In the Spotlight: The Santa Maria Emergency Shelter and Family Shelter

The Santa Maria Emergency Shelter and Family Shelter

By Layne Harlow, Program Manager

WHO ARE WE & WHERE ARE WE:

The Santa Maria Emergency Shelter and the Family Shelter are on the 401 W. Morrison Campus. We consist of 15 staff and run a 24-hour program. Tyneka Smith is the Program Coordinator for the Family Shelter. Our amazing Case Managers are Rosa Media Tell, Ana Saucedo, and Maria Trujillo. Our clients meet with their Case Managers and Program Coordinator weekly to work on everything from getting them document-ready for housing opportunities, finding job opportunities, and assisting the client in any way needed to get back on their feet. We also have about 27 children between the two programs, bringing us so much joy to have the kids a part of our shelter family.

WHO DO WE SERVE:

We serve clients from Santa Maria, ensuring that individuals in our local community are safe and have a comfortable environment to call home. We guarantee that all clients are run through Megan’s Law to ensure that we do not accept any sex offenders. Keeping the children on campus safe is priority.

WHAT DO WE DO:

We provide a safe and stable environment for clients to receive case management support. We also have a Substance Abuse Coordinator who assesses all new clients to determine if the client needs support with any addiction issues. If a client is struggling with an addiction problem, we either enroll them in a daily outpatient drug and alcohol program at Casa De Famlia, or possibly have them enter a recovery program such as Detox or the TC House. We also have a part-time transporter who can transport clients to appointments, such as getting their ID at the DMV or taking a client to a job interview, which has become a key role for the shelter as a whole to have a designated staff person that the Case Manager can request to help assist their clients with specific tasks.

On campus, we offer a Day Habilitation program Monday-Friday from 8 am to Noon. A popular program, Day Habilitation, allows clients to have a safe spot to spend their mornings and learn new skills. Day Habilitation can assist clients in budgeting, job searching, creating resumes, and all-around life skills. One of our Mental Health Clinicians does a group on Wednesdays, and the clients enjoy this. This time of the year, the program is gardening and teaching the clients about growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The clients enjoy being outside, working with their hands in the dirt, and then seeing the fruits of their labor. We also offer a Culinary Program and a Barista Program.

As an extra incentive, clients can earn “Shelter Bucks” for acts of kindness and pitching around the shelter. We have a store called the Goody Grab, where clients may then use their shelter bucks to purchase treats and various items such as phone chargers and headphones. The teenagers on campus enjoy being able to help out in a small way and then reward themselves with a soda or something fun. It is a great incentive for clients, and staff enjoy rewarding clients for their cooperation.

HOW TO GET INTO THE EMERGENCY SHELTER?

Our shelter is on a first-come, first-served basis, where clients must come in person and do a brief screening with a staff member to ensure bed availability and that our shelter meets the client’s needs.

HOW TO GET INTO THE FAMILY SHELTER?

Families are pulled from the Emergency Shelter to participate in the Family Shelter. The Family Shelter works closely with CWS on getting parents and children reunified. We love to celebrate our clients' successes.