiatric nurse from the F.S. Dubois Center to engage and assess mentally ill clients.  Follow-up services are then provided to clients. Outreach:  The outreach workers contact clients through visits to downtown areas, parks, train stations, soup kitchens, and other locations.  They inform homeless individuals about our programs and other community resources and encourage them to accept services. Club House:  This is a program dedicated to educate clients in many different areas.  It is considered an activity center that offers a variety of free practical services on a daily basis (Monday thru Friday).  Services include: career development with job application and resume building assistance, budgeting workshops for everyday living, community service referrals.  The program also welcomes public speakers offering practical information on a variety of subjects.  Also, special events are held on a monthly basis providing entertainment, such as movie nights.
Recovery Program: The Recovery Program is divided into three segments, the first of which being an intensive phase in which participants are required to terminate all outside activities and relationships, generally the associations that either caused or enabled their problems.  In the Recovery Program, clients are to complete a twelve-step process towards sobriety.  Clients are to complete:   - Phase I: Orientation/Main Treatment   - Phase II: Intermediate Level-Recovery Skills   - Phase III: Relapse Prevention and Re-entry.  Once completing all three Phases, clients then partake in Community Reorientation: After Care, where they will be assisted in their search to find more suitable housing for appropriate independent living. Click here to see pictures from our Recovery Program.
Employment Development Program: The Employment Development Program is open to both men and women.  The Shelter has found through experience that traditional job training programs are not always an appropriate fit for our clients’ needs, and may be difficult to access.  Having a comprehensive program on-site at the Shelter provides our clients with a program that understands their unique challenges and needs, provides a variety of employment and educational-related services, and also provides our clients with the inspiration that they can succeed, can find employment, and can move out of the Shelter and live independently. The Employment Development program provides a full range of services.  The following is a list of activities that are provided through this program:
- Resume and cover letter preparation - Evaluation of clients’ level of education - Interview workshops - Mock interview exercises - Training on job search techniques - Training on using the internet as a job search tool - Counseling in ESL (English as a second language) - Tutoring for GED - Positive attitude workshops - Attending job fairs - Job referrals - Transportation to and from interviews as appropriate - We provide lunch for the first week that a client obtains employment until they receive their first paycheck - We provide clothing (suits, ties, shoes, etc.) for interviews - Placement in formal employment training programs, such as CT Works CDL (Commercial Drivers License) Program, Norwalk Community College EMT Program, and Lincoln Technical Automotive and HVAC Program - Email accounts and cell phone accounts are set up so clients have a “home” where they can communicate to potential employers	Photo credit: Marc Zaref
These activities are to encourage a client’s achievements and readiness skills when seeking employment. These skills are aided by our Employment Development Specialist who works with case management to help clients address their barriers to long-term stable employment such as education, life skills, vocational skills, and the like.  Once employed support will be provided to both the individual and employer to provide every possible opportunity for a successful placement.
Transitional Housing Program (Berkeley House): Berkeley House, which opened in the fall of 1999, provides Supportive Housing for homeless men 21 and older who are ready for the transition from Pacific House (our emergency overnight shelter) to more permanent housing.  The house is designed for twelve men living in three apartments.  Prior to being invited to move in, applicants are carefully screened to insure that they are motivated to work on life skills, employed, and committed to making the transition to suitable, permanent housing.  While residing at Berkeley House, all residents are required to follow all house policies or be subject to penalties ranging from a written warning to removal from the house.  Berkeley House is a drug/alcohol free environment and violation of this policy is grounds for removal.  Residents are required to work or, in the case of the disabled, engage in productive daytime activities such as volunteerism, education, day treatment, and the like.  Meetings with a case manager are required on a weekly, or more frequent, basis. Berkeley House offers ongoing support services for residents.  This includes assistance to improve their education or job skills, to advance from low-paying jobs to jobs that allow them to afford permanent housing.  Additionally, residents are given the opportunity to practice basic living skills such as cooking, shopping, budgeting, and managing a household.  Residents also learn personal communication skills through participation in biweekly house meetings that address resident and staff concerns. The facility houses twelve men for up to two years.  It is anticipated that during the current fiscal year sixteen individuals will receive services through this facility.   For more information regarding any of these programs please contact us at 203-348-2792 or email us at [email protected]