The Question

1
The Question

• How does Starlight understand the current
  homeless/ street involved system? How do people
  get in, what is in like, and how do people get
  out?

Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
2
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
Who becomes homeless or street involved?
What supports a balanced life?
1. OK
REAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS create balance in life

• People who have balance in 5 life dynamics
• physical? emotional? social? vocational?
  spiritual

• home health
• family friends community
• employment
• faith

HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
People who lack balance in 5 life dynamics
1B. NOT OK
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
3
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
REAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS create balance in life
What goes wrong?

• faith

• home health
• family friends community

• employment

1. OK
A DEFINING EVENT Individual suffers loss of real
support system, through ? divorce? job loss?
illness

• People who have balance in 5 life dynamics
• physical? emotional? social? vocational?
  spiritual

• addiction crisis
• crisis of faith
• death of family member or spouse

HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
2. LOSS OF SUPPORT
People who lack balance in 5 life dynamics
ADDED STRESSORS

• history of abuse
• mental illness
• ? sense of failure
• ? sexuality issues
• ? maintenance of addiction

1B. NOT OK
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
4
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
REAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS create balance in life
The individual ends up on the street where he
finds himself in the middle of

• faith

• home health
• family friends community

• employment

barriers to escape
low self esteem
1. OK
A DEFINING EVENT Individual suffers loss of real
support system, through ? divorce? job loss?
illness
post traumatic stress
barriers to escape

• People who have balance in 5 life dynamics
• physical? emotional? social? vocational?
  spiritual

hard core addiction

• addiction crisis
• crisis of faith
• death of family member or spouse

street-involved
survival mentality
3. HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
mental illness
2. LOSS OF SUPPORT
community
only care for myself
ADDED STRESSORS
People who lack balance in 5 life dynamics
loss of hope
loss of trust
initial street allure/street addiction

• history of abuse
• mental illness
• ? sense of failure
• ? sexuality issues
• ? maintenance of addiction

anger
1B. NOT OK
a false community based on survival and lacking
hope.
The barriers to escape intensify the earlier
problems.
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
5
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
The street-involved community is undergirded by
substitute support systems
barriers to escape
low self esteem
post traumatic stress
barriers to escape

• These tend to be compart-mentalized, each dealing
  with a different aspect of the persons life.
• Some of these also tend to maintain the
  street-involved community rather than provide a
  pathway out.

hard core addiction
street-involved
survival mentality
3. HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
mental illness
community
only care for myself
initial street allure/street addiction
loss of hope
loss of trust
anger
What is needed to help people make the transition
off the streets toward to a holistically healthy
and balanced life?
compartmentalized
SUBSTITUTE SUPPORT SYSTEMS

• agencies, govt, non-profit? hospitals/clinics?
  law enforcement? shelters ? volunteers ? other
  professionals

• faith-based ministries? outreach workers?
  church groups

Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
6
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
The pathway out is a RELATIONSHIP
barriers to escape
low self esteem
post traumatic stress
A street-involved person forms a relationship
with a caring person who offers hope, resources,
and empathy.
barriers to escape
hard core addiction
street-involved
survival mentality
3. HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
mental illness
community
only care for myself
one person at a time
initial street allure/street addiction
loss of hope
loss of trust
4. PATHWAY OUT
anger
RELATIONSHIP
compartmentalized
SUBSTITUTE SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Each person is unique and faces personal issues
which they must resolve themselves.

• agencies, govt, non-profit? hospitals/clinics?
  law enforcement? shelters ? volunteers ? other
  professionals

• faith-based ministries? outreach workers?
  church groups

Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
7
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
First Engine Personal Breakthrough
learns to love him/ herself
post traumatic stress
Someone walks with the individual through the
stages of change, offering hope and
encouragement, one decision after another.
associates with positive people
street-involved
learns to love others
GAINS NEW COMMUNITY
survival mentality
repeat cycle
3. HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
mental illness
action
preparation
Stages of Change
gains hope/ courage
community
only care for myself
one person
PERSONAL BREAK-THROUGH
maintenance
at a time
Second Engine Gains New Community
loss of hope
contemplation
anger
relapse
The individual learns to associate with positive
people, replacing the street community with a
healthy community.
() hope
DECISION/COMMITMENT ? gains housing? enters
detox program? joins church community? applies
for job ? etc.
4. PATHWAY OUT
RELATIONSHIP
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
8
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
5. NEW OK
As the individual cycles through these steps, he
or she begins to discover his or her NEW OK.
learns to love him/ herself

