Fort Lauderdale Services
FORT LAUDERDALE SERVICES
FORT LAUDERDALE SERVICES
Residential & Supportive Services
Shelter Services
CHF shelter services, Fort Lauderdale, offers a safe haven that immediately provides for youths’ basic human needs and urgent medical care . Youth receive a nutritious meal, are provided a shower, receive clothes, and sleep in a warm, safe bed. CHF provides trauma-informed, youth-positive, and strength-based services. Youth also receive information on our other programs and get case management services to help them secure more permanent housing. CHF provides caring relationships based on trust, respect, and honesty which we believe offer youth the best environment to prosper. The shelter serves youth ages 18-22 including pregnant and parenting youth and their babies.
Mental Health Services
Many youths we serve who have lived on the streets, typically have a history of trauma and neglect which forced them to the streets. As a result, they often face mental health challenges
ranging from depression, drug addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Youth who suffer from severe and persistent mental illness receive or are referred to psychiatric and medication management services.
Our clinical services team is experienced in trauma-informed care
and provide a variety of treatment services for our youth.
Individual Counseling: Every youth who enters our doors receives an assessment and an weekly action plan. After the initial assessment, that youth starts evidenced based behavioral health therapy (CBT, Trauma and Solution Focused Treatment, Strength Based) so that he/she can begin to deal with the trauma that prevents them from coping and functioning independently.
Group Counseling: Group Counseling sessions are provided for youth during group sessions, youth are encouraged to talk about their situations and share their experience with other group members. Through sharing, trust and bonds are created and healing can begin.
Family Therapy: Interventions and supports are provided to youth and their families when the option of family reunification is a potential housing goal. This type of intervention assists families and youth to develop greater coping skills, manage stressors, and help to explore unresolved grief and loss issues.
Medical Health
Covenant House Florida (CHF) provides an on-site health program
which recognizes and responds to the actual and potential health and medical problems of youth experiencing homelessness. Staffed with a board certified family nurse practitioner and registered nurse, the health services department is open Monday through Sunday, so that each youth admitted to the CHF shelter receives a physical examination/health assessment within 72 hours of intake. The youth receive a variety of services including: Health and Substance Abuse Assessments, physical examinations, laboratory tests (i.e. HIV, pregnancy, and tuberculosis), HIV/STD counseling, pre-and post-natal care, and referrals to other health care providers.
Parenting Education Support Program
Covenant House Florida provides a Circle of Security program for pregnant or young parents. The parents receive a range of instruction that includes but is not limited to: Childbirth and Post-Partum Care, Prenatal health and development, Infant feeding including breastfeeding, Parenting infants and toddlers, Child development, Women’s health, and adoption counseling.
Workforce Development
Covenant House Florida offers job readiness training and case management through our Y.E.S. (Youth Enrichment Services) program. The Job readiness Training program
features a curriculum of interactive classes on topics including: Interviewing, Resume’ and applications, Team Work, Career Planning, Work Ethic, Conflict Management, and Communication.
In addition to offering job search support to the youth CHF offers onsite internship opportunities
through the Heart Serve program to gain verifiable work experience. Youth access a professional clothing closet and receive transportation assistance.
Education Services
Covenant House Florida provides an on-site GED program
helping youth to complete and continue their education. Youth receive services by a certified teacher. The program offers tutoring, mentoring, assistance with testing fees, and access to computers. For those students who attend schools in the community, CHF also partners with Broward County Public Schools to ensure youth successfully transition to their home school setting.
The Life Skills and Independent Living program
focuses on skill building with the youth by providing education on daily livings skills, self -empowerment, and positive recreation. Classes such as household management, and financial literacy are a few examples of the skills that many of the youth receive to facilitate their progress towards independent living.
Housing Programs
Rights of Passage Apartment Living (ROPAL)
– CHF’s transitional housing program offers youth up to two years of independent living
in a furnished apartment with supportive case management. They learn to save money and budget to pay rent, utilities, and other necessities. They save their money for their first apartment and focus on earning a living wage.
Rights of Passage 2 (ROPII)
– CHF’s Rapid Re-housing program
provides housing assistance along with supportive services. Case managers work with youth and local landlords to find appropriate apartments, then assist youth with move-in costs, rental assistance and weekly case management to ensure success. This program offers assistance up to one year. During their stay CHF provides an ever-lowering percentage of their rent until they are paying the full amount. Youth are responsible for the rest of their bills and personal expenses.
