Sulzbacher Center

Ending Homelessness

By Erica Rascón on Dec 11, 2014 in Giving, People

Sulzbacher Center is Northeast Florida’s largest provider of comprehensive services for homeless individuals.  The organization provides vital health, housing, educational, and career services to Jacksonville’s most vulnerable population.

The organization adapts as the needs of the community change; what began as a center primary tailoring to chronically homeless men has expanded services to assist the growing number of homeless families.

“We recently did a count in Jacksonville. While the amount of homeless veterans and chronically homeless individuals is going down in our city, the number of homeless families has increased,” says Allison Vega, Public Relations and Marketing Manager at Sulzbacher Center.

The surge in homeless families began during the recession. “Families are often victims of crisis poverty,” begins Vega. “They lost jobs. They lost homes. They have nowhere else to go. This is the first time that they’ve ever been homeless. If you had asked me prior to the recession what had caused the majority of people to come to us, it would be substance abuse and mental health issues. Now, it’s overwhelmingly crisis poverty.”

Sulzbacher Center created a family shelter with rooms that allow families to stay together. This facility houses about thirty families at any given time. Unfortunately, many families are placed on a waiting list.

Families can obtain a variety of services through the center and its comprehensive campus of services. Primary care, dental, vision, and behavioral health specialists are on hand to provide on-site care. Families can seek counseling as individuals or as a group. Educational programming offers educational and emotional support to children who are facing one of the toughest phases in their lives.

Though Sulzbacher Center has adapted to the increase in displaced families, the organization has not lost sight of its original demographic. The HOPE street team still makes rounds, reaching out to homeless men and women throughout Jacksonville. The team includes a nurse practitioner, case worker, and a psychiatrist. Their work is an ongoing process: depending on the person’s mental state and history, it can be difficult for the individual to develop a trusting relationship with the HOPE team. The person may refuse assistance. The HOPE team revisits these individuals on a frequent basis, understanding the unique circumstances surrounding clients suffering from substance abuse, mental illness, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“You don’t have to get PTSD from being on the battlefield,” Vega says. “Any form of trauma can cause PTSD. A lot of people who are chronically homeless are susceptible to trauma and they’re always on high alert. They rarely get sleep. PTSD symptoms get worse. It becomes a vicious cycle.”

When the HOPE team makes a breakthrough, the center has tools in place to immediately serve those in need. “It may take one, two, sometimes four years to build that trust but when they’re ready to make the change, our HOPE team has beds designated for them. Our shelters usually have a wait list but we designate one or two beds for the HOPE team,” says Vega.

Food and medical care are available to homeless individuals who have a place at the shelter as well as those who are without. The Downtown office serves people who are homeless and uninsured. Low-income and uninsured clients can get medical attention at Beaches Community Healthcare, a Sulzbacher Center clinic.

Sulzbacher Center’s goal for all clients—families or individuals—is to provide a healthy, stable environment. The organization primarily uses the shelter model, which provides temporary housing, health care, and career services to help people get back on their feet. The organization also has access to housing first programs. In these cases, clients are first provided private housing before beginning to rebuild their lives. Availability is limited. “That model works best for people suffering from mental illness because they can’t feel safe in a shelter environment,” explains Vega.

Financial support from donors such as Yardi helps Sulzbacher Center provide shelter and meals for the organization’s diverse population. “Last year, we provided 127,000 people nights of shelter and provided 488,000 meals. Residents and anyone in the community can get lunch and dinner at no cost,” says Vega. “Last year, we also had over 10,000 visits to health clinic. The HOPE Team reached out to 260 new people and helped 50 people enter Sulzbacher Center.”

The nonprofit has made an undeniable impact on Jacksonville’s vulnerable population but the organization still needs public support to continue its mission. Learn how you can show your support by visiting SulzbacherCenter.org