About Covenant House — Youth Transitional Housing Toolkit 10 CONTINUUM OF CARE OF CONTINUUM FIG.2 COVENANT HOUSE COVENANT

There are also two toll-free crisis lines for youth in the US, and that answer answer Mexico that and in US, the Canada youth for crisis lines toll-free also are two There calls a year. of thousands of tens These core services are made of a large array of programs, depending upon the city and city upon the depending programs, of array of a large servicesmade These core are employment support, educational healthcare, housing, shelters, emergency needs, including legal services, mental prevention, and treatment drug skills training, abuse and readiness supports. health services, aftercare and skills training life Covenant House has three core services that make up their Continuum of Care, including including Care, of services their Continuum up make core three has that House Covenant services), drop-in services, and support outreach community (including Outreach Street (longer- Passage of Rights beds) and shelter short-term emergency, (including Crisis Program housing). transitional term Covenant House is one of the best-known international charities helping homeless youth. It It youth. homeless helping charities international the best-known of one is House Covenant youth. exploited and homeless in the for funded charity privately alsois the largest 50,000 youth than serves more House Covenant priests, Franciscan in 1972, by Founded Central America (Anchorage, and Mexico States, the in Canada, United in 21 cities a year City, Mexico , , , Lauderdale, Fort , City, Atlantic , Louis, St. , Oakland, Orlando, York, , New Newark, Altas, Milpas D.C.). Washington, and Vancouver, , , Covenant House International About About Covenant House — Youth Transitional Housing Toolkit 11 ) ROP Participant Guide and speak and to Guide Participant CHV) ROP ( Vancouver’s House Covenant CHI) and (

Sanctuary means that ROP is meant to be a safe place for all. Our staff are committed committed are all. Our staff for place be to a safe meant is ROP that Sanctuary means Homeless kids arriving at our door are often frightened and mistrustful. Young men and men Young mistrustful.and frightened often are door our at kids arriving Homeless Homeless kids come to Covenant House in crisis. Immediately and without question, we question, without and in crisis. Immediately House Covenant to kids come Homeless

SANCTUARY IMMEDIACY to maintaining an environment where all the residents can feel secure, build trust, and be trust, free secure, build and feel can all the where residents environment an maintaining to You this environment. creating to contribute to has Everyone pressure. negative and abuse of willYou be unsafe. or emotionally physically feeling are you if once at staff inform should the sanctuary others. of threaten that behaviours expected from refrain to CHV: CHI: them from protects House secure – Covenant and when they safe feel only grow can women of security. sense important that offers the and perils the street of Immediacy also means that communication about needs and other important issues should should issues important other needs and about communication that Immediacy also means keep should you but Worker, Youth Key your with meetings regular will have You be timely. able be might staff that dealing with something are you whenever informed duty on the staff your about (e.g. you with recognizesomething need to address the staff When with. help to expect they can will that you do so promptly. plan) your or behaviour Immediacy means that needs are addressed as quickly as possible. ROP is staffed 24 staffed is ROP possible. as quickly as addressed needs are that Immediacy means CHV: support. for ask to talk to or to available someone have always you so that hours, CHI: medical attention, clothes, clean meal, a shower, needs – a nourishing meet their basic human the street. of the dangers from away place a safe and These principles are important for an agency to consider as it develops its program. As anAs program. its it develops as to consider agency an for important are principles These House all to Covenant apply that philosophies key are there organization international contrast The programs. multiple agency with be truemay a large with The same agencies. presented is the principles interpreted has Vancouver House in which Covenant the way with and understanding their own create may agency an within a program how you show to here principles. the broader of implementation Covenant House International International House Covenant from come citations the below, principles the five outlining In website ROP. of in the work out plays these principles of each how The work of all Covenant Houses is governed by five core principles, which are built into the into built are which principles, core five by governed is Houses of all Covenant work The that work tointegral the are so principles The training. staff delivery and program philosophy, procedures. policies and also embeddedthey into are Five Basic Principles Basic Five About Covenant House — Youth Transitional Housing Toolkit 12 At CHV, we support your right and responsibility to make choices for your own life. life. own your for choices make to responsibility and right your support we CHV, At If you have been staying at the CHV Crisis Program, you have experienced structure have you the CHV Crisis Program, at been staying have you If Moving away from street values and developing a healthy set of personal values is part is personal values set of healthy a developing and values street from away Moving Homeless kids never know how they will get their next meal or where they they where will will meal their next or how sleep. get know kids never Homeless Lying, cheating, and stealing are common survival tools on the street. Covenant House House Covenant survival the street. on tools common are stealing and cheating, Lying, CHOICE STRUCTURE VALUE COMMUNICATION VALUE CHV: will We things. other doing not by certain and things doing by every choices day, make You the little all of recognizing and you, to open are that the options in exploring you support that a plan in forming will you also support We every make to day. have you that choices you help to is staff of work of the Part dreams. and preferences own your on based you, fits with you empower Our to goal is make. you that choice each of results the possible evaluate decision-making. positive skills for and information Young people often feel powerless to control their lives and fall into a self-defeating a self-defeating falland into lives their to control feel powerless often people CHI: Young to in believe people young encouraging confidence, fosters House Covenant failure. cycle of their lives. for choices smart make and themselves For example, once on your own you will be able to live by a budget, get enough sleep, get to get sleep, enough get a budget, by will live to be you able own your on once example, For dishes, will decide do your when you destructive triggers to behaviours, avoid time, on work is facilitated independently structure to setting move The gradual etc. will study when you the of more and more the steps, through move you As program. the ROP of the six steps by you. lies with responsibility You will be involved in the process of setting expectations for yourself as you identify goals you as yourself for expectations setting of in the process will be involved You you by the time is aim that those The goals. toward working for take responsibility you as and are that self-discipline and the routines up setting and in deciding practice will have you leave, do so to independently. continue can soyou you to important in the form of strict schedules and rules that are needed for establishing stability in that in that stability establishing needed for are rules strict and that of schedules in the form by be followed must rules and that alsoschedules some are there ROP, At environment. internalized. be and to individualized also is structure meant but everyone, CHV: Covenant House provides the stability and structure necessary to build a positive future. necessary structure a positive build and to the stability provides House Covenant of the work of ROP participants. Honesty, caring, accountability and mutual respect are values respect are mutual and accountability caring, Honesty, participants. ROP of the work of model. and live all to we strive that CHI: CHV: CHI: honesty. based trust, respect, and on are relationships caring that example by teaches About Covenant House — Youth Transitional Housing Toolkit 13 ).

