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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2002)
remaining six, four have returned to the streets or are “squatting,” while another two have resorted to emergency or short-term shelter. lot of pregnancy among Portland’s homeless youth and offer a great respects THE « c h i deal of HIV counseling and safer- Of iNOMOtWii m íñ i a restroom sex education. Issues regarding IN ACCCKDANCE alcohol and drug abuse, nutrition WITH THEIR and other educational topics are CENDÍ* IDENTIC promoted at each visit. D uring th e past th ree ito yino hcaltJ>y years, th e num ber o f people w hen th c f^ c i seen at th e clinic nearly has doubled, providing clear evi no ploce t.o StiOy dence o f a need for larger facil ities th a t can handle patients n o th e r m ainstay WOMEN m ore efficiently and effectively. program of O u t Last year, for exam ple, almost side In during the past 33 3,000 individuals accessed years has been its clinic m edical services, visiting a total and h ealth services d e of 8,000 times. Two-thirds of p artm en t. T h e m edical th e patients were female, and facility occupies most of more th a n h alf were 21 to 30 th e new building’s first years old. T h e m edical clinic •floor, and its design is also helped 316 people to enroll intended to increase ac in th e O regon H ealth Plan. cessibility. For example, the treatm ent center is strategically located at the primary entrance to the building and O c u in o the M C iS d o c ocf adjacent to the needle exchange program. Staff believe this type of arrangement can utside In’s HIV program recently increase the kids’ opportunities to interact with changed its name to the risk education counselors, other clients and programs, hopeful ly engaging them in higher levels of risk educa department in order to reflect how it now encompasses a variety of concerns. Risk educa tion. A nd just as for the whole organization, the expansion will help better utilize the agency’s pool of volunteers be cause now they will have the space to accom modate the ever- increasing number of individual supporters. T he focus of the medical clin- ic is o n te e n agers, bu t th e service is avail able to all ages and operates as a teaching site for th e N atio n al College of N aturopathic M edicine and O re tion involves harm reduction, behavior change and strength-based intervention, the organiza gon H ealth Sciences University, am ong other tion says, and often that means simply being programs. T he clinic blends naturopathic, traditional W estern, acupuncture and C h i there when young people are ready to make changes. nese herbal m edicines. Som e d en tal and Staff and client volunteers reach out to at- chiropractic care also is provided through risk youth and adults, providing them with infor volunteers and the N orthw est M edical Teams mation and engaging them in a dialogue about a D ental Van. variety of serious issues. The goal is a simple one: Many com m on conditions among the to teach young people about the options and homeless population come from sleeping choices they have o u td o o r s , and to help them in c lu d in g take one positive u p p e r step at a time. respiratory Probably the p ro b le m s , most recognizable c o l d s , activity of O u t pneumonia side In’s risk edu and skin cation depart problems. m ent is its needle O liv e r exchange pro notes O ut gram. A lthough side In’s health care p r o v id e r s Continued also see a on Page 26 otnrsiot in A space. Here, youth learn how to seek a job, write a resume or use a computer. Just as important, they learn how to main tain steady employment. Sometimes this is as simple as advice on how mainstream employers might react to tattoos and piercings. O ther times, it’s a look at how to manage anger and resolve conflicts. For a few, it’s about how to make a positive transition from a job that isn’t working, rather than just quitting. Last year, 246 kids participated in the em ploym ent resource center; of those, 84 enrolled in intensive services. A total of 63 kids entered unsubsidized employment, while 14 others were working full time and another 49 found part-time jobs. For many, however, simply finding a place to call hom e is the first priority, and O utside In’s transitional housing program perhaps benefits the most from the organization’s re location. U n til now, the agency m aintained a variety of housing opportunities, but they were spread around the city and often not available o n a long-term basis. Now, the top two floors of the new build ing are devoted to housing and can accom m o date 30 residents. O ne floor features studio apartm ents with a few one-bedroom units for couples or m others w ith babies. T he other floor features supervised, dorm itory-style housing, including space reserved for HIV positive kids. Clients in transitional housing can stay up to two* years. Most generally leave within a year, and six months is typical. Last year, O utside In housed 47 youth, split nearly evenly betw een boys and girls, most 18 to 20 years old and w hite. A total of 30 kids exited the program th a t year, and the agency reports positive outcom es for 24 of them , including 14 who now are off th e street and living independently. Others are staying with family, with friends or in oth er transitional programs. O f the S a ld in o blocKS Mode of bi<j b u c W J ohn W arner of the Portland Development Commission worked with Outside In to secure a $1.77 million grant. T h e award includes $500,000 thanks to the Community Development Block G rant funds from the city of Portland’s Bureau of Housing and Community Development. The balance is in the form of urban renewal funding from PDC. “BHCD and PDC are pleased to be part of the extensive public-private partnership that helped Outside In achieve its vision for its new building,” W arner says. “T he building design is edgy and inviting, consolidating Outside In’s previously disbursed operations to offer its clients one-stop access to critical services. Outside In has been at the forefront of homeless youth advocacy and serv ice in Portland for over 30 years. Its new building will help assure the continuation of this legacy into the future.” T he Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was another major supporter, awarding the organization a $1 million grant. According to Jaime Garcia, senior program officer for Pacific Northwest giving, the foundation is interested in funding services and programs addressing homeless youth. He says the comprehensive continuum of services that Outside In offers, complemented by its new facility, provides Portland street kids with an opportunity to break the cycle. “Outside In is an outstanding program,” Garcia adds. "We chose to fund this project because of the need in the Portland area and the fact that service providers in Portland have created a system for referring homeless youth to the appropriate services.” O
