Events & Programs

Overview

Standing on the Word Outreach (SOW) provide parents, youth, and the homeless population of the greater Bay Area with essential tools to better deal with conflicts, anger management and both physical and verbal abuse. The program will include activities for the prevention of gang violence, prevention of teen pregnancy, one on one counseling, support groups, crisis intervention, health education and treatment. S.O.W. has utilize volunteer health professionals to help organize and support our activities. We are faith-based organization ready to implement wellness through spirituality which can also aid in recovery process for the homeless community, the working poor, and marginalized families. We have financial processes in place in the organization to keep us accountable and fiscally responsible.

The TTS Program:

SOW Outreach is uniquely qualified to implement this project because over time they have established a great level of trust within these encampments and working relationships with camp leaders. They have provided basic needs and other physical, emotional, and spiritual health supports at seven homeless encampments since the year 2000. In addition, the majority of SOW Outreach’s leadership and staff team have 'walked in the shoes' and experienced many of the personal and systemic challenges that combine to foster chronic homelessness. Having risen above these challenges, SOW Outreach personnel not only represent life-changing examples of what's possible but also have the 'street smarts' and empathy that more formal private and public sector agencies and systems often lack. SOW Outreach has established numerous formal and informal working relationships with a variety of community-based organizations ready and willing to supply services needed by the chronically homeless.

In addition, SOW Outreach is also strongly ‘value driven’ in their approach to working within these communities. For example, while they are comfortable providing for the basic needs of this population, they draw the line at providing supports that help them maintain their current living situations. Therefore, they will not provide tents or tarps or other assists that support making the encampments more permanent. SOW Outreach’s philosophy is to set an expectation of accountability of its clients from a compassionate angle. “Care-fronting,” not confronting.

Program Description

The Tiers To Success (TTS) program is designed to support enrolled individuals in progressing through the following 4 steps or “Tiers:”

Tier 1: Intake: SOW Outreach will identify homeless individuals living in encampments who desire to change their living situation and willing to enroll in the TTS program. An assessment is conducted and an individual service plan is created for each enrollee.

Tier 2: Detox: Enrollees with substance abuse and/or mental health issues are then connected up with substance abuse treatment providers and mental wellness services appropriate to their level of need.

Tier 3: Restoration: Enrollees will be offered a wide range of self-sufficiency and skill-building resources appropriate to their individual needs, including access to public benefits, job preparation skills, and temporary housing placements, to name a few.

Tier 4: Aftercare: Enrollees who have successfully completed Tiers 1 - 3 will be provided continued support for 6-months after “Graduation” to help them obtain and maintain housing and engage in income generating and/or community service activities as they stabilize their situations.