Bruce Rivers, Executive Director, Covenant House Toronto House Covenant Director, Executive Rivers, Bruce — “The whole Covenant approach is that we would basically sit down, contract with contract down, sit basically would we that is approach “The Covenant whole the they’re that and here be to choice their it’s that understanding person, young the together plan that piece we basically, But plan. the drive and focus to have that ones way.” the along it customize We person. young that for work will that a way in

When a youth comes to our doors, we make a covenant, or a promise, to support them support to a promise, or a covenant, make we doors, our to comes a youth When them, with principles guiding our share We independence. to every the way of step communicating and modeling sanctuary, and care immediate providing which include House (Covenant choices helpful and structure offering as well as values, positive website Toronto

These plans are particularly important for the Rights of Passage program and willand be explored program Passage of the Rights for particularly important are plans These on. detail later in greater

Every Covenant House creates a ‘covenant’ with each young person. The word covenant covenant word The person. each young with a ‘covenant’ creates House Every Covenant a relationship agreement, a mutual involve “Covenants CHV says, together’. coming ‘a means doing.” to committed they are what out in which party each lays Worker. their Youth with a plan create rules to and follow to required are youth return, In alternative an or work education, include could and the youth to individualized is Each plan overallgoal is The health concerns. other health or mental focused addictions, plan on in the community. life productive and a healthy live to the youth enable to independence Covenanting with the Youth "We would basically sit down, contract with the young person, understanding that it's their choice to be here and that they're the ones that have to focus and drive the plan."

-Bruce Rivers, Covenant House Toronto About Covenant House — Youth Transitional Housing Toolkit 15 Vancouver, BC. Vancouver,

). There are also a high number of youth who have “aged have who youth of number also a highare ). There website Vancouver House Covenant Toronto, ON. Toronto, Following the continuum of care model both Covenant House Toronto and Covenant House House Covenant and Toronto House model both Covenant care of the continuum Following but betweenthe varyThese by supports. location, different a variety of provide Vancouver training employment education, , counselling, 24/7 crisis care, include sites two to from they as move youth support and housing transitional assistance, and young person’s increase each to and life-skills build confidence to work They independence. success. greater achieve to ability and Vancouver Overview Vancouver and brought that varyHouse and needsevents in the servedare by Covenant that youth The 70%) as much (as youth of a majority Vancouver, and both Toronto For seekthem to shelter. In home. of their out had or been kicked sexualabuse and/or emotional physical, fled have serious with presenting youth of “in been increase has thenumber an there years recent more seen in Vancouver the youth half of as many as including issues”, addictions health and mental ( an estimated report that agencies The go. to place no have and system care the foster of out” the sex trade of form in some been involved have with they people work the young 30% of sexual to subjected exploitation. and/or Covenant House Toronto Toronto House Covenant About Covenant House — Youth Transitional Housing Toolkit 16 54 beds in the Crisis Program (30 for males and 24 for females) 24 for males and (30 for 54 beds in the Crisis Program 12 males and (13 for program Housing Transitional Passage 25 beds of in the Rights females) for 94 shelter beds (58 for males and 36 for females) 36 for males and beds (58 for 94 shelter 10 males and (18 for program Housing Transitional Passage 28 beds of in the Rights females) for » » » » » » » » COVENANT HOUSE VANCOUVER (CHV) VANCOUVER HOUSE COVENANT COVENANT HOUSE TORONTO (CHT) TORONTO HOUSE COVENANT Covenant House Vancouver currently has: currently Vancouver House Covenant During the fiscal year 2013-2014, a total of 1,375 youth accessed the youth servicesof 1,375 Duringtotal of the fiscal 2013-2014, a year Covenant and shelter (food, counselling, support ongoing the provides agency and Vancouver House in Vancouver. living youth 700 homeless the approximately to clothing) Covenant House Vancouver opened in September 1997 with 12 beds and was full was 12 beds 1997 with September in opened and Vancouver House Covenant House Covenant by initially full Supported ever since. remained CHV has immediately. of the streets on living youth of high numbers of a crisis address to formed CHV was Toronto, youth. for supports housing transitional and shelter of a lack and Vancouver There are about 250 youth coming and going every day. everygoing day. and coming youth 250 about are There Covenant House Toronto currently has: currently Toronto House Covenant Covenant House Toronto was the second international Covenant House site and opened inopened and site House Covenant international the second was Toronto House Covenant agency youth homeless largest The Carter. Cardinal the late idea of an from 1982, stemming and City) York New (after the in world House Covenant largest the second CHT is in Canada, it since served CHT has 90,000 youth about annually. people 3,000 young of serves average an doors. its opened