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Breaking the Cycle of Chronic Unemployment

Saffron Strand helps homeless and at-risk individuals in Richmond and Bay Area communities by providing job skills training and support, addressing technical and psychological barriers to employment, and promoting intentional community. Learn how our approach works with real case studies and research findings.

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Breaking the Cycle of Chronic Unemployment

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  1. Breaking the Cycleof Chronic UnemploymentYvonne Nair, CEOSaffron Strand, Inc.Saffron Strand, Inc.124A Washington Avenue, Unit CPoint Richmond, CA 94801Tel: (510) 778-9492Fax: (510) 778-9493E-mail: info@saffronstrand.orgWebsite: http://saffronstrand.org

  2. Our Mission • Building job skills and increasing employment of homeless adults and youth in Richmond and other Bay Area communities • Providing public education and professional training to increase employment and economic self-sufficiency of homeless, hard-to-employ, and long-term unemployed

  3. The Need: Get the Homeless & At-Risk Back to Work • National overview • California situation • Contra Costa County challenge • Richmond -- the Perfect Labor Storm

  4. Challenge of Work Readiness • Major challenge – homeless, hard-to-employ, and long-term unemployed face barriers to employment that determine duration of unemployment • Technical barriers • Psychological and behavioral barriers • Saffron Strand intake process • Technical barriers have practical solutions. Psychological and behavioral barriers require case management and intentional community.

  5. Case Management Tools: Trauma Informed Care • Definition of trauma • Causes of trauma • Impact of trauma • Shifting the focus • Coping strategies • Taking the fence down

  6. Case Management Tools: Motivational Interviewing & Behavior Change • What is Motivational Interviewing? • Why is it used? • How does it work? • Readiness for change • Stages of Change • Precontemplation • Contemplation • Preparation and determination • Action and will power • Maintenance

  7. Intentional Community • Definition of intentional community • Role of the intentional community • Social supports of an intention community

  8. Homeless People Want to Work • Sacramento Homeless Connect • Homeless survey in Austin, Texas • Homeless survey in Baltimore, Maryland • Homeless survey in Portland, Oregon • Saffron Strand’s interest survey

  9. What Research Shows • “Employment and Income Supports for Homeless People”-- David Long, John Rio, Jeremy Rosen in National Symposium on Homelessness Research, 2007 • “Alternative Employment Strategies for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients”-- Erin Jacobs and Dan Bloom, MDRC, 2011 • Saffron Strand experience -- stipend versus no stipend

  10. Saffron Strand Center: Work-Ordered Day

  11. Saffron Strand Center: Work-Ordered Day

  12. Saffron Strand Center: Work-Ordered Day

  13. Why It Works

  14. Case Study 1: Clinton • 24 year old African American male born and raised in Texas • Lived in several foster homes and emergency shelters as child • Raised in very rigid, religious foster homes • Moved to California in search of employment • History of serial employment lasting no longer than 6 months to a year

  15. Case Study 2: Natalie • 34 year old African American female raised in Richmond, CA • Had long criminal history due to drug abuse and mental health issues • Due to early exposure, found education and employment in social services field in order to make changes in system she found to be flawed • Held positions in AODA rehabilitation clinic, child services programs, and mental health clinic but was always terminated for lack of training and inappropriate behavior

  16. Case Study 3: Anderson • 67 year old African American male born and raised in the Bay Area • Suffered exposure to drugs and alcohol as a child • Lived several homeless shelters as adult with repeated drug rehabilitation relapses • Lived in very rigid, religious treatment facility and transitional housing program • Mouth had most teeth missing with abscesses and ulceration due to chronic drug abuse • History of serial employment lasting no longer than 1 year

  17. Case Study 4: Silvia • 26 year old Hispanic female born in rural Mexico • Emigrated to U.S. at 16 years old for a better life • Education limited to 6th grade level, spoke very little English • Had 3 children – 2 grade school aged, 1 toddler • Had extended family in U.S. • Spouse required Silvia to stay at home raising children but spouse unable to make enough money to solely support the family • Had several jobs cleaning homes and offices and working in food services, but was terminated due to lack of training and child care issues

  18. Saffron Strand Outcomes • More than 250 homeless and low income people served • 210 total members • 74 active members • 12 very active members • 108 currently employed • 41 employed 2 years or more • 37 employed 4 years or more • 66% African Americans • 18% Caucasians • 8% Hispanics • 6% Asians • 2% Native Americans • 42% Ages 18-35 • 36% Ages 36-55 • 21% Ages 56-75 • 1% Ages 76+

  19. Thank You! Thank You! • Questions? • Saffron Strand, Inc.124A Washington Avenue, Unit CPoint Richmond, CA 94801Tel: (510) 778-9492Fax: (510) 778-9493E-mail: info@saffronstrand.orgWebsite: http://saffronstrand.org

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