Transitional Living

This office is located at:
926 "G" Street
open 1-4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
closed holidays

Housing Program for Homeless Families

Families are referred to this program through the ESP Office & various services providers throughout the community. This program is housed in 4 transitional homes in confidential locations, prioritized for families. It is based on a family strengths model with the goal of family self-sufficiency. Bridge House is a large Victorian which serves as an entry home for one and two parent families and, if space permits, single women. Bridge House offers structure & stability to families who are ready to assume more responsibility for developing their strengths & life skills. This program's roots are in the belief that each family can attain the skills and information necessary to make the most informed decisions concerning their family's welfare. It is NOT a 24 hour staffed program and relies on the guests for daily maintenance of the home, sharing of chores, and the building of a support system or "extended family" for the well-being of the home.

During their stay, each family will be matched with a case manager who will assist in individual and family assessment. Short and long term goals will be established and weekly progress charted. During this time, families are expected to participate in a variety of classes including:

  • Money management strategies
  • Problem solving
  • Conflict management
  • Health and nutrition
  • Parenting
  • Stress reduction

In addition to Bridge House, a family may identify needs that require a stay of longer than 30-60 days. After each request for stay is considered, the family may move to one of 2 satellite houses, the "Annex" and "Second Step". These are smaller 2 and 3 bedroom homes where families can continue to develop and demonstrate their self- sufficiency skills with more independence. Here, a family's stay is determined by how well they are meeting their goals and applying newly acquired skills prior to leaving the program.

Safe Haven is Humboldt County's only long term transitional home for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Here the program provides a safe, nurturing place for women and children to begin to identify their strengths and rebuild their dreams. A variety of community organizations provide families with activities and events to re-acquaint families with their community resources. Classes in this program focus on:

  • Health & nutrition
  • Well-being
  • Self-care
  • Family communication
  • Communication building
  • Stress management
  • Anger Management
  • Conflict resolution
  • Legal advocacy
  • Money management
  • Budgeting
  • Educational planning
  • Job development skill
  • Linkages to the community

Redwood Community Action Agency Family Services Division and the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Healthy Moms Program provides a woman-specific perinatal residential treatment program. This program has been developed, in part, as a response to a significant local alcohol and other drug problem, reflected by numerous data indicators that show high levels of abuse of methamphetamine and alcohol, as well as lack of treatment capacity. A significant issue is lack of woman-specific treatment within a 250-mile radius of Humboldt County, and was a primary motivator for this project.

Healthy Haven, offers a perinatal based recovery program for pregnant women and women with children. It offers a 24 hour staffed house, intensive case management and a highly structured recovery program for up to 8 women with a program capacity of 15 women and children. Together we work to strengthen a woman's recovery skills while building family strengths.

The need for women-specific treatment is supported by research that shows women are more successful, in terms of duration in treatment, completion of treatment and abstinence rates, than women in mixed-gender programs. In addition, residential treatment programs for women, where they can live with their children and keep the family intact, also support higher rates of successful treatment completion. The residential treatment approach is key for those women who need more structure and more intensive case management services, and for those with children.

 

Family Services

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