From Our Place to Your Place:
A Comprehensive Healing Pathway
This strategic phased approach supports individuals on the journey from crisis to stability, offering them opportunities to build fulfilling and independent lives.
The Challenge
Our community faces deep, interconnected challenges—homelessness, addiction, mental health issues, and poverty among them. Many individuals struggle not only to meet basic needs but also to overcome complex barriers that stand in the way of building stable, fulfilling lives. Without comprehensive support, too many are caught in cycles of hardship, unable to access the resources and opportunities needed to thrive.
A Healing Pathway
While there’s no single path to overcoming these complex challenges, Our Place Society has created a comprehensive approach designed to offer individuals a pathway out of hardship and toward independence. This Healing Pathway offers a continuum of care that addresses each stage of need, building a foundation of stability, community, and growth.
1. Basic Needs
The journey begins with essential services—meals, hot showers, clean clothes, and a safe place to rest. Beyond these physical necessities, individuals find a compassionate community that offers belonging, support, and ongoing care. These foundational supports restore dignity and provide the stability needed to start moving toward change.
2. Temporary & Transitional Supports
Once immediate needs are met, individuals can access temporary and transitional housing options, including emergency shelters and short-term stays. These safe environments allow people to focus on their well-being while receiving continued support, helping them to regain stability and build resilience as they prepare for the next steps.
3. Recovery & Treatment Supports
For those ready to address more complex challenges, the pathway includes structured recovery through the New Roads Therapeutic Recovery Community. Here, individuals work through addiction, mental health issues, and other life challenges in a supportive, therapeutic setting. They gain resilience, responsibility, and the life skills needed for long-term success and stability.
4. Permanent Housing
As individuals progress, the pathway leads to permanent housing options, ranging from supportive and subsidized housing to market housing, depending on their needs. This stage provides a stable foundation, allowing them to maintain their independence while continuing to receive aftercare support as needed.
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5. Long-Term Employment
To achieve full independence and security, meaningful, living-wage employment is essential. Without stable work, individuals who have come this far risk slipping back. This is where Your Place plays a crucial role, filling the gap by providing dignified, well-paid jobs that help individuals sustain their progress and contribute positively to their community.
Evidence
Evidence supports that providing meaningful, living-wage employment to individuals in recovery directly impacts housing stability, mental health, and addiction recovery. Employing this demographic not only empowers them but also reduces the strain on public resources, including social services and healthcare. These findings underline the critical role of employment as a long-term solution to breaking the cycle of homelessness and addiction, benefitting both individuals and the broader community.
50%
Over 50% of individuals with a history of addiction or homelessness report experiencing discrimination in the workplace or during hiring processes.
63%
63% of homeless individuals seeking employment required on-the-job training or re-skilling programs to integrate effectively into the workforce.
60%
Individuals with access to employment experience a 60% improvement in self-esteem and mental health stability.
45%
Individuals experiencing homelessness who gain employment have a 45% higher chance of retaining stable housing over a two-year period compared to those without employment.
40%
For individuals who achieve stable employment are 40% less likely to cycle back into homelessness, emphasizing the role of employment in fostering long-term stability.
71%
The unemployment rate among homeless individuals is 71%, compared to the national average of 5.5%.
35%
Individuals who exit homelessness through stable employment reduce their reliance on social assistance programs by over 35%
