Sheffield Place

Sheffield Place is a treatment and supportive housing program in Kansas city that focuses exclusively on homeless families with multiple barriers to success. These barriers include (2022 data): mental health diagnosis 93%; addiction 92%; living in poverty 100%; domestic violence 57%; felonies 28%; among others. The agency offers a length of stay based on family needs, provides evidence-based, trauma-informed, intensive mental health and addiction recovery services using licensed masters-level therapists, delivers all programming onsite where the families live, and ensures that all services are delivered in keeping with trauma-informed care principles. Continued on schedule o.in 2023, 139 families (296 individuals) were served. Residential services accounted for 109 families. There were 30 families in aftercare/outpatient. Nearly all families originate from Kansas city, Missouri, or eastern jackson county. In all (2023), 56% of clients were white, 32% were black, 12% were mixed race. The goals of the program include: improving mental and physical health, abstaining from alcohol and other drugs, increasing education and employment skills, and securing permanent housing. To advance the mission, Sheffield Place offers four fully-integrated services:residential housing services: each family has a private living unit (24 living units in total) with a private bath in either the main facility (17 living units) or the sevi house (7 units). Families share kitchens and laundry facilities. Families with income pay 30% of their net adjusted income as a program fee; mothers without income perform an additional chore. The agency accepts families with up to six children and ages from birth through 18 years of age. Residential clinical services: mothers receive an hour of therapy and an hour of weekly case management with the requirement that mothers participate in psycho-educational and therapy groups that are offered more than 20 hours each week. Residents observe a nightly curfew; do daily chores; and must be employed, in school, or actively seeking employment. Children take part in the psycho-educational project hope program that is offered during adult services. Aftercare/outpatient clinical services: families that transition successfully to permanent housing in the community may elect to participate in aftercare. These families receive case management services in their homes along with other supportive services. Families may return to the facility for therapy and psycho-social groups. Families in aftercare take part in the agency's social events such as the summer picnic, thanksgiving dinner, the holiday party, among other events. Outpatient services are for families that left the agency before achieving the program goals. Permanent housing services: families in permanent housing also receive supportive services through aftercare. Sheffield Place operates 10 units of permanent housing. Families pay adjusted rent and participate in aftercare. In spite of the dramatic expansion of the number of families served since 2010, Sheffield Place reaches only a small percentage of the overwhelming need. In 2023, 923 families called the agency in search of services. The number of calls was substantially higher than the 505 families that called in 2012. Of all discharges 65% left clean/sober, 51% were housed, 28% were employed. Of those who stayed more than 30 days 83% were clean/sober, 61% housed, and 44% employed. Outcomes for clients in aftercare include 72% maintained income and 87% maintained housing. For the 8th consecutive year, Sheffield Place received the top 4-star (100%) rating from charity navigator, the nation's leading independent rating agency.