Home Base Program

SHS provider

Jewish House

Objectives
HomeBase is an evidence based model of post crisis homelessness intervention and prevention (based on the New York City model) that supports clients after leaving crisis accommodation, so that they can establish independent living with appropriate ongoing psychosocial and medical support. Clients work with those professionals who already understand their goals and needs.
Description

In the beginning, each client or family enters emergency accommodation and are supported with trauma-informed intensive case management. Once a client’s needs are assessed an interdisciplinary case management team develops immediate, intermediate and later interventionstrategies to address the underlying causes of the homelessness crisis.

Good practice features

Jewish House is proud of its achievements in supporting clients and families to avoid the ongoing trauma of homelessness and unstable housing. As an innovator and leader in the sector, Jewish House is also determined to continue to measure and report on its outcomes with clients, offering clients and funders transparency and accountability for its work. However, it is the real lives and stories of those who find refuge at Jewish House that motivates the organisation to see more done to improve the availability of supported crisis housing to those who need it, as quickly as possible.

Outcomes

After three months of extended support, the HomeBase program has helped create an increase of 7% of stable housing (81%). This increased to 93% after six months highlighting the benefits of ongoing support.After three months 38% of those in stable accommodation were renting an apartment or house and 23% were in a shelter or refuge.After six months the number of HomeBase clients in private rental increased to 50% and the number in a shelter or refuge fell to 9%. The most critical period for maximum benefi ts of the HomeBase program on a client’s life is between the three and six month marks

Lessons learned

Once clients leave temporary accommodation, there is generally no follow up with them and they are on their own. This is the reason why we have implemented the Home Base Program, whereby we continue to follow up with them for up to 12 months thereafter. Once we follow up with clients, they still feel comfortable as they continue to have our support. If they have any problems, they are able to contact us prior to any crisis arising. If resources were available, we could also go out to clients at their homes to assist and support them in their own environment as they may feel more comfortable

Timeframe
Evaluated
Yes
Approach
Collaboration
Consumer participation
Networking
Trauma informed care
Support type
Domestic and family violence
Drug and alcohol
Health
Housing
Mental health
Client group
Aboriginal peoples
Culturally and linguistically diverse people
Domestic and family violence
Men
Older people (55+)
People exiting custody
People sleeping rough
People with disability
Women
FaCS District
Sydney, South Eastern Sydney & Northern Sydney