VSV's Social Service Philosophy and Methodology

At Virginia Social Ventures, we believe that homelessness is more than just a housing issue, and chronic and serial unemployment are more than just jobs issues. In truth, these states occur because of the complex interaction of both social and personal problems – problems that include housing affordability, structural racism, child poverty, substance abuse, mental and physical health problems, domestic violence, child abuse, family dysfunction, and education and skill deficits. Attempting to address either homelessness or employment problems without acknowledging and addressing this complicated web of underlying problems leads to fruitless efforts, burnout, and waste of social investments.

When a family or individual in crisis approaches a social service organization for assistance, they inevitably arrive with their own complex set of problems. They generally, and not unreasonably, hope to dump this interlocking collection in the lap of the counselor serving them, and expect him or her to sort it out and provide solutions. For the counselor and the organization to respond by doing so is a tempting and deceptively simple approach.

In contrast, we find that the most effective approach is for the counselor to help the client to pull apart and identify the many threads that were woven together to create the current crisis; to determine what the top priorities for change are; and then to break these issues down into small enough steps that the client believes they can, with support, be accomplished. This often means meeting with the client daily, helping him or her to set a small goal, and then checking back the next day, both to confirm that it has been completed and to set the next goal. The foundation of our approach is this: support plus accountability.

Besides this detailed work of helping the client to take responsibility for the small steps that can lead to solving the larger crisis, we also believe in taking a long-term and highly clinical approach to homelessness and related problems. To work with clients in crisis for a few weeks, to help them find housing and jobs, and then to say “see you later,” does little to create lasting solutions to these deeply entrenched social problems. But to address the many underlying issues – addiction, patterns of financial mismanagement, learning disabilities, and so much more – takes time. Sustainable change can rarely be accomplished without a working relationship that spans at least two years.

An effective approach must be clinical as well, because of the immense breadth and depth of the trauma that homeless families and individuals have experienced. Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, child neglect and abandonment, addiction and mental illness, foster care placement, institutionalization and incarceration: it is sadly not the exception but the rule that they have experienced some combination of these events.

Because clinical resources often are difficult to access outside, some high quality homeless family organizations began years ago to bring trained clinicians onto their staffs in order to provide play therapy for children and psychotherapy for adults. Some also have acquired funding to refer children and adults for full psychological assessments, and where appropriate, for medication.

VSV capitalizes upon these lessons learned elsewhere by establishing the following social service methodology:

• A thorough psychosocial assessment is conducted with each prospective VSV trainee before he or she is accepted into the training program. If this has not already been completed and transmitted to us by the referring organization, a VSV staff member conducts the assessment.
• All VSV trainees work with a case manager to address issues that may affect their ability to succeed in training and employment. If the referring organization is not already providing case management, and is not able, at a minimum, to continue weekly appointments, VSV staff provide case management for the trainee.
• Among the many important issues addressed in case management (or in group workshops, as appropriate) are money management, housing stability, long-term educational goals, addiction recovery maintenance, ongoing mental health stabilization, family violence prevention and treatment, and children’s needs.
• Unless a trainee quits or is dismissed from the training program, VSV will continue to provide case management, clinical, and employment retention services until the trainee has graduated from the program and maintained regular employment for a period of at least one year