National
Association For
The Education of
Homeless
Children and
Youth
Albuquerque, NM
October 28, 2012
Peter Donlon
Project CATCH
Coordinator
Raleigh, NC
Overview of Presentation
 Genesis of Project CATCH
 Research / Justification
 Core components
 Outcomes: First 18 months
 Understanding and Applying Trauma
Informed Care
 Project CATCH partnership with the
Wake County School System - NC
Genesis of the Project
Salvation Army identified a community need to serve
young children experiencing homelessness. 474
Children were screened between fiscal years 2006 and
2010 (approx. 118 per year).
News of this need was brought to the local Young Child
Mental Health Collaborative. YCMHC convened a
collaborative group of shelter and mental health
professionals.
The collaborative group conducted a needs assessment
and then led the development and submission of a
grant to fund the project.
Needs Assessment Process
For 2 years, shelter staff & mental health experts met
monthly to discuss status of services to homeless
families.
Intensive study of 4 shelters (Marmaud, 2008)
included staff & parent focus groups as well as
observation in shelters.
Review of professional literature and the work of
national organizations.
Justification: What We Discovered…
1. Rate of family homelessness is
high and rising rapidly
In Wake Co, approx. 330 parents & children reside in
a shelter each night. Family homelessness in Wake
is rising by about 11% yearly, and 25% of homeless
individuals are children and youth (Wake Point in
Time Count, Jan, 2008).
Local trends reflect national trends (U.S. Conference of
Mayors, 2010; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 2011 )
Justification
2. Homeless children are more likely to have socialemotional concerns and mental health problems
than children housed in poverty.
There is significant risk for toxic levels of
stress, a precursor to the disruption of
developing nervous and immune systems that
can lead to mental and physical health
problems (American Journal of Public Health, August
2009; National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2005).
Justification
3. Homeless children in NC may be at
particular risk for these outcomes.
29th in the nation in America’s Youngest Outcasts:
State Report Card on Child Homelessness (2010),
indicating a need for improvement in services,
planning, and policies concerning children who are
homeless.
34th in the nation on the 2012 Kids Count rating
conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Justification
4. Social-emotional and developmental
challenges of homeless children are
rarely addressed
Children are often “invisible” in shelters because…
…staff members focus on housing goals.
…mental health needs are not routinely assessed
…parents often don’t recognize stress in their
own children.
Therefore, increased attention to children’s
needs is essential.
Justification
5. Parents experiencing homelessness face parenting
challenges, and are unable to provide quality parenting
 Shelter climate does not support positive parenting
and healthy family interactions.
 Policies and practices are not conducive to nurturing
parenting practices and positive family relationships.
Justification
6. Staff and volunteers often miss opportunities to
support residents in their roles as parents.
7. Staff and volunteers are not equipped to respond
productively to disruptive child behavior that may be
symptomatic of deeper trauma/stress or mental
health issues.
Therefore, staff need education and training
Justification
8. Despite rich resources and expertise, coordination &
integration of services is lacking.
 Many families move from shelter to shelter
without consistent provision or coordination of
services among shelters.
 Shelter staff access community resources
sporadically and inefficiently.
Therefore, coordination & collaboration are needed.
Justification Summary:
 Reviewed research on homelessness and health and how
these two are intertwined
 Witnessed aspects of service delivery that jeopardized
progress of clients
 Realized what we were not doing:



Addressing social-emotional & developmental
needs
Providing a shelter environment that supports
healthy family interactions
Coordinating services across shelters
Grant efforts
Received private and state funding to support 3-year project to
establish a sustainable system of care to:
Address social-emotional & developmental
needs of children
 Provide a shelter environment that supports
healthy family interactions
 Coordinate services across shelters
 Evaluate the system for possible dissemination

