Springfield Supported Housing Program founding directors retire

The Springfield Supported Housing Program was founded in 2006 to assist families and individuals in southern Windsor and northern Windham counties who were either homeless, or in danger of losing their housing, find permanent, affordable housing and receive at home case management for six months to two years.

www.vermontjournal.com

Springfield Supported Housing Program founding directors retire August 15, 2018 SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The Springfield Supported Housing Program was founded in 2006 to assist families and individuals in southern Windsor and northern Windham counties who were either homeless, or in danger of losing their housing, find permanent, affordable housing and receive at home case management for six months to two years. SSHP also has a transitional housing program that has received statewide recognition as a model of best practice for housing the homeless. The program has housed between 80-100 people every year of operation and 95 percent have retained their housing. homeless From left to right: Lucinda Scott, Mona Frye, Kathleen Sargent, Lee Trapeni, Christine Chapman, Jenn Toner, not pictured Denice Brown. Photo provided The two men responsible for the development of our program have retired over the last two months. Richard McInerney, executive director, developed a team, which began with two case managers, to the current capable staff of six case managers and one executive director. Rich Moore, assistant director, had worked closely with Richard McInerney for 20 plus years in various social service ventures. “Rich and Rich” are known throughout the social service area and state as well and will be missed greatly for all that they contributed. Taking over for Richard McInerney is Lee Trapeni. Trapeni comes to us after working with the homeless in the Brattleboro area for six years and in social service for the last 16 years. Trapeni’s aim is to continue the great work that McInerney and Moore started, and he fits in perfectly with the current staff. Taking over for Rich Moore is Christine Chapman who is making the transition from case manager to the assistant position. Chapman will be responsible for the administering of our Rental Assistance and Housing Readiness meetings here in Springfield as well as continuing some case management duties. We also welcome our new case manager Denice Brown. Like Trapeni, she brings much experience to the table and has just “hit the ground running” with our transitional housing clients. Brown will be spending one day a week in Bellows Falls at Parks Place running our Housing Readiness meetings there and working with clients in town. Brown is also a yoga instructor, and we’re looking forward to incorporating some mindfulness and chair yoga to our weekly staff meetings. As case managers, we have a challenging position to work through when so many come to us in crisis, but with the proper tools, and team approach to so much of what we do here at SSHP, we are confident that this transition is a positive change for this agency. Brown is joining a core group of case managers here at SSHP already working exceptionally with the populations here in southern Windsor County. This group is trained to be respectful of our consumers and yet hold them accountable with the goal of self-sufficiency, the program will follow their model as we assist with finding employment, treatment if needed, and education; whatever will help them be self-supporting for the long term. Many of the participants referred to us are in the lengthy process recovering from their housing crisis. There are many reasons why families and individuals will find themselves in this position, but our mission and desire is to see people’s dignity restored and inspire them to keep moving forward. From July 2017 to June 2018, we have served 149 households comprising of 141 adults and 135 children. We transitioned 17 households from our pilot apartments to their own housing, all of which we continue to have weekly meetings with as we continue to support their independence. Throughout our agency we currently serve 35 households a week. Through our Housing & Opportunity Grant, we were able to assist an average of eight households per month and 95 households last year. This program and assistance aims to keep households from ever experiencing homelessness.