Believes no one should have to live on the street or in a violent household.
OUR MISSION
The People Concern believes no one should have to live on the street or in a violent household. Our staff, volunteers and those we serve work together to address the effects of homelessness, poverty, mental and physical illness, abuse and addiction. Our programs empower the most vulnerable among us to improve their quality of life – housed, healthy and safe – and become active participants in the community. We also work to educate the broader community and improve public policy.
HOMELESS SERVICES
WHAT WE DO
OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT
Outreach teams across Los Angeles County bring services to the streets and develop trusting relationships with those living without a home.
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Operating under a “Housing First” model, our staff work with program participants to locate best-fit housing options as quickly as possible.
MENTAL HEALTH CARE
On-site and field-based mental health clinicians provide psychiatric care and other services to individuals struggling with severe or chronic mental illness.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES
Services including shelters, support groups, and a 24-hour hotline are provided through Sojourn, our program tailored to adult and child victims of domestic violence.
INTERIM HOUSING
On-site integrated services and case management help program participants stabilize their health, gain critical life skills and work toward finding the best-fit permanent housing solution.
MEDICAL CARE
With access to on-site, mobile, or in-home medical care, program participants are able to maintain and improve their physical health, while relieving stress on public services.
INCOME ASSISTANCE
Money management services help program participants earn income and manage their finances through government benefit navigation, budgeting assistance and financial counseling.
SUBSTANCE USE SERVICES
Through a “Harm Reduction” approach to long-term wellness, staff work with all program participants, regardless of where they are in their recovery process.
LIFE SKILLS & WELLNESS
Program participants improve their quality of life through workshops and programs that focus on holistic development, skill-building, artistic expression and healthy living.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Shelter Services
Sojourn’s domestic violence shelter programs offer crisis and transitional housing to individuals and families. Our shelters provide survivors with a safe place to live, supportive services, counseling, childcare, legal services, and more.
Support Services
The support services offered by Sojourn have been provided by loyal staff and committed volunteers for over 30 years. Our confidential crisis hotline offers service referrals for domestic violence survivors, including emergency shelter, housing, legal aid, substance abuse treatment, counseling, and more! The Sojourn walk-in center is open Monday through Friday, offering case management, legal services, housing navigation, and support groups.
Legal Services
Sojourn’s legal department offers referrals, assistance with restraining orders, support navigating the DV related housing environment, court accompaniment, and more.
Outreach and Education
The outreach and education department provides trainings, technical assistance, advocacy events, and educational resources to clients, their families, Sojourn staff, organizational partners, and the community at-large.
Events
Sojourn works to bring awareness, resources, and information for survivors of domestic violence. By providing spaces in which the voices of survivors can be elevated, Sojourn helps to provide preventable skills and education to local community members.
K9 CONNECTION
k9 connection works to optimize and support healthy human-animal bonds by providing services through their two main projects:
- k9 Academy
- Pets’ Landing
k9 connection is proud to be a program of one of Los Angeles County’s largest social services agencies, The People Concern. We provide support for animal-assisted interventions that acknowledge the importance of healthy and safe emotional, psychological, and physical interactions that incorporate animals for the purpose of therapeutic gains and improved health and wellness.
Our k9 connection program provides essential services and supplies to pets of people experiencing homelessness can be healthy, happy and safe through the Pets’ Landing Project; and helps disadvantaged youth in continuation high schools build life skills through the experience of training and bonding with shelter dogs in the k9 Academy Project.
K9 ACADEMY
k9 connection’s on-site programs held at continuation high schools empower vulnerable youth by engaging them in animal-assisted interventions where they train homeless dogs in basic obedience and participate in life-changing classroom sessions. In the process, they learn to apply the lessons they teach the dogs to their own lives while experiencing trust, teamwork, responsibility, patience, empathy, unconditional love and success.
The after-school programs hosted by k9 connection were studied by graduate students who monitored the positive changes from the beginning of each program to the end (graduation). The results “demonstrated that the students showed significantly more developed social and emotional abilities following participation in the three-week intensive k9 program. Measurable gains were achieved in the teens’ ability to recognize and express their emotions, to understand and relate to others, to cope with stress, to begin thinking in a less negative or self-serving manner, and to give increased consideration to the thoughts and feelings of others.” So, there was a direct correlation between the students training the homeless dogs to be more adoptable and the dogs offering unconditional love and companionship in return.
ARTS PROGRAM
The People Concern’s Arts Program encompasses Studio 526, our Skid Row music studio, Daybreak Designs, westside and Kensington art programs. Our Arts Program plays a central role in the recovery and stability of many of its participants. Mental health professionals widely recognize that artistic expression can enhance the well-being of men and women living with mental illness while also serving as a bridge to other clinical and supportive services. Creative self-expression is a core component of an individual’s social health.
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