Goals and Core
Components
1. Address developmental & social
emotional needs of children
 Develop common intake protocol upon admission to any
family shelter program in the county.
 CATCH staff (2) conduct assessment of every child
(birth – 18), and make appropriate referrals.
 Build a data base to track the health and well-being
services children receive as they transition from
homelessness to stable housing in the community.
Goals and Core Components
2. Provide a shelter environment that
supports healthy family interactions
 On-site services for families within programs to support
healthy parent/child relationships
 Physical and Emotional Awareness for Children who are
Homeless (PEACH) program
 Raising a Thinking Child
(Spivack & Shure)
 Theraplay
 Organized tutoring programs
for kids in the shelters
Goals and Core Components
3. Coordinate services across shelters
 Develop database of family information.
 Case Manager meets with each family to review family
goals and discuss and resolve potential barriers to
continuity of care.
 Monthly reviews of family goals and services in meetings
of representatives from each shelter and CATCH staff.
 Raleigh area Coordinated Intake process is underway. All
children entering the homeless shelter system are being
referred to Project CATCH.
Goals and Core Components
Coordinate services across shelters
(Cont’d)
 Monthly meetings of CATCH members to identify gaps in
community services.
 Agencies that could assist in closing gaps are invited to
the table.
 Procedures are put in place to maximize available
resources.
Yahoo Group
“Our Mission is to be a professional community that
connects the Wake County shelter staff in order to
share information, resources, and ideas that help us
serve families experiencing homelessness.”
Be a place for shelter staff to connect and collaborate.
Create a common location for brainstorming to take
place.
Bring focus to the mental health needs of children
and their families experiencing homelessness.
Make professionals from community readily accessible
to shelter staff.
Goals and Core Components
4. Evaluate Program for possible
dissemination to other communities
 Database for first 21 months is completed
 Working with NCFH to establish enhanced data
collection model
 Currently studying results of social / emotional/
developmental screenings of all children
 Process is underway to locate funders to keep the
program going, and to develop model for other
communities to use.
 Feedback from Agency Partners and Community is very
favorable
CATCH staff activities
1. Referrals are made from shelters
2. Screening is conducted.
1. Parent Interview
2. Brigance; Ages and Stages
3. Parenting Stress Index
4. Eyberg Child Behavior
Inventory
3. Needs are identified (e.g., further
evaluation, treatment)
4. Results and decisions are
entered in data base.
5. Cases are followed closely.
 Resources are ineffective if families don’t have
access to them. Project CATCH staff members
provide transportation for families as needed
to attend appointments.
Raleigh, NC area
partners/programs













