Housing First
Working collaboratively with individuals, businesses, government and other service providers, St. Patrick Center solves homelessness for individuals and families in the St. Louis region. People experiencing homeless are our neighbors and deserve respect, care and concern. By helping people improve their lives, we also enhance the neighborhoods where we live and work.
How do we do this? Through Housing First, an evidence-based practice that solves homelessness through a combination of permanent housing and wrap-around support services.
Housing First works! It has been adopted regionally and St. Patrick Center is a Housing First model. Watch client success stories on our YouTube channel.
St. Patrick Center is the lead agency for Coordinated Entry, a multi-agency effort under Housing First. Intake specialists conduct discovery sessions with clients, which allow us to help them secure housing and provide the correct level of support services before, during and after they are housed.
It Begins with a Discovery Session
People who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless may come for a private discovery session with a specialist Monday through Friday at our Welcome Center (side entrance) at 800 North Tucker Blvd. in downtown St. Louis, 63101. No appointment is necessary and the most strategic times to arrive Monday through Friday are 8am and 1pm. The Welcome Center is closed for lunch from noon to 1pm. All intakes and assessments are conducted in person at St. Patrick Center. We do not handle discovery sessions via phone, email or social media.
Support Services
Housing First does not mean housing only. St. Patrick Center provides a comprehensive approach, offering support services that we do well and referring clients to other agencies for their areas of expertise. Support services are necessary for Housing First to succeed. They help people get stable, set and achieve goals, and lead productive lives. Support services include job and skills training, employment placement and behavioral health programs.
Important Notices
Employment
St. Patrick Center’s Workforce Development team trains clients through our Job Readiness Training program, a three-day program, offered monthly, that teaches them how to “up-skill” and “re-skill” by creating a resume and cover letter, and learning how to prepare for an interview. For clients who are challenged by technology, we also offer individual sessions in our computer lab, where we teach keyboarding, email use, internet use and more.
To help clients achieve their short-term and long-term goals, we also provide specialized opportunities in a variety of pathways based on their skill sets:
Barista Training
BEST Training (janitorial)
Financial Peace
Fork-Lift Certification
Keyboard Training
Missouri Botanical Garden Green Training
Occupational Therapy
Re-Entry
Sherwin Williams Painters Training
Health
St. Patrick Center offers health programs for people experiencing behavioral health issues, such as mental illness and substance abuse. Through our partnership with Affinia Healthcare, we also provide healthcare referrals and on-site nursing visits.
Veteran Assistance
St. Patrick Center offers several programs and support services for veterans who served our country, then found themselves homeless or at risk.
Importance of using person-first language. Read more.
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