YMCA of Greater TorontoInnovative supports for vulnerable newcomers –

A Case Management Approach

Funded by the Government of Canada

YMCA of Greater Toronto - Coordination

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is a leader in coordination of national and provincial programs across Canada.

Key functions:• Setting and maintaining program standards and policies• Facilitating forums for sharing and learning between delivery sites

nationally and provincially (staff networks, online Wiki tool, trainings)• Centralized client data tracking (ETO database)• Programs are adapted to the needs of each local community partner

Best practices:• Fosters collaboration between program delivery agencies• Establishes clear program objectives and outcomes• Promotes cross learning• Facilitates community capacity building

Client Support Services Program

Since 2006, the YMCA of Greater Toronto has coordinated delivery of the Client Support Services Program, which operates through a collaborative network of delivery agencies across Ontario:

Toronto - COSTI Immigrant ServicesKitchener - Reception House Waterloo RegionLondon - Cross Cultural Learner CentreOttawa - Catholic Centre for ImmigrantsWindsor - Multicultural Council of Windsor & Essex County Hamilton - Wesley Urban Ministries

Objective: provide resettlement services to government-assisted refugees (GARs) through an empowerment-oriented case management and community capacity building model of service delivery.

The program serves 2,300 GAR cases annually (both single and family).Most GARs are considered “high needs” and experience significant challenges in their settlement, adjustment and adaptation.The program provides direct case management supports over a 12 to 18-month period.

Government Assisted Refugee Client Profile

• Previous unstable living conditions, refugee camps, etc.

• Victims of trauma, incarceration, torture or witnessed atrocities

• Many have high physical health (serious and acute conditions) and mental health needs (post-traumatic disorders)

• May have special needs (physical, visual, hearing)

• Little or no fluency in Canada’s official languages

• Range of formal education and work experience

• Little or no financial resources

• Diverse family composition (i.e. extended families and single parents with large number of children)

Outcomes of Client Support Services

• GARs will be able to adapt and adjust to their community faster and more smoothly.

• All youth, seniors, families and individual GARs will be able to deal with life challenges more effectively.

• CSS will help promote personal development and growth and will establish social support networks within each respective community.

• GARs will have improved knowledge of life in Canada and how to access and use local services independently; will have specific access to emotional and mental health support.

• GARs will make progress towards self-sufficiency and ownership of a future personal plan by accessing broader based services in each community and the communities will be more aware of refugee issues and needs of GARs.

The YMCA of Greater Toronto is delivering the National Pilot Project: “A Path to Home: Supporting Housing Needs for Newcomers” addressing the housing needs for newcomers in Toronto, Edmonton and Fredericton.

Coordinator - YMCA of Greater Toronto

Delivery Sites - COSTI Immigrant Services; YMCA of Northern Alberta; Multicultural Association of Fredericton

Supporting Partner – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Canada

Over 28 months, beginning in December 2012, the project proposed to serve 100 newcomer cases (and related families) in a structured delivery model format, tailored to the needs of each community.

The cases are a combination of newcomers (50 in Toronto; 30 in Edmonton and 20 in Fredericton)

A Path to Home: Supporting Housing Needs for Newcomers – Overview

The goal of the pilot is to address three core objectives in a holistic approach through a variety of services and activities as part of the housing continuum:

• Housing Access

• Housing Stabilization

• Eviction Prevention

The pilot project will reduce visible and invisible barriers that newcomers face. The purpose and anticipated end result of this pilot is to explore the possibility of providing immigrants and refugees dedicated access to specialized housing services to prevent homelessness, address ‘hidden’ housing issues, make the transition from homelessness to housing, and in the case of evictions, provide necessary supports as needed.

The core services will be delivered within the framework of the three components of the pilot:

• Case management

• Community capacity building

• Coordination

A Path to Home: Supporting Housing Needs for Newcomers – Overview

The pilot is reaching recent immigrants and resettled refugees who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, and who face multiple barriers to integration - in Canada for more than 1 year and less than 3.

Clients’ Profile

According to the “Defining and Enumerating Homelessness in Canada” report presented to the Parliament of Canada (reviewed in May 2012) by the Social Affair Division, homelessness is a complete and multifaceted issue. Homelessness consists of housing situations ranging from :Rooflessness (living on the street or in emergency shelters)Houselessness (living in various types of shelters or institutions)Insecure housing (living under threat of eviction or violence)Inadequate housing (living in unfit or overcrowded conditions).

Clients’ Profile

Other intersecting barriers that homeless newcomers have:

oLow literacy and/or educationoLow English or FrenchoLimited coping skillsoLong stays in refugee campsoMinimal or no urban living

experienceoDisabilitiesoUnemployment oTraumaoChallenging family dynamicsoIsolationoSingle parentsoLarge family size

Children Youth (13-24) Adult (25+)0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Demographic Profile (Age)

Top 5 Countries of Origin

Buthan/ Nepal Ivory CoastIraqNigeria Burundi

Project Results/Performance Outcomes (as of January 2014)

Performance Indicators – Summary for all Sites

Results

Housing Housing Situation Improvement

64% of cases

Education English classes (ESL)/ English

foundation for adults Post-Secondary Education

60 % attending ESL classes

24% Attending Post- Secondary Education

Employment and Skills Training FT employment PT employment Skills training

26% employed Full-Time 34% employed Part-Time 34% enrolled in Skilled training courses

Capacity Building Process – Creation of Local Advisory Committees

•Assemble - Getting together

•Engage – Building the foundation for working together

•Sustain –Keep partners engaged for the long term

Advisory Committee Partners include representatives of various levels of Government, settlement agencies, corporations that have identified fighting homelessness within their Corporate Responsibility mandate

Capacity Building – Sustainability Approach

Assemble

Engage

Sustain

Thank you!

Contact information:YMCA of Greater Toronto

Adela Colhon(416) 928-3362 ext 22555

Adela.colhon@ymcagta.org