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Community Education Digest
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Welcome to our Community Education Digest! The aim of Ozone House's Community Education Digest newsletter is to connect our community's resources and services with the youth and families who need them most. Each month, the Community Education Digest highlights an Ozone House program along with related resources in our community. Many of these resources can also be found in the Ozone House Info Cards shown below.
This month we highlight our Case Management Service.
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Case Management
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Ozone House offers case management services to youth experiencing homelessness, ages 17 - 20. Young people often come to Ozone House looking for independence and stability; our case management services are designed to facilitate that process for youth through individualized goal planning and support. All clients participate in the Ozone House intake process and are then paired with a case manager based on their specific needs. With the support of an Ozone House case manager, youth have the opportunity to:
- Set personal goals and create an individualized action plan
- Find and maintain safe housing
- Get and keep a job
- Enroll in school
- Have enough food to eat
- Address health concern
- Connect with state and local resources
- Acquire picture IDs and/or birth certificates
- Learn valuable Life Skills
Case managers will meet with clients at all Ozone locations as well as other places convenient to the young person. To learn more about participation in case management contact our crisis line at 734-662-2222.
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Resources for Youth in our Community
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December Resources
Tis the season for celebrating fall and preparing for the chilling weather.
This December we are sharing events and resources that aim to provide a safe place, real support and families.
TONIGHT!
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Food Gatherers will offer meals on Christmas Day at the Delonis Center at 312 W. Huron Street near downtown Ann Arbor. The meal will be served from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. There are no eligibility restrictions for this meal. For more information call (734) 761-2796 or visit
http://www.foodgatherers.org
Faith in Action
A hot Christmas meal will be provided at 1 p.m. Christmas Day at the Our Savior Lutheran Church, located at 1515 S. Main St. in Chelsea. The meal will be provided in a congregate setting and is intended for low income and homeless individuals or families. For more information call (734) 475-3305 or visit
www.faithinaction1.org
Breakfast at St. Andrew's
Volunteers serve a free breakfast to guests from the parish hall of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church at 306 North Division in Ann Arbor. The breakfast is available 365 days a year, including Christmas and New Year's Day. Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. For more information call 734-663-0518 ext. 206 or visit
http://breakfastatstandrews.org/.
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Become a Crisis Line Volunteer
Ozone House is always seeking compassionate volunteers to become Crisis Line counselors.
Crisis Line counselors listen and provide critical information, referrals, and crisis intervention to youth and families struggling with such issues as family conflict, runaway episodes, homelessness, suicide, abuse and neglect, domestic violence, sexual orientation and gender identity, and other crises.
Crisis Line Volunteers counselors complete a 40-hour training on two Wednesday evenings and two consecutive weekends. Once completed, volunteers commit to one 4-hour shift per week for 8+ months.
Become a Crisis Line Volunteer!
Here's How:
- Sign up to attend an interview. The next round of interviews will be held in January 2019. Please e-mail Allison Brengle at Abrengle@OzoneHouse.org to schedule your interview.
- Click here to complete the on-line application. Please direct application questions to Allison Brengle at Abrengle@OzoneHouse.org.
- Get invited to training. After the interview, you may be invited to continue on to the crisis line training if Ozone House seems like the right fit for you.
- Attend the volunteer training! All of the training dates are mandatory and required for you to be eligible to volunteer on the Crisis Line.
Crisis Line volunteer training sessions will be held for invited trainees:
The next crisis line training session is scheduled for January. See dates below.
January 16 6:00PM - 9:00PM
January 19 9:00AM - 5:00PM
January 20 9:00AM - 5:00PM
January 23 6:00PM - 9:00PM
January 26 9:00AM - 5:00PM
January 27 9:00AM - 5:00PM
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he Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development (OCED) and the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County (SAWC) announce the opening of winter warming centers for those experiencing homelessness during severe cold weather.
Jointly funded for the fourth year by the City of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County and lead by SAWC; the winter weather response provides expanded winter shelter services for the homeless.
Expanded services include an:
- overnight warming center at the Delonis Center from 7pm - 7am accommodating up to 50 people in the shelter's dining room and common areas; and
- daytime warming centers at area churches that will be available to the homeless population throughout the winter.
A current list of daytime center locations and hours are available here.
