Findings
Results:
From my observations and interviews at the Winchester, VA Salvation Army’s Center of Hope Shelter, I learned that much of the shelter staff was very helpful in assisting the residents both in day to day activities and in helping them to find more permanent housing. Each resident that is taken in is assigned to a case manager who works with them throughout their stay to help them in getting a job, saving money, and becoming independent once again. Through interviews with residents, I discovered that the staff is often willing to go out of their way to help the residents, such as one resident who works a 3pm to 11pm shift at his job and the staff always ensures to save him a meal for when he returns from work. I also discovered through interviews that the shelter only allows residents to stay for 30 consecutive days at the maximum. However, residents can still return to work with their case managers and receive other forms of assistance such as rental assistance, heating assistance, food, and clothing vouchers.
The case managers I interviewed were both very positive about their work, and from my observations work tirelessly to aid both residents at the shelter and those in the community who need assistance. During the timeframe while I was conducting my evaluation, they were wrapping up their heating assistance program for the year and when I went in for interviews I noticed that their schedule was full of appointments to help residents and others in the community.
The only negative responses in interviews I got from the staff had to deal with managerial issues. I also observed these issues as the shelter manager cancelled on meeting with me three times over a three week span, twice because she never responded to her coworker’s email about meeting with me and then again after we had a meeting scheduled and I arrived at the shelter, she informed me she would not be able to meet with me that day and would call to reschedule and never did. I was finally able to get her to respond to my interview questions via email, however I do not think her unwillingness to meet with me reflects her in a very positive light. Her coworkers also revealed that she is often difficult to deal with.
Conclusions:
From the results I gathered through my interviews and observations, I can conclude that the Salvation Army Center of Hope Shelter provides many useful and much needed services to the homeless and poor populations of Winchester, VA. The case managers’ full schedules and long hours demonstrate the need there is for assistance, whether it be social work sessions, getting set up for heating or rental assistance, being taken into the shelter as a resident, or gathering food from the food pantry. The model this shelter takes I believe is effective as it allows residents to stay up to 30 days to get back on their feet, but allows them to continue to receive services after they leave the shelter to help them stay independent by providing things such as rental assistance and heating assistance. From the interviews I gathered, the residents feel they are receiving the help they need to get back on their feet. The case managers follow a system of helping the residents set goals, starting with small ones and moving toward the big goal of permanent housing. The one desire I obtained from my interviews with staff was the desire to help those with substance abuse issues, which currently the shelter does not allow as a clean drug screen is required to enter the shelter as a resident.
I do believe however that there is tension between specifically the shelter manager and some of the staff that is causing some dysfunction. The case managers stated that she can be very difficult to deal with and I observed this myself as I tried to meet with her and she made it very difficult for me to do so. The only time she ever spoke to me in person it was very short, rude and she did not even speak directly to me, spoke to the receptionist and told her what to tell me even though I was standing right in front of her. Her email responses to my interview questions mirrored this style as they were all very short, to the point, and lacked detail. The case manager’s interviews on the other hand were detailed, thorough and they were more than happy to take time out of their busy schedule to meet with me and were happy to share about their jobs and feelings about the program.
Implications:
My findings can impact the program both positively and negatively. Positively as I believe my observations and interviews confirm the fact that the program is definitely in high demand and it is serving its clients effectively. The staff that works directly with the clients, especially the case managers are hardworking, committed to their jobs and their clients, and do everything they can to help their residents and clients. Overall, this program is functioning very well. The only negative implication of my evaluation is of the shelter manager. I believe there needs to be better communication between the shelter manager and the rest of the staff and better comradery as I believe this would only improve this program more.
Recommendations:
As for my recommendations for this program, I would definitely recommend some kind of professional development or team building to increase comradery and teamwork among the staff. I would also encourage the shelter to continue to provide the excellent service it appears to be giving currently. I believe with all the employees on the same page, the shelter will improve even more and be able to provide even better service. I also believe the shelter should work towards removing the drug test requirement to enter the shelter. I do not believe residents should be allowed to bring drugs into the shelter, but removing the drug screen would allow the shelter to reach more people in need.
Goals and Objectives
- Create more comradery and teamwork, especially between shelter manager and coworkers
- Find time to complete one activity of team building or professional development per quarter to allow staff to interact with each other outside the stressors of work.
- Make sure staff has access to resources about any services they might need, serving others in need can be stressful, it is important for staff to make sure they are taking care of themselves too and not getting burnt out.
- Continue to provide residents and clients with services they need to become independent and find permanent housing while removing the drug screen requirement
- Perform research and demonstrate the need for assisting those with substance abuse issues in the area
- Inform staff and board members about the possible benefits residents with substance abuse could gain from being allowed to receive services
Research:
From my research, the information from the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ website on the Salvation Army Center of Hope program in Charlotte, NC, supports my findings as its rapid rehousing program mirrors some of the policies in place at the Center of Hope Shelter in Winchester, VA. In Winchester, residents are only allowed to stay for 30 days, through using the rapid rehousing program, Charlotte’s shelter has reduced their average stay from six months to 39 days (Salvation, 2018). A major difference in Charlotte and Winchester’s programs is that Charlotte no longer requires a clean drug screen to receive services while Winchester does. This allows the shelter to reach more people in need. One case manager at Center of Hope Winchester explained her desire to be able to serve those struggling with substance abuse. Maybe eventually Winchester’s Center of Hope Shelter will follow the example of locations such as Charlotte and serve everyone, regardless of issues with substance abuse.
References
Salvation Army Center of Hope: Transitioning to a low-barrier shelter model with the primary goal of rapidly exiting people to permanent housing. (2018, December 20). Retrieved from https://endhomelessness.org/resource/salvation-army-center-hope-transitioning-low-barrier-shelter-model-primary-goal-rapidly-exiting-people-permanent-housing/