HOMELESS CHILDRENS NETWORK
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Mission Statement
The mission of Homeless Children’s Network is to decrease the trauma of homelessness and domestic violence for children, youth, and families; to empower families; and to increase the effectiveness of collaborative efforts among service providers to end homelessness and poverty.
About This Cause
About Homeless Children's Network: In 1992, a collaborative of six emergency family and domestic violence shelters created the Homeless Children’s Network (HCN) to address two needs: first, to address the traumatic effects of homelessness and violence in the lives of young children and their families; and second, to establish a “standard of care” across a variety of shelters and housing programs. Working directly with the community, we help children and families address the root traumas that helped shape their worldviews, explore healthier perspectives, and learn practical non-violent skill sets for managing stress. We do this through comprehensive mental health services, case management, family education and support services, and community leadership. The HCN Collaborative: To promote and maintain a “standard of care”, HCN is the hub of a citywide 52+ member collaborative of service providers including emergency shelters, domestic violence shelters, transitional housing programs, single-room occupancy hotels, permanent supportive housing sites, and other organizations serving homeless families throughout the city. We host monthly meetings and our staff provides training and consultation to member organizations, strengthening our network of relationships throughout the city. We see our network of partnerships as an extension of our organization – our partners enable HCN to reach our clients, provide needed support, and coordinate care within the community. Services: Behavioral Health: We provide direct mental health treatment to families who are homeless, at-risk for homelessness or formerly homeless. Therapy focuses on the strengths of the client and family, and is designed to help clients overcome the traumas of homelessness and domestic violence. Our therapists are mobile, which means we are able to travel anywhere in the city to meet with clients. Appointments are held at HCN’s office, at partner sites, schools, in clients’ homes, libraries, restaurants, or even parks. Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation: By providing mental health consultation and support to providers, we can work to ensure the emotional well-being of young children, ages 0-5 and their families. We provide consultation services to staff at sites serving homeless families, including early care and education centers, licensed family childcare homes, homeless and domestic violence shelters, substance abuse treatment centers, and Family Resource Centers. Homeless Family Resource Center: Our offices in the Bayview include a dedicated Resource Center for homeless children, teens, adults and their families. The Resource Center is a bright, open space with breezy drapes, carpeting, and cozy couches. Neatly presented toys and games, child-sized tables and chairs, and an enormous teddy bear help children recognize that this is a space especially for them. We also provide some basic needs services and support, especially around the holidays. This support takes many forms, including gifts for children, clothing, gift cards and holiday cards, school supplies and linkages to family support resources. Collaborative Training and Coordination: We are the hub of a citywide collaborative, and we facilitate a monthly service provider meeting for our more than 40 partnering agencies throughout city. Trainings on child development, vicarious trauma, parenting skills, culturally competent outreach and service delivery strategies, prevention and intervention best practices, health and well-being for the community, are just a few of the many topics that are covered by our trainings. An additional goal of the monthly service providers meeting is to strengthen the referral and coordination of services in order to enhance the capacity of each collaborating agency to better serve families. Youth Leadership: Our Youth Leadership Committee works to develop and strengthen diverse youth voices as community leaders, and to deepen the partnerships among youth-serving agencies, particularly in the Tenderloin, in order to build their capacity. Homeless, formerly homeless, and at-risk youth ages 16-23 from diverse backgrounds participate in monthly leadership and planning activities, including developing a needs assessment and services assessment that speak to their lives and community.