Tender Mercies’ defined objective is “To be and be recognized as the premier provider of supportive housing in the region for homeless adults with mental illness.” To that end, there are many reasons for us to boast: 100% of residents last year exited to a positive housing outcome; 97% of residents say they would recommend TM to a friend; and 706 volunteers and groups served over 31,000 meals in 2021. But what comes next? What happens when someone leaves Tender Mercies and has to survive and manage their mental illness on their own?
To ensure the success of each resident and reduce the rate by which someone returns to homelessness – what we call “recidivism” – Tender Mercies has developed strategies that place an even greater emphasis on resident independence. Before exiting Tender Mercies, staff work with residents to get a sense for their ability to live independently. Indicators like psychiatric stability, income and employment, and the ability to perform activities of daily living (such as grooming, budgeting, self-monitoring of mental health symptoms) are all considered when developing a plan to exit Tender Mercies.
When they are ready to move on, our Housing After Care Coordinator, along with our new Moving On Engagement Specialists work with residents to help them understand what that might look like. First, we work to create an environment to address the issues keeping people from moving on. By understanding the needs of each resident, we can attack those issues head on and begin fostering in them a sense of self-motivated independence.
This is what has helped Tender Mercies reduce its recidivism over the years. Essentially, Tender Mercies takes the same approach, the same ethos, at each moment of the resident’s journey: meet them where they are. By focusing on individualized care and targeting the specific needs of each resident we are able to find the best support system and connect them to the tri-state’s wide range of services. Sometimes that means obtaining Social Security benefits. Sometimes we have the resources to provide their first month’s rent or a security deposit. And sometimes it’s as simple as making sure they have furniture for their new home. Every part of the journey from homelessness to independence is important, and that core value has allowed us to reduce our recidivism rate from 35% in 2012 to 8% in 2021.
More than anything, our After Care and our new Moving On program means the development of deeper connections among the staff and residents of Tender Mercies. Those connections, made possible by our donors, mean that support, assistance, and care are available to help our residents gain stability and reclaim their independence.
