From: The Salvation Army of Wake County
Purpose: Implement a system of care for homeless families with children and youth residing in any one of nine Wake County homeless service programs.
How:
1. Develop protocols for children upon admission to shelters, including screening for mental health and developmental issues with initiation of appropriate referrals, area services, and resources.
2. Develop curriculum and train shelters staff on trauma, stress, and parent/child relationships.
3. Support parent/child relationships within the shelter community and during transition to permanent housing.
4. Link families to a medical home if not already with an established medical practitioner.
Outcomes:
1. Increased knowledge of staff of traumatic stress, its impact on child development and attachment relationships, and how to help children and families recover.
2. Reviewed and improved shelter policies and procedures that promote a trauma-informed, child-sensitive, strengths-based culture.
3. Improved child well-being outcomes.
Cost/Term: $434,570 over three years.