CareCollective supports low-income individuals and families, most of whom are currently experiencing housing insecurity and have a history of complex trauma. Through a trauma-informed and culturally competent approach, and by leaning on the client’s strengths, our team will conduct a thorough assessment, develop individualized service plan and employ a wide range of treatment modalities (e.g. Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Narrative Therapy) to meet the goals that they identify.
The Challenge
Homelessness and housing instability have demonstrated negative impacts on mental and physical health. Serious health conditions are significantly more common among people experiencing homelessness than people who are stably housed. Mental illness, poor mental health, and substance use disorders are more common among people experiencing homelessness and housing instability – and are exacerbated by these housing conditions.
1%
of people experiencing homelessness report depressive symptoms, which is 6.5x higher than the general population
1%
Those who are unsheltered are 49% more likely to report being unable to access mental health care
Our Solution
$1.00
For every dollar invested in EnrichEd and CareCollective programming, $7.68 in social and economic value is created
1
Clients served by CareCollective’s mental health services in the program’s first year
For nearly two decades, Housing Families provided mental health support and therapeutic services through our youth and families program, now known as EnrichEd. During the Covid-19 pandemic, seeing the exacerbation of mental health challenges, Housing Families decided that the expansion of our clinical team to serve clients across all our programs was necessary. CareCollective and its team of mental health clinicians and interns provide professional clinical support to those in our shelter, permanent housing, legal services, and other programs free of charge, eliminating insurance restrictions as a barrier to access.
CareCollective Services
Individual Therapy
The CareCollective team of clinicians and clinical interns provides one-on-one, confidential, therapy sessions to individuals interested in clinical services. Sessions may include a wide variety of interventions and therapeutic modalities that will support the individual’s growth and journey of accomplishing the goals outlined in their individualized treatment plans. Clients can engage in virtual or in-person sessions at the frequency and length of time determined by their individual needs.
Group Therapy
The CareCollective team facilitates sessions that have at least one facilitator and two or more group participants. Clients in these spaces are encouraged to maintain confidentiality, be vulnerable, and remain open to the information and techniques shared. The therapeutic groups are organized by shared goals of the participant members and support in trauma processing and skill building. These groups discuss a wide variety of issues including depression, anxiety, communication, self-regulation strategies, substance use, etc.
Support Groups
CareCollective facilitators hold space for clients to share experiences, practice active listening, and empathetically hold discussions, with the goal of providing mutual aid and build long term natural supports. Support groups include a parenting group. women’s group, and Spanish-speaking and Haitian Creole-speaking groups.
Training for Educators & Organizations
CareCollective facilitators lead trainings for educators or other community-based organizations on topics such as trauma-informed care, best practices for working with students who have experienced homelessness, etc.
Additionally, each staff member, intern, and volunteer receives intensive and ongoing training regarding topics such as mental health first-aid and trauma-informed care to ensure that both children and parents will receive care that is responsive to their needs and lived experiences.
By implementing such a comprehensive training program, all EnrichEd and CareCollective staff, interns, and volunteers are equipped to serve community members with a wide range of social emotional and behavioral needs.
Training for Clinical Interns
Housing Families hosts clinical interns from Lesley University, Boston College, Boston University, Simmons University, and Regis College. While meeting the clinical hours required for their graduate degrees in mental health counseling and social work, our clinical interns receive quality supervision and training from Housing Families’ licensed clinicians and develop a focus on trauma-informed care.
These interns increase Housing Families’ capacity to serve more clients, and we help train a new cohort of social workers and clinicians who will understand the unique impacts of housing insecurity on children’s mental health.
Our students utilize their strengths and support from staff to develop skills related to frustration tolerance, self-regulation, emotion identification, and executive functioning to further their academic, social, and emotional growth. Our kids are encouraged to show up as their authentic self, strive for their dreams, and HAVE FUN!
Elizabeth Kia, LICSW
Clinical Director