Carying Place (located in Cary, NC)
Haven House
Healing Place
Interact - Raleigh
Passage Home
PLM Families Together
Raleigh Rescue Mission
Salvation Army
Southlight (located in Fuquay-Varina, NC)
Support Circles of Catholic Charities
Wake County Public Schools
Wake Interfaith Hospitality Network
Women’s Center of Wake County
Training Activities:
National Center on Family Homelessness
and Project CATCH staff
 Pre-training involved shelter self-assessments of
policies and practices and a web-based overview
of trauma-informed practices.
 On-site training in trauma-informed best
practices to promote strong families and
children’s well-being.
 Follow-up on-site training conducted to discuss
progress and problem-solve challenges.
The First 18 months!
Foundation funder expects…
• Do shelters change policies?
• Do staff, administrators, and
•
•
•
•
volunteers at shelters change their
practices?
Are they more trauma-informed?
Is there better communication and
collaboration across shelters?
Do families benefit from the
changes?
Is CATCH sustainable?
State funder expects…
• Shelter staff / programs to participate in
interagency information sharing
• Shelter programs have needs assessments and
training plans developed
• Children referred to and screened by Project
CATCH staff
• Case management follow-up / individual
intervention contacts with children and families
How is Project CATCH changing
shelter service delivery?
• Shelters are looking at self-care, Intake procedures,
self-awareness of vicarious trauma, and involving
consumers in advisory groups
• 9 of 10 shelters have identified preliminary goals
toward becoming more Trauma-Informed - full
agency assessments are underway, program
adjustments have been made
• Average of 20 agency reps attend monthly CATCH
meetings to share resources, struggles, etc
How is Project CATCH changing
shelter service delivery?
• Strong agency child referrals facilitate
rapid connections to services
• Trauma-Informed care has been
incorporated into the NC Schools
statewide training protocol for personnel
working with children
• Time is being dedicated to TraumaInformed care in agency staff meetings.
Major barriers to change
• Staff turnover – Shelter jobs are stressful with high
potential for burnout - Trauma-Informed training
needs to be constant for evening monitor staff
• Former clients become staff members in some
agencies, bringing need for self-awareness,
managing boundaries, and understanding vicarious
trauma
• Some shelter agencies are funded based on rapid
housing outcomes - trauma awareness is a slow
change process, and lower priority for some agencies
Year End Results:
• AS of June 30, 2012:
• 90% of agencies participating reported utilizing
new resources/protocols for children as a result
of information sharing (Currently at 88.9%)
• 75% of shelter programs assessed successfully
achieved one identified goal related to serving
children and families more effectively (Currently at
70%)
Year End Results:
• AS of June 30, 2012:
• 60% of children B-5 assessed will receive a needed
service identified on their assessment as a result of
activity referral/case management. (Currently at 67.5%)
• 20% of children B-5 assessed will receive a needed
evidenced-based /informed service as a result of
activity referral/case management (Currently at 20.4%)
CATCH B-5 Accomplishments
• 187 children referred to Project CATCH (94% of goal)
• 157 children screened/assessed (105% of goal)
• 478 referrals made to community partners (MH, Early
Ed, Head start, Medical, Day Care, etc) (67% of goal)
• 125 received case management from Project CATCH
(100% of goal)
• 32 received evidenced-based services
• 568 Substantive contacts
(food, clothing, follow-ups, etc.)
CATCH K-12 Accomplishments
Children ages 5-18
*Data collected from 7/1/11 to
Present
• 166 children referred to Project CATCH
• 143 children screened and assessed
• 119 received case management from Project
CATCH
• 154 referrals made to community partners (MH,
Early Ed, Headstart, Medical, Day Care, etc.)
(food, clothing, etc.)
Total for all Project CATCH Kids
• 353
•
35
• 318
• 300
• 244
• 722
•
Children referred to Project CATCH
Referred from school social workers (April to June 2012)
Referred from shelter partners
Received developmental and psychosocial screenings and
assessments
Received case management support from Project CATCH
Referrals made to community partners (MH, Early Ed,
Headstart, Medical, Day Care, etc.)
Diapers, formula, and clothing vouchers also distributed
149 children have been referred to CATCH On track to serve approximately 595 children this fiscal
 Q1 2012-2013

year
A brief overview…
Homeless
Children and
Trauma
Most
homeless
parents don’t
recognize the
effects on
their kids
Homeless Children and trauma
 By the age of 12, 83% of homeless children are exposed
to at least 1 violent event, including:
 Hearing gunshots
 Seeing an adult being shot
 Seeing a dead body
 Seeing someone stabbed
 Witnessing physical or sexual abuse
Homeless Children and
Trauma
 1 in 50 children in America experience homelessness.




Current number is 1.5 million
53% are under the age of 6
Homeless children experience overwhelming loss: a sense
of place, friends, pets, important possessions, and self
Homeless children experience disrupted relationships;
parental health problems cause lack of normal
development
Violence, hunger, and lack of access to school and
healthcare
NCFH
Single Mothers who are Homeless
 92% Experience severe physical and/or sexual abuse.
For 63%, assault was by an intimate partner
 Have 3 times the rate of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder) (36%) and twice the rate of drug and alcohol
dependence (41%)
 Mothers often are in poor physical health
 Over 1/3 have a chronic physical
health condition.
 They have ulcers at 4 times the rate
of other women.

