The Chelsea Foyer at The Christopher
The Chelsea Foyer at The Christopher (Foyer) provides 40 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 who are aging out of foster care, homeless, or at-risk of homelessness with supported transitional housing in a co-ed setting. The program is based on a highly successful European model and was the first in the United States to be internationally endorsed.
Residents live in suites or studio style apartments and participate in an individualized program of services for up to 24 months. Young people receive on-site case management and life-skills development services and linkages to job training and placement, educational, and vocational resources. Residents must apply to be part of the program and once accepted, they are required to hold at-minimum a part-time job to support their daily needs and help them save for the future. They contribute a program fee, determined by income, in lieu of rent, which is deposited in a savings account and returned to them when they successfully complete the program.
Ultimately, the goal of the Foyer is to prepare residents for permanent housing and economic self-sufficiency – pursuing jobs with benefits to avoid the need for public assistance.
A Model That Works
KEY COMPONENTS OF THE FOYER MODEL
The Chelsea Foyer builds a positive and supportive community that sets high expectations for its residents and provides services that are grounded in Good Shepherd’s signature strength-based youth development practices. The majority of the young people who live at the Foyer have experienced significant trauma in their lives. In addition to helping them gain the skills they need to make the transition to adulthood, the Foyer provides them with a safe haven in which to grow and heal.
Personal Support
Residents work with a dedicated Case Manager who provides them with support and links to community resources. Case Managers also assist them with creating an individualized “Action Plan,” outlining each young person’s, educational/vocational, career, housing, health and wellness, and other personal goals and the steps necessary to achieve them. Independent Living Counselors are also on-site during late afternoon and overnight to provide the young people with support from a caring adult 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
Life-Skills Development
Foyer residents live semi-independently and are encouraged to be responsible for their own lives. The young people participate in ongoing, comprehensive, on-site life-skills development programming on topics including money management, nutrition and health, household management, interpersonal skills, and conflict resolution to help them develop the skills they’ll need to be successful adults.
Workforce Development
We work in partnership with the Workplace Center at the Columbia University School of Social Work to implement programming that helps residents create and actualize educational, vocational, and employment plans and identify resources that further their knowledge and skills so that they can achieve their career goals.
Community
While residents of the Foyer gain the experience of living on their own, they also learn how to be part of a community and to be responsible neighbors. The young people are encouraged to be actively involved in creating a positive community at the Foyer by participating in regular community meetings and group activities. They have also developed the “Foyer Council,” which gives residents a voice in the day-to-day governance of the program.
Housing
Upon intake and throughout their stay, residents work with staff to create a housing plan. They explore a wide variety of housing options and participate in workshops that address related issues. Workshop topics include money management, establishing good credit, running a household, and communicating effectively with landlords.
After-Care Services
We maintain an open door policy for alumni of the program who are offered personal support from staff and linked to appropriate resources in their respective communities on an as-needed basis. This support solidifies the skills the young people practiced while living at the Foyer and provides them with a safety net as they make the transition to independent living.
- Takima, Foyer alumni
