JOURNEY HOME

Journey Home is a Housing First Program created with fidelity to the research demonstration project conducted by the Mental Health Commission of Canada called At Home/Chez Soi. The goal of Journey Home is to provide immediate access to adequate and affordable housing for people who have been chronically homeless, and then collaborate with them to address unmet physical and mental health issues, financial, social, and spiritual needs. Journey Home utilizes intensive case management, is part of a network of housing and support programs, and endeavours to work from a harm reduction lens.

For more information on the Journey Home program please call 306-933-8234.

Helping and responding to participants in Journey Home may include one or more of the following activities:

  • Provide crisis intervention and assertive outreach
  • Assist with basic needs: food, clothing, shelter, housing and landlord support
  • Screen, assess, and consult to learn more about the client
  • Behaviour shaping and management
  • Service coordination / case management to make and sustain service connections
  • Assist with navigation across multiple service systems
  • Advocate
  • Inform, educate and train
  • Assist other front line services
  • Build networks of support (informal and formal)
  • Addressing systems/system change

Meet Curtis

Curtis is a participant of the Journey Home Program. In 2014, United Way of Saskatoon and Area partnered with Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (SCIS) to deliver a Housing First program in Saskatoon. Journey Home, is based on the international Housing First model, which moves people from homelessness directly into housing without any barriers. The program focuses on our most vulnerable citizens who have been chronically homeless, most of whom also struggle with complex issues related to mental health and addictions.

Without a place to call home, these individuals were living rough on the streets, couch surfing, staying in emergency shelters or motels, or in hospitals and in the cold winter months living outside could have tragic consequences. With the safety of shelter and support provided by trained and highly skilled social workers, Journey Home participants have been able to better and more appropriately utilize public services. As of 2017, 50 of Saskatoon’s most chronically homeless citizens have been given housing and offered supportive services.