(The National Center on Family Homelessness, 2012)
As children, nearly one quarter of single
adults who are homeless lived in foster care, a
group home , or other institutional setting;
most were physically or sexually abused.
Among Homeless Youth…
 Conflict and violence is the primary
cause of homelessness.
 46% have been physically abused
 1 in 5 youth who arrived at shelters came
directly from foster care
 25% had been in foster care in the
previous year.
Kathleen Guarino - NCFH
Links Between Trauma & Brain
Size (Putnam, 2006)
 In studies of children who have experienced trauma:
 Corpus callosum (links right & left hemisphere)
shows decreased size.
 Areas of the frontal lobe (linked to planning &
judgment) showed a decreased size.
 The anterior cingulate gyrus (rapid decision
making) showed decreased levels of a chemical crucial
to neuron health (N-acetyl-asparte). The level is
similar to what is found in adult PTSD patients and
experiences of persons struggling with late stage
alcoholism.
Trauma’s Impact on Psychosocial
Development (Putnam, 2006)
 Children who have experienced trauma are
represented disproportionally in Type D attachments
(disorganized/disoriented).
 Type D can result from frightening/frightened
parental behavior, parental negativity, criticism,
or mothers who rank high as dissociative.
 This attachment disruption is linked to numerous
negative outcomes including: poor school
performance, difficulties with peers, low selfesteem, cognitive immaturity, and bizarre
behavioral patterns.
What Researchers Say About
This Populaton:
 “[These] children are particularly vulnerable and are
thus at greater risk for developmental delays.”
(Chiu,2010, p. 73)
 “Research has demonstrated that homeless children
have disproportionate negative academic
experiences, including absenteeism…high rates
of mobility…grade repetition…and the need for
special education services, which may all
contribute to poor academic performance.”
( Hong, 2012, p. 1440)
Trauma Informed Care Defined
“Trauma-Informed care is a strengths-based
framework that is grounded in an understanding of
and responsiveness to the impact of trauma, that
emphasizes physical, psychological, and emotional
safety for both survivors and providers, and that
creates opportunities for survivors to rebuild a sense
of control and empowerment.”

Kathleen Guarino, NCFH
What we are teaching about
Trauma-Informed Services
 Training of shelter and school staff includes:
• The effects of trauma on neurological / psychosocial
•
•
•
•
•
•
development of parents and children
Behavioral “problems” vs adaptive responses to trauma
Understanding acute, chronic, and complex trauma
Understanding potential retraumatization via the
service system
Recognizing traumatic stress
Potential mislabeling or misdiagnosing of MH
symptoms without considering past experiences of
trauma
How schools can increase trauma informed responses.
Trauma-Informed Intake
Assessments
• Intake is conducted within the first 24-72 hours of families
arriving at the shelter; flexibility is possible based on level
of stress observed
• Completed and updated by trained staff members who
have on-going contact with clients, and responsibility for
carrying out plans
• Conducted and stored in a private area to ensure
confidentiality - the limits of confidentiality are also
explained; who has access, how information is used, etc.
• Includes questions about clients’ current needs, resources,
strengths, mental and physical health, history of
substance use, cultural backgrounds, and related cultural
strengths
Programming for Trauma
Informed Shelter Services
• Offering a
• Immediate needs such
calming presence
and a safe refuge
• Clients are
introduced to staff
and others
• Clients are given a
physical tour of
the facility when
they arrive
as food and clothing
are addressed
• Creating free and
friendly spaces
• Photographs and
responsibilities of staff
and others are posted
in the facility.
• Relaxed length of stay
Developing goals and plans using
trauma-informed practices

