This PLACES client is among more than 100 clients, residents and tenants whose achievements will be acknowledged during the annual PLACES Recognition Reception Feb. 22.
 

Annual Recognition Reception is a grand celebration of progress
by residents, clients and tenants
of PLACES

Five years ago, a client in the PLACES Supportive Living Program was scared to handle life on her own. She was anxious, lacked self-confidence and worried about others judging her. But today things are much different, says Marie Warren, the client’s advisor at PLACES.

“Now she trusts herself, budgets her money and stays on top of her appointments – she’s even started to ride the bus on her own,” Marie said. “She’s acquired her own apartment with the help of Miami Valley Housing Opportunities, and she keeps a very beautiful home. I’ve even heard her encourage other clients who need to know about services and support groups. She wants to see people do well and have the success she’s had.”

To celebrate and honor her progress, this client will receive a Reach for Recovery Award during the 13th annual PLACES Recognition Reception, 2–4 p.m. Feb. 22, at David’s United Church of Christ in Kettering. And because she has reached her goals and can live independently in the community, she also will graduate from the PLACES Supportive Living Program. During the reception, her achievements – and those of more than 100 other clients, residents and tenants of PLACES – will be recognized.

“Most of the people we serve have never gotten positive recognition for anything,” explained Judith Patterson, director of client services for PLACES. “Recognizing them at our annual reception makes them feel like they are part of a community and have some value in society, and encourages them to continue working on their issues.”

Besides conferring Supporting Living Program graduation certificates and Reach for Recovery Awards, which honor those who have taken small or large steps toward their recovery, PLACES will give additional awards to residents, clients and tenants who are striving to be their best:
• The Vocational Award, for those who worked in paid employment or participated in a vocational training program, since employment is an important component of recovery and vital to self-esteem.
• The Educational Award, for those who are working on their GED diplomas, in traditional high school programs, or in college-level or technical courses. Education is another goal of recovery because it prepares individuals for a better life.
• The Community Service Award, for those who volunteer to help in peer support programs, animal shelters, church groups and other activities.

In addition, one resident in each Adult Care Facility will receive a Resident of the Year award; one tenant in each Housing First facility will receive a Tenant of the Year award; and one client in the Supportive Living Program will receive the Client of the Year award. “These significant awards honor those who have made the most progress during the year,” Judith said.

The honorees sometimes invite family members or their community psychiatric support specialist to celebrate with them, Judith said.

“If we can create a different path for these individuals – encouraging them to make progress toward their goals – we will reduce the need for long and expensive hospitalizations and keep people away from the drug and alcohol culture and the criminal justice system,” she said. “Ultimately, it’s the humane thing to do: to treat people as individuals instead of diagnoses and problems.”

Left to right: Two PLACES Housing First tenants celebrate their achievements with Bruce Wynn, manager of Tangy Court, at the 2011 Recognition Reception.

 

Alma Powell, who chairs the Bingo fundraiser at the Eagles Wright Aerie No. 2641, announces the first donation to benefit residents at the PLACES Trotwood Residential Adult Care Facility in 2009. Accepting the check is Vivian Johnson, manager at Trotwood, accompanied by seven residents.

Men living at the Trotwood
Residential Adult Care Facility
are grateful for new home furnishings
donated by the Eagles

Connie Curry of Trotwood – whose son Marc has lived at the PLACES Trotwood Residential Adult Care Facility since 2007 – believes in “people helping people.” That’s the motto of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, an international nonprofit organization that raises funds for people who need help. And that’s why Connie introduced her fellow Eagles members to PLACES several years ago.

“I told the Eagles about the exceptional care Marc is getting at PLACES – he did not have the structure, responsibility and self-confidence he has now – and they received PLACES with open arms,” said Connie, a member of the Eagles Wright Aerie No. 2641.

The Eagles helped PLACES by donating a portion of the funds raised through its Bingo and Quarter Auction games to directly benefit residents at the Trotwood Residential Adult Care Facility. Since 2009, PLACES has received more than $4,400 in donations from the Eagles Wright Aerie and the Charity Fund of the Ohio State Eagles. 

Some residents accompanied Vivian Johnson, manager at Trotwood, and Rita Morrow, a PLACES staff member, when they came to an Eagles meeting in 2009 to accept the first donation.

“Everyone at the Eagles could see how the PLACES staff treats the residents, and how well taken care of they are,” Connie said. “The fact that PLACES staff brought the men with them showed they really cared. Several of our Eagles volunteers said, ‘I want my money to go to PLACES.’”

Most of the donated funds to date have been used for new home furnishings such as a television, DVD player, leather sofa, coffee and end tables, a microwave and a computer printer. Vivian said the men decide together how to spend the funds.

