Elm Street Overnight Shelter

 

 

Elm Street is a community-based emergency shelter and transitional housing option for youth ages 16 to 21.  In addition to basic shelter, participants receive individual case management and treatment planning, substance abuse assessments, hands-on life skills education, opportunities for community integration and recreation, and increased access to local resources leading toward permanent stable housing.

 

NEKYS Elm Street Shelter is guided by a positive youth development approach and strengths-based treatment planning.

 

Life skills education is based on the Preparing Adolescents for Young Adulthood (PAYA) curriculum created by Massachusetts Department of Social Services, focusing on the following areas:  Money, Home and Food Management; Personal Care, Health, Social Skills and Safety; Education, Job Seeking and Job Maintenance; and Housing, Transportation, Community Resources, Understanding the Law and Recreation.  Additional on-site programming provided in collaboration with community partners includes therapeutic counseling, job skills training, life skills groups, and educational services.

                                                               

                                                 

 Since opening October 1, 2007, the Elm Street Shelter has achieved the following:

  • Provided 107 youth with over 9,405 nights of housing and life skills education (October 1, 2007-February 2012).                
  • 79% of youth have successfully transitioned from the shelter to safe and supportive housing in the community.
  • 96% of youth have improved their Life Skills.
  • 68% of youth have continued their education.

 

  Together We Can...

 

  • Create a safe haven for youths ages 16 to 21 years old who need emergency shelter and/or transitional housing in Caledonia and Southern Essex Counties. 
  • Demonstrate successful partnerships between private non-profit, individual providers, and state agencies serving transition-age youth in the Northeast Kingdom.
  • Improve successful outcomes for youth transitioning to adulthood and independent living in the Northeast Kingdom.

 

 

On-going collaboration with area providers is key to the success of the Elm Street Shelter.  Gilman Housing Trust has been a proud NEKYS partner since 2004.

 

For referrals and more information contact Northeast Kingdom Youth Services at:

(802) 748-8732 or nekys@nekys.org