The following are basic components of goal
development that are routinely implemented:
 Consumer goals are recorded
in written,
individualized plans
 Consumer goals are reviewed and updated regularly
 A system of follow-up is applied consistently across
the program
 Goal development is led by the client, then
supported and resourced by the Case Manager
Developing goals and plans using
trauma-informed practices, cont.
• Each client needs a written, individualized self-care or
crisis prevention plan. These should include the following:
 A list of situations that the person finds stressful or
overwhelming and remind him/her of past traumatic
events (i.e. triggers)
 Ways that the client shows that he/she is stressed or
overwhelmed
 Staff responses that are helpful and not helpful
when the client is feeling upset or overwhelmed
 A list of people to go to for support
** Helpful criteria for evaluating shelter
policies & rules
• Is the policy necessary?
• What is the purpose?
• Does it serve that purpose?
• Who does it help or hurt?
• Does it facilitate or hinder
client inclusion?
• Were clients included?
• What is the tone and
language?
Understanding Signs When
There is No Self Disclosure
 “I stay with”
 Frequent address changes
 Children making reference to unusual sleeping
arrangements
 “Doubling up”
 Observe large amount of possessions in car, i.e.
sleeping in car
 Due to stigma, families who experience homelessness
may not disclose the situation.
Communication & Connection
 “Although the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance
Act provided children experiencing homelessness
more opportunity for educational stability, they
continue to face disruptions in their education…”
(Kilmer, 2012, p. 339)
 Of elementary students experiencing homelessness,
only 21.5% are proficient in math and 24.4% in
reading. It is worse among high school students, where
11.4% are proficient in math and 14.6% in reading.
(NCFH)
Language: Person Centered
 The emphasis is on the person, defining them as who
they are and not a current experience:
 Homeless person -> Person experiencing homelessness
This language shift allows room for the child and the
entire family to be recognized not as the “sum of their
situation”, but as people who are growing, changing, and
shifting. It also serves to remove some of the stigma these
families are frequently experiencing.
Suggested Responses
 Prioritize communication among teaching teams,
social workers, school psychologist to ensure all
players have the same and updated information.
 Recognize the school can be one of the few places of
stability and create events that are inclusive of families
(Kilmer, 2012) such as the model seen during
Hurricane Katrina at Mayfair Elementary
 Try to eliminate barriers such as transportation,
language, and social stigma. (Kilmer, 2012)
Responses Cont’d
 Teachers could engage in parent outreach efforts
with sensitivity towards the parental level of
education.
 Integrate parents into school activities to help build
a positive parent/child bond within the school
setting.
 Engage in staff training and development.✔
(Kilmer, 2012)
A Shift to Inclusiveness
 The shift in language, communication and connection
will help contribute to much of this, however it is
important for school staff to understand that the
severe social stigma attached to the experience of
homelessness means families are coming in already
feeling ostracized from peers, teachers, and staff.
 Emphasis must be on clear effort to include in a
manner which allows families opportunities to interact
as equals.
Equal Interactions
 Try to avoid activities which ask parents to bring food.
 Enable parents to work as chaperones on field trips
(i.e. cover cost, transportation).
 Minimize the appearance of these outreach efforts by
normalizing language, sensitive communication for
arranging pick-ups, and letting parents take the lead
on how they choose to interact with the staff.
 These efforts will add additional emotional and
physical toll on staff, so the final two pieces of trauma
informed care are crucial.
**Vicarious Trauma & Self Care
 In order to provide good trauma informed care, it is
VITAL to recognize the vicarious trauma experienced and
respond with appropriate self care. Tired, emotionally
drained workers will not be able to recognize the signs of
trauma within children or parents and will likely label
them as “difficult” or “problematic”.
 To create an environment where families experiencing
homelessness feel safe, recognizing vicarious trauma and
responding with self care must be seen as PART of trauma
informed care, not a negotiable “bonus”.
A brief overview…
Students who are Homeless
in Wake County, NC
 During 2011-2012, 2,757 students met McKinney
Vento eligibility. At the end of the year, 2345 were
still actively enrolled in Wake County Schools.
 Highest number of students were in High School,
Kindergarten, and 3rd grade in 2011-2012.
 Almost ½ of total were in Elementary Schools
 Thus far in 2012-2013, the number is approx 1373.
 Michelle Mozingo, MSW, Wake County McKinney Vento Liaison for Homeless Students
Challenges:
 How do we get these children connected to needed
services?
 How do we establish and maintain collaborative
relationships with the school social workers?
 Is dual case management possible for those living in
shelters and attending schools, and what if there are
multiple children in the family?
 How do we establish knowledge of trauma informed
care with those working with homeless children?
How we closed the gap…
Project CATCH Community Meetings
 McKinney Vento Liaison and Preschool Social Worker
attend monthly meetings with reps from homeless
agencies
 Recent topics/activities:






