Newsletter – March 2018


March 2018

From the Streets into a Home

Meet Tim. For him, a home means recovery from homelessness
and mental illness.
Tim, whose father was an oil consultant, spent his young life living overseas. After receiving an equine science degree, he worked on a large ranch for ten years helping delivering animals and falling in love with horses.
After his parents passed away in 1994, he moved to Austin. Within ten years, he was a national show jumping champion and owned 50-60 horses. In Tim’s words, “I had a fabulous life. I worked hard and made a good income. I lived life to the fullest.”
Tim never believed homelessness could happen to him. Learn more about Tim’s story.

Shout Out to a New Partner

The Austin Public Library provides knowledge_ technology and inspiration to the Austin community. The Library is a hub of books and education_ a meeting place of minds and an incubator of ideas. For more information visit library.austintexas.gov.

Terrazas Branch Library, located on East Cesar Chavez, and our Homelessness Outreach Street Team are working together to provide resources for library customers who may be experiencing homelessness. This pilot program, which started four weeks ago, has our Integral Care team members spending 4 hours per week at this specific branch of the Austin Public Library.

“We are delighted to partner with Integral Care in helping those in our community who are dealing with mental health and other social issues. Our partnership will make the community stronger,” said Roosevelt Weeks, Director of Libraries.
Our Director of Adult Behavioral Health Systems, Darilynn Cardona-Beiler, explains “a large number of individuals who are homeless and experience mental illness frequent our libraries. The partnership between Integral Care and the Austin Public Library is an innovative way to serve these individuals in a safe and supportive environment. We are excited to work together to support the unique needs of this population.”
Together we can help individuals rebuild and maintain their health and well-being by connecting them to supportive services for homelessness and recovery. Stay tuned for updates on the results of this exciting relationship.

Construction update

Integral Care is making progress on our Housing First Oak Springs apartment and community clinic.
We feel being a good neighbor is important.  When our programmatic services move into a new or renovated space, we work to build and maintain a trusting relationship with the surrounding community. Oak Springs is no different. We are available to answer any questions, make presentations, and attend neighborhood association meetings. Our team will be updating the website with information related to the construction.
We know that housing is more than four walls. It’s the basic foundation for mental health and well-being.

 

Sincerely,
Ellen Richards
Chief Strategy Officer
Housing First Oak Springs is a project of Integral Care