Residential
Services
Bringing Lasting Change with a
Trauma-Informed and Housing First Approach
Our residential services encompass all three core components of our Theory of Change: Healing from Trauma, Restoring Hope, and Ending Homelessness. Trauma-informed services are at the heart of everything we do at Drueding Center – promoting healing, safety, and empowerment. We take the family’s lead and collaborate to find their best path toward the future. Along the way, we address the root causes of homelessness, which are often larger systemic issues such as lack of affordable housing. We remove barriers to clear the way for independence so that clients can experience lasting change and see their full potential.
Our trauma-informed culture guides our Housing First approach. Housing First means that we unconditionally address the core issue of providing shelter and immediately develop a housing plan when a family first arrives at Drueding Center. Housing First, a nationally recognized, evidence-based best practice, is proven to help families maintain permanent housing and achieve stability and well-being. All of our services support this ultimate goal.
The Family Team brings together the Resident, Family Advocate, Life Guide, and Housing Counselor to collaboratively develop a family-led plan that reflects their needs for the future. Housing, along with our trauma-informed comprehensive support services, can bring a renewed sense of hope.
Ending Homelessness
Before arriving at Drueding Center, many of our families have seen the inside of city shelters, and all must be referred by Philadelphia’s Office of Homeless Services (OHS). The parents are young – between the ages of 18 and 24 – and have one or more young children. With a total of 30 transitional living units, families have a place to call home for 12-18 months while obtaining the skills and counseling they need to transition to permanent housing.
From day one, our team partners with families to develop a comprehensive housing plan. All potential housing options are explored and applied for, ensuring that families move into permanent housing. Our family advocates work side-by-side with parents to coordinate all the services needed to help their family heal from trauma, build resiliency, and gain access to housing, education, and employment.
To transition families into permanent, fair market housing, the Drueding Rental Assistance Program (DRAP) provides a decreasing rent subsidy over four years. This innovative program also supports our families’ efforts to increase their income and afford rent payments at the end of the program.
At Drueding Center, we recognize that homelessness is a significant social determinant of health as homeless families are more vulnerable to worse health outcomes and food insecurity. It’s the reason we go well beyond fulfilling the basic human needs of shelter and safety. Safe, affordable housing, support, and access to resources improve social status and positively impact health. In the spirit of Redeemer Health’s mission, this focus on health also expands on the commitment to care, comfort, and heal.
Together with trauma-informed services, these solutions have a lasting and cumulative effect. One that empowers our residents and graduates to secure adequate housing, achieve financial stability, gain stable employment, and improve health and well-being.
Restoring Hope
Drueding Center’s Residential team provides hands-on educational support for parents, including one-on-one instruction and periodic workshops. Topics include parenting skills, financial literacy, credit repair, and nutrition and meal preparation.
When gathering in groups is permitted, we provide many opportunities for family bonding, including:
Monthly Family Fun Days offer stimulating activities that are commonly out of reach to homeless families. Activities include a trip to the Please Touch Museum or a picnic and pool party out of the city.
Family literacy night invites families to gather together over a children’s book and activity.
Bright Space is a large room where families can gather, and children can play with various developmentally and age-appropriate toys.
Healing from Trauma
The stress of living without a home and previous trauma impacts how clients see the world — leading to isolation and disconnection with themselves. To help overcome these challenges, master’s level therapists deliver hope and healing to parents and children. Other programs, such as S.E.L.F (Safety, Emotion, Loss, and Future) and Process groups, provide practical mental wellness support. These programs are tailored to the specific needs and requests of parents. We use Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies (PATHS®) for preschool and school-aged children, an emotional self-awareness and conflict resolution program. Our dedicated art space is also a vibrant place for creative expression, with therapist-led sessions and open hours.