“With these funds, we are able to purchase new items the men have on their wish list,” Vivian said. “Donations allow us to do better things for the men who live here.”

Vivian said the men shop with her. “It gives them the experience of being semi-independent and choosing something they would like in their home, because it is their home,” she explained. “So it builds their self-esteem. They take extra special care of things they know came from people who care about them.”

Bruce Wynn, manager of Tangy Court, a PLACES Housing First facility, has presided at four memorial services for PLACES residents and tenants who have passed away over the last few years.

PLACES holds memorial services to celebrate and honor the lives of residents and tenants who pass away

Several years ago a longtime resident of Gascho Gardens, a PLACES Residential Adult Care Facility, died of cancer – but the family had no resources for a funeral. So the staff at PLACES organized a memorial service outside on a hot August afternoon. Some PLACES employees who were also clergy members volunteered to make the ceremony special.

“We did this both because we cared very much about this resident, and because we wanted her family to have a service in her memory,” said Judith Patterson, director of client services for PLACES.

Immediately afterward, the Bereavement Committee at PLACES was born.

“Many of our residents and tenants are with us for many years, so they become part of our family,” Judith explained. “We care for them and we care about them. But some of them have no family, or the family is not emotionally or financially prepared to take care of a funeral or plan any kind of a remembrance. So it’s important for us to help them, and for our staff to have the opportunity to mourn our losses.”

Bruce Wynn, the manager at Tangy Court, a PLACES Housing First facility, is also the pastor at St. Paul’s African Methodist Episcopal Church in Urbana, Ohio. He’s delivered the eulogies at four memorial services on-site at PLACES for residents and tenants who have passed away.

“I try to help ease the pain of the loss because the hardest thing is letting someone go,” said Bruce, who often reads a Scripture passage that relates to the character of the person who has died. “I try to bring comfort.”

Empathy is one of the core values at PLACES, Bruce said, and “we try to express that to family members through the service and remind them that their loved one will not be forgotten.”

PLACES also transports fellow residents and tenants who want to attend a service since “many of them in different facilities know each other because they were once on the streets together,” he explained. 

Holding memorial services shows that PLACES does more than just house people, Bruce said. “We try to give them a better quality of life, and the support we give continues, even in death,” he said. “We try to put the humanity back into it because the people we serve are just as important as everyone else.”

Judith agreed. “We value every life that touches us, and these memorial services are one way we acknowledge that,” she said. “Family members are grateful for the support and that someone is prepared to do this for them. ”
 

Tracey Jones has been promoted to residential service coordinator, a new position at PLACES.
 

Residential Service Coordinator
Tracey Jones is working to further
improve the quality of care
for residents and tenants

Residential Service Coordinator Tracey Jones met with a woman in January – who was living outside under a railroad trestle – to invite her to move into a PLACES Housing First apartment. When Tracey went to hug her, the woman said, “I smell really bad; you may not want to hug me.” But Tracey hugged her anyway.

Working with people who are homeless is part of Tracey’s new role as residential service coordinator for PLACES. Since joining PLACES in 1995, Tracey has worked primarily with the Residential Adult Care Facilities, first as assistant coordinator, then coordinator and then assistant director. So immersing herself in the Housing First Program is a priority.

“Tomorrow I am doing tenant interviews at a church that provides a hot meal to the homeless,” said Tracey, who was working in January to place new tenants in two Housing First apartments. “I want to continue to get out into the community, form relationships and build a good rapport with people and organizations who serve the homeless.”

Other key responsibilities include supervising the four Residential Adult Care Facilities managers and the three Housing First Program managers plus overseeing the daily operations at all seven facilities.

“In the last eight years, PLACES added three Housing First Programs and will be adding another in 2013,” said Roy Craig, executive director at PLACES. “Given our growth, Tracey’s position will focus on improving the quality of services at all our residential programs.”

To do this, Tracey is working to develop managers on her team, two of whom joined PLACES in 2012, by modeling the PLACES core values: respect for clients and staff members, professionalism, teamwork and compassion/empathy.

“I see PLACES as a community; that’s our culture,” she said. “If I can help bring everyone on the team together for the same purpose, working for the same cause, then I know the people we serve are going to be well taken care of. Everyone needs to be on the same page because consistency is important for quality.”

That includes ensuring there is structure for residents in the Adult Care Facilities and tenants in the Housing First Program. “The people we serve perform at their best when there is structure,” she explained.

Keeping the PLACES homes well-maintained; supervising and training residential substitute employees; and touching base with managers routinely about how they’re interacting with residents and tenants are also key to operating quality homes, according to Tracey.

All these new responsibilities, however, don’t change the reason she chooses to work at PLACES.

“I am here because I love the people we take care of – they have been a big part of my life, and they remain the best part of my job,” she said. “This is my calling in life.”