Long-Term Support at Covenant House Vancouver
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The #CHVCatchUp is a monthly series featuring the latest updates and news from Covenant House Vancouver. Miss604 is proud to be the Official Blog Partner of CHV.
Building a Strong Foundation
Covenant House Vancouver wants young people to walk out their doors more secure, stable, and confident than when they walked in. Their long-term model of care gives youth the opportunity to build a strong foundation as they move towards adulthood.
Through their Rights of Passage Program, they provide youth with safe, affordable housing and support as they transition to independent living.
Comprehensive Housing: Rights of Passage Program
Rights of Passage (“ROP”) is a comprehensive housing program that supports youth who wish to transition to independent living.
ROP is the most structured of Covenant House Vancouver’s programs, youth must apply to the program and commit to one year of residence. While in residence, youth live in their own small studio-style apartments, sharing a kitchen and common space with other residents.
The program is designed to have youth create their own stability through life skills such as budgeting, paying bills, cooking, maintaining their home and finding resources in their community. Youth must also work through a series of six steps, each with increasing levels of personal development and responsibility.
In addition to guidance, structure, and support, ROP provides:
- A fully furnished, studio-style apartment
- 24-hour staff support
- Daily and community dinners, light groceries, and celebrations
- Individualized Case Management
- Life Skills including cooking, money management, self-care, and goal setting
- Support maintaining employment and/or developing an education plan
- Recreational opportunities
- Women-only residential spaces
The Rights of Passage Program helps youth invest in the big changes and skills they need for a healthy, independent adulthood.
ROP Six Steps During COVID-19
Youth who have been accepted into ROP are expected to complete six purpose-designed steps during their stay. These steps teach autonomy and help to generate the self-confidence youth will need to transition to independent living. During the pandemic, these crucial elements of the program had to be reimagined to keep youth safe, on track, and motivated.
Below you’ll see how one youth, Dev, worked through the steps in 2020. Dev* is a composite of several youth in ROP, meant to highlight the adaptations made to the program due to the pandemic.
If you are a youth in need of support or have questions, please contact Covenant House Vancouver toll-free at 1-877-685-7474 or click here.
Since 1997, Covenant House Vancouver has been providing love and hope to youth experiencing homelessness. They are the premiere service provider of residential and outreach services for homeless and at-risk youth ages 16 to 24 in Vancouver.
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