Program Overview

Women Served by Crossroads for Women

The women at Crossroads for Women are homeless and suffering from mental illness and substance addictions. They are survivors of childhood sexual and physical abuse and are frequent victims of domestic violence and recurring trauma on the streets. Most come from an impoverished, abusive, and substance using family background and have not learned the life skills needed for community living. They have typically acquired a criminal history making it difficulty for them to obtain housing and employment. Without intervention, the women cycle between homelessness and incarceration and their children are at a high risk for a generational cycle of mental illness, homelessness, and criminal activity.

Although challenged by many barriers, the women also come to Crossroads for Women with many strengths. They are most often resilient, resourceful, and interested in helping others, particularly women in similar circumstances. They are open to learning, responding positively to therapy, are very determined to make progress. Recognizing and building upon these and other client strengths is a fundamental philosophy of Crossroads for Women.

Crossroads for Women offers women an opportunity to change the direction of their lives. Whether coming from homelessness or incarceration, women at Crossroads are provided housing and wrap around support services designed to achieve a healthy, stable, and self-sufficient life in the community. Crossroads strives to provide a safe and nurturing environment where women have the foundation of support and safety needed to address the issues impacting their lives. At Crossroads, each woman identifies her own goals and participates in the creation of a service plan designed to assist her in achieving those goals. Services continue to be individualized and client driven, giving the women control over their own future. The Crossroads provides support during times of crisis, including relapse, while assisting participants to gain the skills needed to independently address crisis in their lives. In this way, the Crossroads strives to retain participants in treatment until their sobriety and stability in the community is solid and they have gained the skills needed to sustain their recovery.

The road from life on the streets to a stable life in the community is a long and hard one. Crossroads is there each step of the way. Crossroads offers:

Four week of life skills education and reintegration asssistance on the treatment unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center
Six months of highly structured treatment at Maya's Place, a congregate living program for women released from jail or prison
Two years of supportive housing in the community at the Crossroads for women graduating from Maya's Place or coming directly from the streets
Continuing care services to maintain stability in the community after completion of the supportive housing program

Through these services, Crossroads makes a long term commitment to each woman in the program.