A group of 35 graduates, including Charlynn Green, who have experienced homelessness, recently completed D.C.’s first peer case management program in partnership with Howard University. The program aims to train qualified case workers to assist others in need of housing services. The lack of social workers in D.C. has been a challenge for housing programs, but initiatives like this aim to address the issue.
The graduates were selected from 600 applicants and underwent a seven-week classroom program followed by four weeks of field training. They learned skills such as motivational interviewing and conflict de-escalation, using their lived experiences to connect with clients. Many of the graduates were motivated to pursue careers in social work due to their own negative experiences with judgmental or indifferent case workers in the past.
Teanna Anderson and Sabrina Mathis, both former homeless individuals, expressed the importance of having case workers who understand what it’s like to be in their clients’ shoes. Green, who now works as a case worker herself, credits the program for giving her hope and a renewed sense of purpose after facing numerous challenges in her life.
The program has been lauded for providing economic opportunities to formerly homeless individuals while addressing the shortage of qualified case workers in D.C.’s homeless services system. The success of the program highlights the potential impact of utilizing individuals with lived experiences to support those facing homelessness and navigating the complex social service systems.
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