For individuals needing to escape adverse cold conditions (real or wind chill air temperature at 20 degrees or below) before continuing on their destination; temporary weather havens are also available. These sites are for all Washtenaw County residents and will be activated when the weather reaches extreme temperatures, requiring public school closings. A current list of weather haven locations and hours are available here.
The Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development is committed to ensuring that all Washtenaw County residents are protected during severe weather condition
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The Education Project Updates
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Education Projects Supports and Services
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Below is the 2018 - 2019 referral. Please use this referral when working with students and families this school year.
The referral is intended to be filled out by school staff or community partners with the students or families in need of support.
Once a referral is completed, the information should be shared with the Education Project staff as well as the Local Liaison.
Any questions about the referral or referral process can be directed to or call us at 734-994-8100 x1518.
Click here to obtain a copy:
If you have new staff or want to provide current staff with a refresher around the McKinney-Vento Law and how to support students in your school, please let us know. We will come trainings for teachers, administrators, school counselors, social workers or anyon
I
e in the community.
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Coats, Gloves, and Holiday Gifts Drive!
Coats: We continue to distribute coats as they come in. We have many of your requests and are filling them as quickly as possible. If there is a student you feel needs to be prioritized, please let us know!
Additionally Holiday gifts are being distributed the week of December 17th. Please make sure we have accurate lists of students for your school or district so that they all receive a Holiday Gift! If you are working with McKinney-Vento students that did not receive a gift, please reach out to the Education Project as we have some additional supports that we may be able to provide in the New Year.
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THE EDUCATION PROJECT
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The Education Project is a joint program of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) and Ozone House. The Education Project is designed to ensure that students experiencing homelessness or unstable living situations
enroll, regularly
attend, and
succeed
in school.
Under the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act,
students who are homeless must have equal access to free and appropriate public education
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The Education Project serves children & youth, ages 0-21, from the 9 school districts and thirteen public school academies (PSA) in the county.
Each district and PSA has a McKinney-Vento liaison and we work directly with them as well as allies within each school to provide support to students and families experiencing homelessness.
The Education Project works closely with community partners: Hospitals, clinics, shelters and other non-profits to make sure that students get the wraparound support they need.
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Education Project
Who is Homeless?
Homelessness does not always look like a family living in a car or on the street; it exists in many different versions. The primary criteria we consider are: Is their housing Fixed? Is it Regular? And is it Adequate?
Fixed
: Is it permanent or not subject to change? For example, is the person staying somewhere that they have a right to live? Are they not on the lease? Could they be asked to leave?
Regular
: Are they staying the same place every night? Do they have to switch locations frequently?
Adequate
: Is the residence sufficient? Do youth staying in the home have a bed to sleep in? Are there health risks and unsanitary conditions in the home? Does it meet the physical and psychological needs of a child?
Although we all hope that homelessness is very temporary, it can be a perpetual experience for many families and unaccompanied youth. It is important to ask these questions and understand each family and youth's situation.
How can I access the Education Project?
The education project is housed in the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. The website is
https://washtenawisd.org/services/ephy/services. Here you can find information about who is eligible for McKinney-Vento services, what services are offered and additional links and supports around youth homelessness and education.
The Education Project office is staffed regularly Monday - Thursday from 9am - 4pm.
How can I help?
- Volunteer to pack backpacks and organize supplies
- Host a supply or gift card drive for:
- Back-to-School
- Holiday
- Graduation
- Or any time!
- Donate funds, gift cards or in-kind donations from our wish list, including: clothing, hygiene items, school supplies, bus tokens and more.
- Advocate to your federal legislators to keep the McKinney-Vento Act funded
Any questions regarding a young person's McKinney-Vento status and the supports available can be direct to
ephycontact@washtenawisd.org, or by phone at (734) 994-8100 x1518.
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If you know a youth or family who could benefit from Ozone House services,
please have them call,text,or chat our 24-hour Crisis Line:
734.662.2222
There is always somebody here to listen.
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Need More Information About Ozone House?
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| Ozone House Poster |
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We will come to you!
We provide educational presentations to middle and high school classrooms or assemblies, as well as organizations throughout Washtenaw County.
To order free printed education materials, or to schedule a presentation,
contact Dawn Espy at
call (734) 994-8100 x1518
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Ozone House Outreach Card |
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To learn more about all of our crisis intervention, housing or support services, or to get involved with Ozone House,
please visit our website at
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