ADULT SERVICES

Homestretch was founded in 1990 to be a part of the continuum of care for helping homeless families rebuild their lives. The continuum had three parts, the first being outreach to those living on the streets and getting them into shelters, the second being subsidized transitional housing, and the third being permanent housing and self-sufficiency. Homestretch has been a leading provider of the second step-subsidized transitional housing and self-sufficiency-and is now the largest provider of transitional housing for homeless families in Fairfax County.

As time went on, Homestretch added numerous services beyond subsidized housing to help propel our families forward in their quest to achieve better incomes and more stable futures. These services include:

• Case Management

  Case managers provide each family with individually designed support. Case managers and families collaborate to establish goals and develop service plans that address barriers to self-sufficiency. Case managers support and advocate for their clients, facilitate access to other community groups for services such as primary medical and mental health care, and serve as liaisons to those links.

• Employment Center

Employment and training are critical components of the Homestretch program. The Homestretch Employment Program helps clients obtain adequate employment, higher income, and improved earning potential. Clients are required to work or be in training full-time while in the program. Homestretch has a Job Counselor to help each client develop an employment self-sufficiency strategy, which may involve job readiness training, skills training, and/or job placement assistance. In addition to individual counseling, the Job Counselor runs workshops on computer skills, resume preparation, job search and interviewing techniques, and workplace behavior; helps clients access referrals to outside job training programs in fields such as office skills, computer technology, and the building trades; and manages the Homestretch Employment Resource Center, which has computers with Internet access, a fax machine, and message center. The Job Counselor also assists clients without a high school diploma to prepare for the GED exam and runs employment classes for teenagers. On-site daycare is available during all counseling and training sessions.

• Credit Counseling and Debt Reduction

Poor credit and high debt are major obstacles to self-sufficiency for most clients. Homestretch has a credit counselor who works with each family to develop an individual budget strategy. Clients contribute 9% of their monthly income toward unpaid bills; the counselor works with creditors to prioritize bills and reduce payments, fines, and charges. Once credit issues are resolved, clients continue to pay the 9% into a savings account held jointly with Homestretch; clients without debt begin saving as soon as they enter the program. Clients also benefit from free professional tax-preparation assistance and zero-interest loan programs.

• Money Management and Financial Literacy

It is critical that Homestretch families gain as much knowledge as possible about how to earn, save and invest their incomes so that they can move from poverty to prosperity as quickly as possible. Throughout the year, seminars are given on issues such as understanding and building credit, budgeting, shopping on a budget, banking and lending, and preparing for home purchases. These seminars are presented by our Credit Counselor in association with professional volunteers from organizations including Capital One.

• ESL Classes

  For many clients improving their English proficiency is the first step toward improving their job potential. Homestretch provides intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) classes taught by professional instructors and volunteers five mornings and three evenings a week on a year-round basis. Classes follow a standard curriculum as well as focus on functional skills in order to help clients improve their employability, become more effective community members, and address cultural aspects of life in the US. On-site childcare is provided during all classes.

• GED Tutoring

Anyone entering the program that does not have a high school diploma or GED is expected to get one while in Homestretch, as it is virtually impossible to get ahead in American society without one. The individual is pre-tested to determine their areas of greatest need and tutors are recruited to work one on one with them to build up their knowledge until they are able to pass the test.

• Computer Literacy

In the 21st Century, computer literacy is just as important as English language literacy. Anyone entering Homestretch who seeks to become more fluent in computer basics and commonly used programs can participate in computer classes and/or receive one on one tutoring to improve their computer skills.

• Life Skills Training

All adults are required to attend weekly life skills classes designed to help them develop the skills they need to function effectively within their communities. Among the topics covered are parenting, including parenting pre-school age children and parenting for fathers; family health and nutrition; money management; violence and abuse prevention; stress and time management; good tenant and neighbor practices; volunteerism; community resources; and AIDS awareness. Homestretch offers workshops on homeownership for first-time homebuyers, which over the years have helped several Homestretch graduates purchase their first home.

• Domestic Violence Education and Support

Almost half of those families and individuals coming to Homestretch have a history of domestic violence. Numerous services are offered to these families including safety planning, legal services, peer support groups, psychotherapy, domestic violence education, and health and wellness training and support. Homestretch has the capacity to move a family in danger within a period of a few hours, and will also relocate the children to new schools and day care providers and help the mother find new employment and services. Homestretch works cooperatively with other agencies that provide assistance for survivors of domestic violence, including the Women’s Center, Bethany House, Shelter House and the Women’s Shelter. See more information on Domestic Violence.

• Psychotherapy

An on-site psychotherapist is provided to all clients free of charge to help them deal with whatever issues may be afflicting them. Many women in the program seek help for recovery from domestic violence or human trafficking. Depression and mild mental disorders are common among people who are homeless and these illnesses can be greatly relieved by regular therapy.

• Substance Abuse Counseling

  All adults receive a drug and alcohol assessment when they enter the program. Homestretch has a Substance Abuse Counselor who provides individual and group counseling, monitoring, and outside treatment referrals when necessary to clients with alcohol and drug issues. Homestretch works cooperatively with several organizations that provide intensive substance abuse treatment, including New Generations and ADS.

• Transportation Assistance

A lack of adequate transportation is one of the most common problems of homeless and poor people, especially in communities where there is no Metro or subway. Whenever possible, Homestretch gives client families cars or helps them find low cost cars to purchase. Homestretch also provides vouchers for buses and metro and can arrange for subsidized taxicab service for children to attend school.

• Children’s Services and Programs

Click here for a complete description of Children’s Services.

• Micro-Loans

Modest, interest free loans may be available for those families facing dire need, or who have the possibility of dramatically increasing their earning power through admission to an academic or vocational training program. Loans are made based on a combination of need and merit, with those working the hardest and showing the greatest effort being the most likely to receive assistance.

• On Site Child Care

Homestretch has on site child care for any families who come to the offices for ESL, to see their case manager, for Life Skills classes, therapy, credit counseling, or any other purpose. In addition, child care can be arranged at either a fully or partially subsidized cost for families who need it when off site, such as when working or making critical appointments.

• Legal Advice

Many families entering Homestretch have need of legal advice or representation. Although Homestretch does not have its own legal services, every effort is made to provide the families with access to such services. Several law firms, including Hogan and Hartson and Reed Smith, provide some pro bono legal work, and other families find help through referrals to the Tahirah Justice Center, Just Neighbors, and other non profit organizations in the area that specialize in legal services for the poor and needy. In addition, volunteer attorneys come once a month to meet individual clients with their needs (“Law Night”).

• Health and Wellness Services

Many, if not most, of the families coming into Homestretch have suffered from such deprivation, anxiety, lack of resources for daily living, and — in some cases, actual violence — that their physical health and their mental conditions are in need of serious care. As a way of promoting understanding of the importance of taking care of mind, body and spirit, Homestretch is partnering with Vantage Fitness (voted Business of the Year by the Falls Church News Press) to provide free assessments, personal training and education in nutrition and health to members of the Health and Wellness Group, which meets weekly. In addition, Executive Director Christopher Fay leads periodic Life Skills sessions of Health and Wellness.