HOUSING AND SERVICES FOR WOMEN In the last five years, the number of women coming to House of Ruth who have a serious mental illness has increased. For these women, an independent, self-sufficient life is an unrealistic, even dangerous, goal. They need daily, ongoing support in order to remain safe and to keep the symptoms of their mental illnesses under control. Without our help, these vulnerable women would quickly wind up on the street again, easy prey for abuse and violence. At New Pathways and Three Sisters, House of Ruth provides permanent supported housing to a total of 25 women who have serious mental illnesses. Three Sisters is located in an apartment building that was formerly occupied by five families who we have moved to a larger site. At Madison, New Beginnings and Unity, we provide service-enriched housing to a total of 85 women daily who are working toward safety, stability and self-sufficiency. The Case Managers work to establish strong, positive relationships with each woman. Based on these relationships, the women participate in a wide variety of services and supports to stabilize the issues that led to homelessness and abuse and acquire the skills for safer, more self-sufficient lives. CHERYL Cheryl lives at one of House of Ruth's service-enriched housing programs for women. When she arrived, she was suffering from depression so severe that she could barely function. Our first priority was to help Cheryl deal with her depression. With the staff's encouragement, Cheryl began seeing the psychiatrist who comes to the program. Staff also made sure that she took her medication every day and got her involved in additional mental health and trauma recovery services. At first, Cheryl’s case manager met with her almost every day to provide counseling and support. Within a few weeks, the combination of the warm, nurturing environment provided by House of Ruth's staff, medication and therapy began to provide Cheryl with some relief from the severity of her symptoms. Today, Cheryl continues to do her part. She is meeting regularly with her case manager and continues in psychotherapy. She also participates in two groups at her House of Ruth residence every week. Cheryl’s case manager and other staff helped her realize that while her situation was difficult, it was not hopeless. With her mental health stabilized, she now has the energy to re-enter the work force. RESULTS House of Ruth sets outcomes for each program to measure the progress the women and children are making toward safety, stability and self-sufficiency. Data is collected and compiled into reports every six months for review by management to ensure that programs are having the intended effects and to identify opportunities to improve. In addition, the progress that each woman makes toward the many milestones that lead to stability and independence is carefully monitored. For example, a woman's sobriety is verified by clean toxicology screens and psychiatric stability is verified by written case notes and consultation with therapists. Here are some key results from the most recent six-month period: • At Unity, 90% of the women sustained sobriety for at least six months. • At New Beginnings, 80% of the women were involved in employment, education and/or training programs that will allow them to become self-sufficient. • At New Pathways, 100% of the women maintained psychiatric stability for at least six months • At Madison, 82% of the women engaged with the services (i.e., met with a case manager, observed the structure, acknowledged a critical issue and had a plan to address it. • At Three Sisters, it is too soon to report results.
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