Agency Serving a Vulnerable Population, Essay Example

One of the oldest and well-known homeless shelter centers in Austin is The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) or better known as Front Steps. Per their website, “ARCH serves as the first point of entry into the homeless social system for many of Austin’s adults experience homelessness…” (Front Steps, 2014) Front Steps was founded in 1997 as the Capital Area Homeless Alliance, and they built ARCH which was first opened in 2005. With the help of the City of Austin, they have grown from serving up to 75 homeless individuals a day, to now hundreds if not thousands of homeless women and men each month. (AustinTexas, 2014) The ARCH homeless center is safe haven that serves as a pathway for homeless individuals seeking shelter, and resources for affordable housing, as well as much more. ARCH is dedicated to serving the needs of homeless men and women or families, in which they offer a range of services ARCH is made up of several sections such as their mental health facility, along with medical, legal, and employment services. The large common use room provides space for individuals to interact, as well as public showers, study spaces, computer rooms, laundry facilities, public restrooms, a commerce kitchen, and dining room. On the top floor is their 100-bed shelter for those that want a place to sleep, and entrance to the terrace.

Along with the provided amenities, they also serve as bridge to more social services for individuals, in which they are able to gather themselves to transition on their own. They help to provide storage lockers, mailing services, and a document bank for keeping important documents safe. What is interesting is there is no set criteria; it is just those that are in dire need. Within the facility, they work in coordination with housing programs, other homeless service providers, and substance abuse programs. They try to provide a well-rounded approach to taken care of all the needs of their clients, by treating them with dignity, which is something a nurse must always do.

References

Austin Resource Center for Homelessness. (2014). ARCH. Front Steps. Retrieved from http://www.frontsteps.org/what-we-do/arch/

Homeless Assistance. (2014). Austin Texas. Gov. Retrieved from http://www.austintexas.gov/department/homeless-assistance