understanding and communicating with families
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
Understanding & Communicating With
Families
Natasha Davis, Izabela Andova, Pamela Spice, Alexa Callitsis, Rebecca Tabone
Birkdale Residence Is A Lot Like Home For Some People
Alot of people have their own thoughts on teen pregnancy. Some negative some positive. Teen pregnancy is on the rise, for many different reasons.We wanted to show the different support systems available to youth who might need a hand by offering support,food and shelter for teens during pregnancy.
Why We Chose This Facility & Why...
Mandate Of The AgencyAt Birkdale shelter our mission is to provide women and their families temporary shelter
and ensuring support and maintaining permanent housing solutions. Our number one goal is to eliminate homelessness and promote independence and stability. In the end our goal
is to put ourselves out of business.
Toronto Hostel Services Birkdale Residence
Birkdale Residence gives women and their children, and also refugee
families a safe place to stay when they have no home of their own.
Birkdale Residence has three locations in the City, the main one is in
Scarborough. Each family has their own room with beds, fridge and a
microwave. They share kitchens and laundry rooms. Families get
money to buy food and take care of cooking and cleaning. Each
residence has 24-hour help for families if they need it and residence
workers try to help them to get into.
http://www.toronto.ca/housing/sock/birkdale.htm
Services Birkdale Provides:
● Short term emergency shelter
● Food allowance
● Counceling services
● Capacity is around 200
● Child care and children`s program
● Child advocacy
● Case management
● Housing Connections- and help after they move in
● Community Partner- assistance with housing search and also application process
● Workshops about parenting, life skills and getting a job
● Family programs for refugees
What Are The Barriers?
● Curfew- 12am:weekdays 2am: weekends
● Typically suited for women with children, robertson house focuses more on pregnant women.
● Their located in scarborough, this may cause separation problems and a lot of adjusting especially if the residence are not from the scarborough area.
● They offer stoves on each floor for the residents to use but they are only open at certain times for a certain amount of time.
● Absolutely no men, and no boys after the age of 12-13 (grade nine)
Accessibility● They have a partnership with public health.
● They work closely with Robertson house. (Robertson house helps pregnant women and women with children.)
● Controlled entries ( cameras, key access) and monitors who comes in and out (log sheets)
● The residence receive PNA's (Personal Needs Allowances)
● They make programs based on their residents needs.
● Residents go through central intake to see what shelter/services would be most beneficial to them.
● There is no waiting list.
● Wheelchair accessible.
● TTC accessible.
Community Outreach/ Follow-up
● This provincially-funded pilot is managed and administered
by Shelter, Support and Housing Administration in
partnership with Toronto Employment and Social Services.
● Housing support workers provide extensive follow-up to
help people move towards stable housing.
Toronto Hostel Services Birkdale Residence
● Eligibility: Homeless women 16 years and over with children, pregnant single woman in last trimester or woman with children in the care of children`s aid society- refugee claimant families
● Languages of the service: English; interpreters may be arranged for other languages
● Physical access: Wheelchair accessible building including main entrance and barrier free washrooms
● Fees: None
● Hours: Monday - Sunday (24 hours)
Clients come from Central Intake only. For help please call 311 or Central Intake at 416-338-4766 or toll-free in Toronto 1-877-338-3398.
For more information on Birkdale Residence, contact Holly Kensey, Manager at 416-392-5670 or e-mail [email protected].
Website: www.toronto.ca/housing/index.htm
Birkdale Residence1229 Ellesmere RoadToronto M1P 4V8416-392-5650