Program areas at Sasha Bruce Youthwork
Safe homes: whatever the reason, a young person who needs a place to stay can find a home at Sasha Bruce Youthwork (sby) and supportive services that can lead them back to a more stable and supportive family situation or on a path to true independence and self-sufficiency. Our continuum of care begins with street outreach and drop-in-centers and includes the only homeless shelters for children in the district of columbia and prince george's county, md. Other specialized housing programs meet the varied needs of homeless young people, including mental health challenges, chronic homelessness, and pregnancy and parenting. Recently, we have significantly increased mental health support programming for youth in our housing programs.
Workforce development and education: at Sasha Bruce Youthwork, we empower youth to shape their futures through education and workforce readiness. We provide ged preparation, workforce training, college and career exploration, financial literacy, parenting support, and social-emotional development across all programs. We have recently begun adding dedicated education and employment specialists to our transitional housing programs to intensify client support by helping youth finish their education and obtain and maintain employment.
Life skills and prevention: in the district of columbia and prince george's county, tens of thousands of youth face the risk of homelessness. Sasha Bruce Youthwork aims to prevent homelessness before it starts by providing evidence-based counseling and education that strengthens families, promotes safe sex practices, reduces substance abuse, and enhances healthy life skills. Our school-based programs in wards 7 and 8 high schools are vital to this effort. Additionally, the clay terrace family success center in ward 7 supports youth and families by addressing family trauma and strengthening protective factors to reduce child abuse and family separation. In 2024, we launched a homelessness prevention program in prince george's county and hope to expand it to dc.