• The GOAL is to regain balance in the 5 life
  dynamics
• physical? emotional? social

? vocational? spiritual
associates with positive people
learns to love others
GAINS NEW COMMUNITY
repeat cycle
action
preparation
Stages of Change
gains hope/ courage
PERSONAL BREAK-THROUGH
maintenance
contemplation
The two engines provide the means to rebuild each
of these broken life dynamics to help the
individual regain balance.
(-) high risk of failure
relapse
() hope
DECISION/COMMITMENT ? gains housing? enters
detox program? joins church community? applies
for job ? etc.
4. PATHWAY OUT
RELATIONSHIP
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
9
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
5. NEW OK
Relapse is a constant threat.
RELAPSE
The NEW OK needs constant support because the
individual can slip back at any time.
learns to love him/ herself
associates with positive people
3. HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
learns to love others
GAINS NEW COMMUNITY
repeat cycle
action
preparation
Stages of Change
gains hope/ courage
PERSONAL BREAK-THROUGH
maintenance
contemplation
(-) high risk of failure
relapse
() hope
DECISION/COMMITMENT ? gains housing? enters
detox program? joins church community? applies
for job ? etc.
4. PATHWAY OUT
RELATIONSHIP
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
10
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
5. NEW OK
Relationship is the pathway out again.
A relationship with a caring person who is
willing to walk with the individual through the
steps of the two engines again and again is the
best means to forming the NEW OK.
learns to love him/ herself
associates with positive people
learns to love others
GAINS NEW COMMUNITY
repeat cycle
action
preparation
Stages of Change
gains hope/ courage
PERSONAL BREAK-THROUGH
maintenance
contemplation
(-) high risk of failure
relapse
() hope
DECISION/COMMITMENT ? gains housing? enters
detox program? joins church community? applies
for job ? etc.
For more information, contactRev. Dr. Brian
Gearin, Director, Starlight Ministries of the
Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston. 617-262-4567
www.egc.org
4. PATHWAY OUT
RELATIONSHIP
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012
11
SYSTEM OF STREET-INVOLVEMENT
REAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS create balance in life

• faith

• employment

• home health
• family friends community

barriers to escape
low self esteem
1. OK
A DEFINING EVENT Individual suffers loss of real
support system, through ? divorce? job loss?
illness
post traumatic stress
(-) high risk of failure
barriers to escape

• GOAL To regain balance in 5 life dynamics
• physical? emotional? social? vocational?
  spiritual

• People who have balance in 5 life dynamics
• physical? emotional? social? vocational?
  spiritual

hard core addiction

• addiction crisis
• crisis of faith
• death of family member or spouse

street-involved
The NEW OK needs constant support because the
individual can slip back at any time.
survival mentality
5. NEW OK
mental illness
3. HOMELESS STREET-INVOLVED
2. LOSS OF SUPPORT
4. PATHWAY OUT
learns to love him/ herself
only care for myself
RELATIONSHIP
ADDED STRESSORS
community
People who lack balance in 5 life dynamics
() hope
loss of hope
loss of trust

• history of abuse
• mental illness
• sense of failure
• sexuality issues
• maintenance of addiction

initial street allure/street addiction
associates with positive people
anger
learns to love others
GAINS NEW COMMUNITY
repeat cycle
1B. NOT OK
compartmentalized
SUBSTITUTE SUPPORT SYSTEMS
action
preparation
gains hope/ courage

• agencies, govt, non-profit? hospitals/clinics?
  law enforcement? shelters ? volunteers ? other
  professionals

PERSONAL BREAK-THROUGH

• faith-based ministries? outreach workers?
  church groups

maintenance
contemplation
Stages of Change
relapse
DECISION/COMMITMENT ? gains housing? enters
detox program? joins church community? applies
for job ? etc.
Starlight Ministries, Emmanuel Gospel Center,
January 2012