LPCS Chicago

Community Engagement Program

LPCS provides a valuable service in the Lincoln Park community as a referral source for those in need. Neighborhood churches, hospitals, and police direct people in need of assistance to the LPCS Community Engagement Program (CEP) for resources addressing temporary housing and other services. CEP provides basic services including showers, laundry, clothing, toiletries, a warm meal, and wellness checks provided by UIC doctors, and medical, and pharmacy students one Sunday per month. CEP takes place at 645 W. Fullerton (black wrought iron gate) 1:30 pm- 6:00 pm. Any adult experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless is eligible to come to this program for basic services and/or for case management.

CEP Referral Information:

• Case Management: Monday-Thursday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm by appointment only. Please schedule an appointment a day or more in advance by calling 773.549.6111. Appointments are at LPCS at 600 W. Fullerton Parkway.

• CEP Sunday Program: LIMITED SPACE IS AVAILABLE. The program runs from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ. The entrance is at 645 W. Fullerton Parkway (through the gangway door).

Interim Housing Community

LPCS provides a safe living space to 35 Guests each night year-round; 24 men and 11 women. Our interim housing community offers Guests:

• Three meals each day
• Access to storage space, showers, and laundry facilities
• No time limit on length of stay as long as an individual is making progress toward their goals
• Enrollment in On Track Program

On Track Program

The On Track Program (OTP) supports Guests in overcoming barriers through an individualized approach to secure housing, achieve greater stability, and increase self-sufficiency. The program is designed to identify individual goals and plan for a sustainable future. Each Guest selects a primary Track, and many choose a secondary Track:

• Track 1: Substance Abuse Recovery
• Track 2: Health
• Track 3: Employment

The On Track Program offers many services to help achieve these goals:

• Intensive Case Management that provides referrals to job training, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services.
• Daily group activities, support groups, and classes, which provide educational and personal enhancement opportunities to Guests. Group activities promote a healthy community, and include daily educational and support groups on topics including job search, healthy lifestyles, and daily living skills enhancement.
• Medical and mental health evaluations, with referrals to treatment as needed.
• The opportunity to give back to the larger community through volunteer service: Guests in Volunteer Experience (GIVE).
• Savings Program, in which each Guest must save a percentage of income towards future housing.
• Technical Services that aid Guests in their job search; including use of mailing address, computers, telephone, and fax machines.
• Green Team

Graduate Community

The Graduate Community offers Graduates of LPCS who have secured permanent housing access to continued services; including meals, rental assistance, case management and referrals, access to donated items, and the continued guidance and support of the LPCS community of staff, volunteers, and Guests.

• Bimonthly, Graduates gather to prepare and serve dinner to current Guests.
• Many Graduates are invited to participate in a peer mentoring program for current Guests in transition; the support of our Graduates has consistently proven to be beneficial to all parties involved.
• Graduates are invited to participate in weekly and monthly activities at LPCS, including classes, support groups, and social activities.

If you’re interested in having a member of our Graduate community come speak to your group, agency, business, or school, LPCS can provide speakers who are Graduates of our program. Graduates can speak about their lived experiences of being homeless in Chicago and how they worked with LPCS to achieve stable housing and address the obstacles associated with poverty and homelessness. Please reach out to us at lpcsinfo@gmail.com for more information on Graduate speakers.

Graduate Council at LPCS

The LPCS Graduate Council is composed of LPCS Graduates who choose to stay connected with LPCS and have an active role in its future.

• Members volunteer and give back in a number of ways, including outreach and presentations.
• The Graduate Council provides small Pursuit of Happiness grants to Guests and Graduates of LPCS who apply for funds toward a dream or pursuit of happiness.
• In July 2013, Graduate Council members visited the National Alliance to End Homelessness conference in Washington, D.C.

Objectives:

• Stay connected to a positive support system, including staff, volunteers, and fellow Graduates of LPCS.
• Help raise awareness about homelessness and the work of Lincoln Park Community Services in the community.
• Develop leadership skills and self-confidence, and continue to work toward long-term goals set as part of the On Track Program.

Graduate Council Accomplishments

• Speaker’s Bureau: Several Council members have received training through Community Media Workshop on public speaking, and members regularly tell their personal stories of homelessness throughout the community, including to school and church groups.
• Beat the Heat: During the summer of 2012, the Council sponsored a donation drive to collect fans and air conditioners for fellow Graduates in need. They designed marketing and solicitation materials as well as a communication plan. More than 25 Graduates received fans and air conditioners that summer!
• Advocacy: Graduate Council members have received leadership training through Lakeview Action Coalition, National People’s Action, and IIRON, learning how to use their voices collectively to advocate for systems change. Four Council members attended the National Conference on Ending Homelessness in Washington, D.C. in July 2012. Watch a video about their experience here.
• Pursuit of Happiness Fund: In order to help Guests and Graduates move beyond meeting basic needs, the Council created a scholarship fund that allows them to pursue hobbies or interests that improve their quality of life. Scholarship recipients to date have pursued artistic endeavors, learned yoga, and meditation techniques, and paid memberships that help expand social networks.
• “A Day in the Life”: The Graduate Council produced a short film that conveys to viewers what it is like to live at LPCS. Video Below:

Independent Community Living Program

The Independent Community Living Program (ICLP) is a permanent housing program operated under LPCS’ sister organization, Independent Community Living, LLC and funded through matching grants from HUD and local foundations. We are participating in the city-wide plan to end homelessness, working with providers across the city to prioritize the most vulnerable for housing. Residents of ICLP are found through Chicago’s Coordinated Entry System, a citywide database. Individuals who are experiencing chronic homelessness and living with a disabling condition are eligible for ICLP, with the most vulnerable individuals being housed first.

• ICLP is designed to assist disabled individuals to achieve and maintain housing, health stability, and engagement in the community.
• Residents of ICLP have the opportunity to partner with case managers to set and work toward goals.
  • In addition to housing retention, goals toward addiction recovery, health maintenance, and improvement in employment and education may be established.

ICLP Residents’ rent is subsidized by HUD, although Residents with income pay 30% of their income toward their rent and program services.

ICLP is funded in majority by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which requires that ICLP participate in Chicago’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). Click here to view the notice that describes how ICLP and the city of Chicago use and protect client data in HMIS.

Mirroring the support offered in our successful On Track Program, case managers meet with Residents in their homes and at our facility providing assistance with tasks such as:

• Assistance to learn and improve daily living skills that aid in the transition from homelessness to housing, and lead to long-term housing retention.
• Mediation and advocacy with landlords and other service providers to retain housing and strengthen connections within the community.
• Ongoing support toward personal goals and referrals to community services.
• The opportunity for participation in group activities, support groups, and classes, providing educational and personal enhancement.
• Medical and mental health evaluations with referrals to treatment as needed.