FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS:

Norm’s Place:  A Shelter for families and single women.
     Norm’s Place provides a base of operations for guests with bathing and laundry facilities, kitchen, family room, a play area for children, a secure outdoor playground, storage lockers for each family, a telephone for use in making appointments, and a computer lab for use in completing employment applications and for the children’s use in completing their homework.  Through a partnership with Springfield City Schools, a tutor visits the shelter four (4) days each week to assist children with their homework and to help them with subjects that are causing them difficulty in school.   Norm’s Place is a 24 hour shelter with nine bedrooms, one being designated for handicapped individuals.  Each family has their own bedroom providing stability and ownership of an area while in the shelter.  This is especially important for the children.  Guests are provided full time case management.

Hartley House:  A Shelter for single men
     On February 21, 2011, the men’s shelter was moved to 440 W. High Street.  Renovation of this new men’s facility was completed in two phases, and has the capability of housing up to 36 single men.   Hartley House provides shelter guests with bathing and laundry facilities, kitchen, common room, storage lockers, a telephone for use in making appointments, and full time case management. 

ILSA:  Independent Living with Supportive Assistance
     IHN manages twenty-two (22) fully furnished housing units for the next step program, Independent Living with Supportive Assistance (ILSA).    This transitional program houses guests from both Norm’s Place and Hartley House for up to two years.  A case manager works closely with the ILSA guests to encourage their progress toward moving into permanent housing that was started while they resided at the shelter.

PHSS:  Permanent Housing with Supportive Services
     IHN has provided Case Management for clients served by this HUD Permanent Housing Program since 2004 and assumed program administration in 2009.  This is a permanent housing with supportive services program for those who are homeless, some who are chronically homeless and have a dual diagnosis which could be mental health issues, substance abuse, or domestic violence.  Currently there are fifteen (15) apartment units, consisting of 11 single and 4 family units.  A full time case manager assists the clients in this program.

 NSP:  Neighborhood Stabilization Program
     IHN applied for and received funding for the NSP program.  A duplex was purchased, renovated and is rented as permanent housing with case management.

 HCRP:  Homeless Crisis Response Program
    IHN has been an active participant in this stimulus program that began November, 2009, and continues through grant monies received to support this HUD initiative.  A case manager is assigned to this important program who interviews those in danger of becoming homeless, provides funds to the landlord in an effort to prevent eviction along with continued case management.  Those who are guests  in the shelter and qualify for housing likewise are assisted with rent, and provided case management that includes  help in setting a budget. 

 

 

BASIC SERVICES PROVIDED:
      Intensive goal setting case management is an important component of IHN's mission to provide guests with the tools required to be self-sufficient members of the community.  To reach their goals, each guest is required to attend necessary classes, i.e., job training, GED, or parenting which have been determined to be necessary during their assessment.  Those who have a history of substance abuse and fail a random drug test are linked to treatment for an assessment.  Weekly follow-up meetings are held with the case managers and changes are made to goals when necessary.  Referrals to other agencies are made as needed.

     When leaving the program, guests are provided with household items and/or furniture to help set up their new home.  These items are made possible through the generous donations of our community.  IHN tracks the success of all guests with follow-up for six months after leaving the program.  In addition, guests are able to return once a week for six months for non-perishable food items provided by IHN’s food pantry.
PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
     While it may be easy to place the homeless in housing, to do so without equipping them with the tools to maintain it is an injustice.  Therefore, the guests of IHN are required to attend various trainings and/or workshops.   This training equips the guests with the confidence that they will be able to move on with their lives as a self-sufficient member of the community.   Of those leaving the program in 2012, 82% moved into permanent housing.