Openhouse Community Outreach Program
Description updated: 07/28/15
Contact updated: 2016
Program approved for: BASW [X] MSW 1st Year [X] MSW 2nd Year [X]
Agency Name: openhouse
Agency Phone Number: 415.296.8995
Website: www.openhouse-sf.org
Agency/Program Address:
870 Market Street, Suite 458, San Francisco CA 94102
Program Name: openhouse Community Outreach Program
- Name of Contact Person: Fairley Parson, MSW, ASW
- Title: Manager of Community Engagement
- Address:_1800 Market St,.
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone(415) 728-0193
e-mail: fairley@openhouse-sf.org
County Agency is in:_ San Francisco_.
Program Description:
openhouse exists to end the isolation and invisibility that jeopardize the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults in San Francisco. Our goal is to create, sustain, and help our elders find housing, long-term care, aging-support services and community connections that are safe, informed, effective and sensitive to their needs. Through our cultural competency training and neighborhood outreach programs, we work with providers in housing, health, and social services to create change in mainstream care systems to include and care for LGBT seniors with understanding, competence and respect. More specifically, we work with staff from four different neighborhood senior centers, from large to small, to support the creation and sustainability of their own LGBT senior outreach programs. This work is vital because the senior centers act as a gateway to health and long-term care systems; if LGBT seniors do not feel welcome at the centers, they do not gain entry to further systems of care.
Clientele Served:
openhouse serves low to moderate-income, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender seniors. openhouse advocates for often-frail people who are hidden by multiple layers of invisibility: advanced age, minority sexual orientation or gender identification, poverty, and disability at higher rates than the general population. openhouse educates and advocates for inclusive and nondiscriminatory housing and services to enable LGBT seniors to live with dignity.
Issues Program Addresses:
The program seeks to end isolation and vulnerability of underserved and hidden LGBT seniors, and to remove barriers that prevent access to health, housing, and aging support care systems. openhouse staff and volunteer speakers educate local LGBT and non-LGBT communities about their needs, and create “bridges” for LGBT seniors to connect with culturally sensitive services, resources, and each other. Through community presentations and events, outreach directly to seniors where they gather, and providing opportunities for LGBT seniors to discuss topics that are important to them, openhouse programs help to build formal and informal networks of support for a population that has been historically marginalized and underserved.
Intern Assignments:
- Outreach and community organizing. Present information about openhouse programs at community gatherings of LGBT seniors/seniors, eg. Primetimers, City Sisters, Senior Action Network general meeting, and other senior gathers.
- Information and assistance to seniors. Follow-up with seniors who call openhouse seeking housing and services. Conduct intakes with seniors to assess their housing and services needs. Provide referrals to appropriate services and programs.
- Build relationships with housing, social and health service providers in San Francisco.
- Co-facilitate a new discussion group(s) at a senior center(s) or housing site(s) in San Francisco. Follow-up with seniors who attend the group to assess service and/or housing needs.
Intern Training & Educational Opportunities:
- Information and assistance to social, health, and housing services: learn about available resources in City, County and Bay Area.
- Follow-up work and case management: once referred, tracking client’s progress through service system.
- Group facilitation: learn and apply facilitation skills in group setting, how to create safety, manage challenging behaviors, etc.
- Observe openhouse cultural competency trainings: learn about issues impacting LGBT seniors and intervention strategies for meeting their needs.
- Research—basic compilation and analysis of openhouse event evaluations and intakes to assess effectiveness of openhouse programs.
Intern Benefits: (Include stipend, conferences, car, food, etc.)
Monthly Muni FastPass and $200 stipend. Any expenses incurred relating to programs will be reimbursed by openhouse.
Other Special Placement Procedures or Requirements (Including Dates of Internship, Special Application Forms and Deadlines):
- If students are assigned to different departments or divisions, please indicate:
Student will primarily work and carry out educational goals within the Openhouse Community Services/ Community Engagement program, but will also have the opportunity to work with and learn from our Housing Resources Team, Friendly Visitor Program, and Case Management program as needed and as per student interest. We are a relatively small program staff and our work intersects and we support each other’s work and programs. Students will be challenged and benefit from “wearing many hats.”
- Briefly describe agency’s services and attach any approved program description for your files.
Openhouse enables San Francisco Bay Area LGBT seniors to overcome the unique challenges they face as they age by providing housing, direct services and community programs. Openhouse programs reduce isolation and empower LGBT seniors to improve their overall health, well-being and economic security. Community Engagement programs include: health and wellness seminars, support groups including: women’s support, HIV support, grief support, self-care support, caregiver support, and a myriad of drop-in socialization activities, educational classes and groups. Our housing resources program includes regularly scheduled housing clinics, and advocacy work. Openhouse also provides information and assistance including referrals to a range of social service providers.
- Please identify specific disadvantaged/oppressed constituencies served by your agency.
Lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual seniors, (60+) and LGBT community members with a disability. Over 60% of the community members we serve live in San Francisco at 185% of the poverty line or less. LGBT seniors face a +myriad of distinct challenges in aging in community.
4. Student Field Travel (please mark all appropriate items):
a. Public transportation available and possible: Yes _X____ No _____
b. Agency car available for students: Yes _____ No ____X_
c. Agency pays mileage for use of personal cars: Yes _____ No _X*____
d. Personal car required: Yes _____ No ____X_
*Some reimbursement for miles may be available for travel outside of the city as needed as well as stipend to offset muni costs for days on site TBD.
5. Please indicate any specials skills that you desire in a student, such as fluency in a
foreign language, sign language, computer literacy, etc.
computer literacy including facility with Word, basic excel spreadsheet, some additional design experience a plus!
6. How many students do you feel your agency can adequately supervise?
one
7. What attitudes/aptitudes/characteristics do you consider desirable for students placed in your agency?
-an eagerness to work with and learn from seniors
- a social justice lens
-a willingness to learn about the unique issues and challenges facing LGBT seniors
-a willingness to engage in some public speaking
-group facilitation skills
-strong communication skills .