What We Do
Homeless Youth Advocacy
Our team reaches out to unhoused youth where they are and provides them with access to housing, mental health services, job placement, and college support, as well as clothing and other necessities.
Our community-based program is built on several principles: (1) services need to be based on evaluations and customized to the needs of each youth, (2) most, if not all, of the youth we serve have been victimized and traumatized, therefore trauma-informed care is essential to their recovery, (3) hard work, participation and accountability are critical and required, and, (4) the services we offer must be client-centered, with the goals for each participant self-identified and supported by case management.
Our goal is to help youth become self-sufficient and therefore partner with over 65 service-providing community organizations that specialize in mental health support, housing and shelter placements, employment opportunities, services for youth with disabilities, addiction treatment and domestic violence support.
Our Vision Is To Ensure That Every Young Adult In San Diego County Has The Resources And Support Necessary To Live A Healthy And Productive Life Off The Streets.
OUTREACH
Twice weekly, trained professionals and volunteers from Doors of Change™ comb the streets and beaches around San Diego County, engaging with young people who appear to be homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Offering water, socks, and sleeping bags provides the opportunity to engage youth in a conversation about what Doors of Change™ has to offer and encourage them to reach out to one of our case managers. Youth are treated with dignity and without judgment. Over 8,000 young people have interacted with the Outreach Team in the past five years.
CASE MANAGEMENT
Once youth are ready to accept more support, they engage with a Doors of Change™ case manager who helps them develop individual action plans. From accessing state IDs and Medi-Cal insurance to enrolling in job training programs or primary health care, case management services are available to all Doors of Change™ participants and are designed to help youth transition from the streets to permanent housing and self-sufficiency by connecting them with the multitude of community resources available to them. Hundreds of youth each year are connected to housing, employment, medical care, and mental health and addiction treatment services.
YOUTH ADVOCACY
Successful Case Management can look different from individual to individual, but each client should be moved closer to safe, permanent housing. While our hope for every one of our clients is that they can find stable, long-term housing, sometimes they are just not ready. We must meet these clients where they are and address their immediate needs, including addiction, profound mental illness, and domestic violence.
While success for one client could mean placement in permanent housing, success for another could mean the proper referral to an addiction support program, a qualified mental health provider, or a program that deals with domestic violence. Success means giving clients the information they need to make safer choices on the street until they are ready to trust the case management process and devote their energy wholeheartedly to working with us.
Our Homeless Youth Advocacy Program (HYAP) Is Offered At No Cost To Participants, And Depends On The Generosity Of Donors And Businesses Who Believe In The Importance Of This Work.
Support homeless youth when they need you most.
Your unrestricted gifts enable us to provide immediate shelter, case management, and life-changing ongoing support for Homeless Youth in San Diego County.
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