Housing Specialist, Home First Community Support Program
Patricia’s advice and inspiration for others
Don’t allow stigma to be a limitation or barrier to reaching your goals and successes. Asking for support after a failed housing or opportunity is defeating for a lot of our clients because of the stigma they face. I am a firm believer in second chances, so I always tell my clients that they should keep going. Don’t give up because you don’t know if the next appointment will be the successful one. Breaking down barriers and stigma are an integral part of any success and should be promoted.
Patricia’s most rewarding accomplishment at CMHA
One of my accomplishments has been leading the Rentmsart Program, which has provided the opportunity to promote our programs and services to underserved communities. It also gave me the opportunity to develop a greater sense of community and partnership with other organizations as well as develop new partnerships and allies. Most importantly, it gave my team the opportunity to correct misconceptions that clients and the community have regarding housing and homelessness in relationship with mental health and vulnerability. As a Rentsmart Educator I am able to provide information, training and education to promote successful housing, improve housing stability, eviction prevention and reducing homelessness. This gives me a great sense of pride to be able to empower people.
I was able to present and participate at the 2024 CAEH (Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness) where over 2000 attendees talked about strategies on ending homelessness. We shared what we have been doing in support of this goal and how we have contributed to the growth and empowerment of our clients.
Why Patricia enjoys working at CMHA
I like working at CMHA YRSS because of its culture to put people first. The culture of our organization prides itself in supporting people in their unique journeys, and always striving to improve its service delivery model.
As a leader in its field, CMHA YRSS puts their staff first knowing that the staff are the engine, and that a well-oiled and maintained engine works best. CMHA YRSS takes care of their staff and continues to find ways to best improve the work atmosphere. Leadership is approachable and always available to hear your input. I am happy to be part of an organization that continues to look for innovative ways to promote excellence and exceptionality in work and organizational life.
How the Home First Community Support Program supports our community
As a Housing Specialist in the Home First Community Support Team, we as a team work to support vulnerable youths and adults to find, maintain and eventually achieve Housing Stability. We provide wraparound support with education, peer support, case management, housing support and occupational therapy to support clients succeed in their housing journey. We also build community by connecting with landlords and working with them as well as clients to navigate the resources and connections in the community. We have a drop-in support where clients and community come for housing support and hot meals. We recently added a program called “Connecting Now” where our clients meet socially and discuss how we can improve our services as they are experts of their journey. Our program provides an avenue for HOPE where people who did not have hope have support. With that HOPE the community is developed and impacted by the work we do to reduce homelessness in the long run.
