case management for homeless adults and families in the gateway shelters

Since 1988, The Other Place has been known as our community's daytime shelter for the homeless. In November 2009, our community opened a new 24-hour gateway shelter for single men, giving our community two separate 24-hour shelters for the first time.  Women and families still reside at the St. Vincent Gateway Shelter, while the men moved into the new gateway in November.  The Other Place provides all the case management and programming at both of these locations, while St. Vincent de Paul provides all the meals and shelter operations.  As we share the same locations, The Other Place and St. Vincent de Paul are working closely together to ensure that the needs of our clients are met.

The St. Vincent Gateway Shelter for Women and Families and the Gettysburg Shelter for Men are open 365 days per year, and clients have access to basic human needs including meals, showers, and hygiene products, as well as a place to sleep. The Other Place's case managers work one-on-one with clients in the gateway shelters, with the primary goal of moving them into appropriate housing -- and out of the shelter system -- as quickly as possible.  

Clients meet with TOP's professional case managers on a regularly scheduled basis or as needed to obtain assistance working toward their individualized goals. Case managers assist in setting goals, advocate for clients in order to access other community resources, assist in housing searches, and monitor clients’ progress in attaining goals. Federally funded collaborative programs such as Opening Doors for the Homeless are also available through case management. This program brings numerous community agencies together in order to provide a more comprehensive array of services, as well as more communication between agencies in regard to the client’s progress.

A phone number that goes to an anonymous voicemail box is provided so clients can receive messages from prospective landlords, employers, doctors, friends and family in a confidential manner. (The message in no way discloses where or whom the caller is contacting.) These messages are taken from the voicemail daily and posted on a message board in the shelters. Clients are also able to receive postal mail at the shelters.

The Other Place provides educational classes for our shelter clients, such as Basic Life Skills, Housing (before, during and after), Employability and Community Resources. These classes are offered on a rotating schedule.  Linkage to legal assistance is also available. Through its community partnerships with other organizations, The Other Place is able to offer additional services such as specialized employment, veterans assistance, legal assistance, and credit counseling.

In 2009, a major change took place in our community's gateway shelter system. The former Dayton Rehabilitation Center on Gettysburg Avenue was converted into a 24-hour Men's Gateway Shelter, and the existing St. Vincent Hotel transitioned to a 24-hour Gateway Shelter for single women and families. The Other Place will provide case management services at both facilities and St. Vincent de Paul is responsible for shelter operations. 

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