Navigating school re-assignment
Assistance with IEP’s for homeless students
Solving transportation issues
Assistance with Special Ed services
Self – Care with CATCH Chaplain
CATCH and Trauma Informed Care info is disseminated
throughout the school system.
Trauma Informed Care Training
35 School Social Workers attended day-long training
on 4/23/12, facilitated by the National Center on
Family Homelessness.
85 School staff from the Office of Early Learning
attended 2-hr training 10/11/12, facilitated by Project
CATCH staff.

Shelter-based case studies were used in both trainings to
illustrate challenges clients face in shelter life
Internal meetings with Wake County:
 Met with Child Find Sr. Administrator – 9/7/2012
 Discussed Project CATCH and TI Care
 Departmental training followed
 Met with Family and Community Connections
Administrator / Preschool Services Director and team
members – 10/23/2012
 Discussed IEP process for homeless students, and initial
discussions about on-site training for staff and parents
in shelters
Collaborative Projects
 After School & Summer Tutoring Program in shelters
 Organized by the Wake County McKinney Vento Liaison
for the last three years
 Coats for Kids – New coats for any child in need –
approximately 6,000 coats and $40K in gift cards
distributed last year
 Back to School Supplies – Community Groups / others
 Christmas Toy Store – New toys and gifts for children
aged 0-12 – 47,882 distributed last year
 All programs sponsored by The Salvation Army of Wake
County
Collaborative Projects
 Telamon Corporation – Raleigh, NC
 Manages Head Start and Early Head Start Programs
in North Carolina
 Partners with Project CATCH
 Participation on Telamon’s Policy Council
 Currently in discussions/planning to implement a
Head Start program in the new Salvation Army
building , opening 3/2013.
 Recently awarded grant to serve 417 children in
Sampson County, NC
Collaborative Observations
 Parents and children are engaging with each other and
their teachers at higher levels
 Attendance and performance are improved – kids want
to stay in school
 Increased support for unaccompanied youth
 Social workers and staff experience:



Enhanced community relationships
Understanding of what life is like for families in the shelter
Clearer understanding of child behaviors and parent
interactions
Next steps for CATCH
• Continue efforts to meet our 3 primary
goals and enrich the core components.
• Conduct full program evaluation, with
NCFH as partner.
• Continue collaborative work with
Agency partners
• Searching for funders to continue
CATCH beyond 6/2014
Contact Information:
Peter Donlon, MDIV
The Salvation Army of Wake County, NC
Peter.Donlon@uss.salvationarmy.org
National Center on Family Homelessness
www.familyhomelessness.org
References

Chiu, Sheau-Huey., DiMarco, Marguerite A.(2010). A pilot study comparing two developmental
screening tools for use with homeless children. Journal of pediatric health care 24 (2). pg.
72-80.

Hong, Saahoon., Piescher, Kristy. (2012) The role of supportive housing in homeless children’s wellbeing: An investigation of child welfare and educational outcomes. Children and youth
services review 34. pg. 1440-1447.

Kilmer, Ryan P., Cook, James R., Crusto, Cindy., Strater, Katherine P., Haber, Mason G. (2012).
Understanding the ecology and development of children and families experiencing
homelessness: Implications for practice, supportive services, and policy. American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry 82 (3). Pg. 389-401.

National Center on Family Homelessness- www.familyhomelessness.org

Putnam, Frank. (2006). The impact of trauma on child development. Juvenile and family court
journal. Pg. 1-11.