Saint John's Program for Real Change

The mission of Saint John's Program for Real Change is to provide a safe space for women and children to heal and develop the skills necessary to transform their lives. Our work is guided by a vision to end the generational cycle of trauma and homelessness.program accomplishments:operating the largest residential Program in the greater sacramento region for women and children experiencing homelessness, Saint John's provides services 24 hours/day, 365 days/year. The Program offers shelter, meals, childcare, and comprehensive support services, including behavioral health services, hands-on employment training, career education, and family services. Employment training is provided through two social enterprises: red door desserts and plates catering. Additionally, Saint John's operates a separate female correctional reentry Program for currently incarcerated women. This past year, Saint John's proudly launched a new housing assistance Program providing financial assistance for individuals and families in the sacramento region of all genders who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. This Program makes a tremendous difference when short-term financial support allows a client to avoid homelessness by retaining housing or in cases where funding of a security deposit allows a client to secure permanent housing. Our homelessness diversion Program meets a crucial need in the sacramento region. During the Program's first year, fifteen individuals/families received three months of rental assistance and sixteen individuals/families received one-time assistance to secure permanent housing or prevent homelessness.through our core Program, Saint John's provides the support families need to transition from a state of crisis to one of health, stability, and well-being. Clients face complex, coexisting challenges including substance use, trauma/violence, criminal history, mental health challenges, and lack of a high school diploma. With culturally responsive services tailored to individual needs through weekly case management, Saint John's effectively addresses barriers to employment, housing stability, and personal well-being. The Program recognizes the impact of trauma on an individual's ability to successfully function in all domains of life, and all direct care staff, including childcare providers and workforce trainers, have received training in providing trauma-informed services. Saint John's addresses women-specific barriers to treatment and recovery by housing women with their children, providing no-cost quality childcare, assisting women in keeping or regaining custody of their children, functioning as a domestic violence shelter, and providing gender-specific services. In 2023, Saint John's served 190 adults and 161 children (351 total individuals) for up to 12-months each. In 2023, 68 percent of clients identified as bipoc (26 percent mixed race/other; 29 percent black/african american; 7 percent hispanic/latinx; 1 percent pacific islander; 3 percent asian; 2 percent american indian), and 32 percent white/caucasian. A unique aspect of Saint John's service model is the attention placed on meeting the needs of children to promote long-term protective factors while addressing generational cycles of trauma and homelessness. Our whole family, two-generation approach ensures children are consistently supported as their mothers invest tremendous effort in rebuilding their lives. This past year, Saint John's continued building on the success of our family services programming by instituting regular homework center support hours, implementing a literacy Program for school-aged youth, and continuing to promote school connectivity. Saint John's also secured several grant awards that will support further growth in the years ahead, including additional teen-specific programming, targeted children's case management, and additional clinical services to strengthen family functioning and reunification success. Through active community collaboration, Saint John's also began increasing access to Program services by directly receiving client referrals from the 24/7 housing crisis line at 2-1-1, part of the coordinated access system (cas) for shelter and crisis resources in the sacramento region. Saint John's Program for Real Change is meeting the needs of vulnerable members of our community, addressing the root causes of homelessness by providing tools for success and a safe space for women and children to heal. With the need for homeless services at a record high in the sacramento region, Saint John's is uniquely situated to serve unhoused families in our community.