Park Place Outreach

The mission of Park Place Outreach Youth Emergency Shelter is to provide services to at-risk youth and their families, increase their functional level, and reunify families whenever possible. Park Place Outreach (PPO) serves runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth, through residential and non-residential services consisting of temporary shelter, at-risk behavior prevention, family preservation, and outreach to provide comprehensive care and vital support services. Under one mission PPO operates four programs to address the multi-dimensional needs of young people experiencing homelessness including runaway youth, victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking, youth in crisis, and referrals from DFCS or DJJ as an alternative to foster placement or detention.
Under one mission, Park Place Outreach operates four programs to achieve the vital work of the mission.  
 1)The Youth Emergency Shelter also known as Basic Center provides safe and secure temporary shelter, typically up to 3 weeks, for youth 11-17. The Basic Center is open 24/7/365 and is staffed with at least two individuals so that a child can be admitted at any time. Youth can self-admit without an adult and is the City’s designated placement for curfew violators. PPO provides residents with daily nutritional meals and snacks, a comfortable place to sleep, intensive and individualized counseling services, clothing and school uniforms, after-school tutoring, and transportation to/from their neighborhood school. Additional services provided to meet the individualized need of the youth include behavior management, crisis intervention, individual, family, and group counseling/mediation, weekly life-skill groups, recreational services, and after-care services. These services are provided by a trained and experienced staff of approximately 20 case managers and youth advocate specialists.
 2) The Transitional Living Program provides residential placement for homeless males ages 17-21. The program focuses on their well-being, positive and permanent connections, academic success, safe and secure housing, and employment opportunities. Residents may remain in the program for up to 18 months while equipping them with tools for sustained independence and self-sufficiency. Our team helps residents transition to a life of independence and self-sufficiency by assisting with vital supports such as health insurance, medical and mental healthcare, healthy lifestyle practices, money management skills, development of practical life skills for successful personal development, education assistance, employment, and support/aftercare services.
3) The Family Always Matters (F.A.M.) Preservation for Teens Program works with teens and families to receive wrap-around services including case management, vital support, and placement prevention services to help teens remain safely in their homes to sustain and maintain family stability. Group programming is provided weekly Monday-Thursday from 3:30-6:30. The groups cover various topics including counseling, academic support, life skills, coping and anger management, health classes, and other life skills-based programming in a group setting with peers. Staff also works directly with parents on parenting teens.
 4) The Street Outreach Program identifies youth, ages 11-21, who are runaways, homeless, victims of sexual exploitation and/or human trafficking, at-risk of family separation, or who may otherwise be at risk and assist them through the direct provision of services and/or connection with other resources with important services targeted at their housing and stability needs. PPO offers showers, laundry, basic necessities, as well as counseling services, enrichment opportunities, and job assistance. By building trustful and meaningful relationships, our goal is to prevent the exploitation of youth living on the streets or in unsafe living conditions. All of PPO’s programs utilize positive-youth development and trauma-informed strategies to minimize harm or re-traumatization. PPO’s services and staff are designed to meet youth where they are and provide a safe, stable environment that is individualized and acts as a threshold for new and sustainable opportunities for personal growth