In late August, Brighton Center’s Street Outreach Team came in contact with three youth (all over the age of 18), who had been living outside on the grounds of Newport High School’s stadium, where they were sleeping on bleachers. Street Outreach began meeting with the youth daily at the library, assessing their needs, and providing food and hygiene supplies. With their parents deceased, and no family to rely on, the youth were given a tent to have shelter in the woods while they worked toward a more stable option.
Unfortunately, the tent, their only shelter, was vandalized one day while they were working and they no longer felt safe staying there. They found a person that would allow them to sleep in their tent in their backyard for $50 a week. The youth visited Hosea House as often as possible to have a warm meal.
They were connected to Kentucky Career Center to learn about job training opportunities and obtain the necessary documents to seek employment. Street Outreach staff learned that one of the youth was very close to getting her high school diploma, but traditional school was not an option as this youth was working. She was connected to the Newport School of Innovation to finish her diploma through online schooling with classroom support.
Street Outreach referred the youth to Welcome House for their transitional living program. They began meeting with a Welcome House Case Manager about housing options. They needed to find a landlord that would rent to them, and Street Outreach made several contacts. Welcome House provided funding for a deposit and first month’s rent. In an effort to be able to maintain their housing, the youth were required to maintain employment.
Street Outreach helped in any way possible to create a successful transition to stable housing. This included helping with laundry, showering facilities, and rides to interviews or bus passes.
The three are now actively employed, reaching their educational goals, and have obtained a safe place to live through a collaboration with Welcome House. The youth are also still actively involved in aftercare services through Street Outreach to make sure they continue on the path toward stability, success, and achieving their goals.
Brighton Center’s Street Outreach Team is out in the community where youth are known to congregate. Staff work to build trusting relationships with at-risk youth in order to connect them to services. Once connected, staff use preventative methods, individualized assessment, service linkages, case planning, and follow-up to set youth on the path to stabilization.