One of the most powerful services COI provides is transformative shelter for men, women and families – we work very hard with our clients to help them move from being homeless (or vulnerable to homelessness) to living in a place they can call home.
The Transformative Shelter Program offers specialized case management services, peer support, and access to all of the other services COI provides, including food pantries, mental health counseling, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, medical and dental clinics, and childcare.
Everyone who uses COI’s transformative shelter is expected to practice sobriety and be behaviorally appropriate.
Transformative Shelter
COI’s Vision: “Creating Transformative and Supportive Pathways to Life;” combined with our Mission; “Helping People Help Themselves Lead Healthy and Productive Lives” form the foundation for the Transformative Shelter Program. The Program provides life changing opportunities for men, women, and families to travel a pathway toward self-determined health and productivity.
One former Transformative Shelter client, who recently moved into his own apartment said, “I couldn’t have done this on my own. I needed to learn how to be an adult, without the fear of failing. COI is not judgmental and keeps me safe.”
We begin by providing safe and stable shelter. Once sheltered, we assist with accessing services within COI and throughout the community. A common starting point is transformative case management. Dignity and respect, in a structured, safe, and supportive environment, empowers clients to address the life factors that made them susceptible to homelessness and to develop a transformative pathway to stability in permanent housing.
Health Services include medical and dental, substance abuse treatment, veteran’s support services, treatment for co-occurring disorders, mental health and domestic violence counseling, and nature-based childcare.
- Community clients enrolling in the transformative shelter program must complete a shelter pre-screen and provide a clean urinalysis and breathalyzer tests upon intake and randomly throughout their stay. We have capacity for 16 men, 12 women, 12 young adults and 42 family members in 11 family rooms.
- All clients can access a case manager and a thorough needs/barriers assessment. Clients and case managers establish goals and action plans based on the clients’ individual needs, support, and resources. Goals may include gaining financial security, obtaining permanent housing, addressing mental health or substance abuse problems, and learning how to access resources available in the community. Courses on life, career, and computer skills, health, cooking, nutrition, and communication are available.
- All clients are required to complete daily chores to keep our facilities orderly and clean. Clients contribute a $6-per-night program fee or may be eligible for “Work for Fee.”
- Those with sex offenses or violent/dangerous history whose behavior may jeopardize the health and safety of other clients and staff are ineligible for services at COI.
- COI serves clients from Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties.
For questions about our transformative shelter services, contact us below or call us at 541-758-3000.
Case Management
Case Management is among the primary services offered to all clients in our Transformative Shelter Program. Two special areas of focus for our Case Managers are services for Veterans and Transitional Youth, aged 18-24.
This service is a client-centered, goal-oriented process for assessing needs, linking to resources, and helping obtain the services needed to overcome barriers to housing, employment, and orienting to achieve long-term stability. Case Managers build client relationships of mutual trust and respect which is a critical supportive element in client success.
In the Transformative Shelter Program, Case Managers engage with the clients weekly and provide ongoing support for up to 24 months after clients launch out of the Transformative Shelter Program.
COI Case Management staff are trained in Trauma Informed Care; a framework that recognizes people often have various kinds of trauma impacting their lives. We also utilize Critical Time Intervention, a practice that mobilizes support for society’s most vulnerable individuals during times of transition.
Good 2 Go Veterans Case Management
Our Transformative Shelter Program includes a dedicated Veterans Case Management Team and the Good 2 Go Veterans Center at 626 4th Street in Corvallis. We support Veteran clients with life skills and resources to successfully gain and maintain coping skills, employment, income, and permanent housing. Our Veteran Case Management Team also provides support and Case Management to community Veterans in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties, as well as Veterans referred by the VA from neighboring counties.
For more information about our Veteran Services, please visit our Veterans link above.
Transitions Youth Case Management
The purpose of the Transitions Youth Case Management Program is to help homeless young adults (aged 18-24) build positive relationships, increase training opportunities for employment and education, and develop safe spaces and activities in the community.
The Transitions Youth Case Management Program has integrated Case Management, and “built-in” Peer Support. Weekly Transitional Youth Meetings promote solidarity, goals, and healthy outlets in the community. Along with Peer Support and Case Management, this program focuses on Vocational and Educational Training through Transitional Classes. All of the young adults in this program are encouraged to stay in Transitions Youth Case Management Program for 12-18 months.
Young homeless adults in this program are expected to remain alcohol and drug free and are strongly encouraged to develop positive mentor relationships with other healthy adults. For those youth who have bounced from one place to another, COI is a safe and welcoming place to come. Our staff welcomes all young adults to our shelter, including those who are a part of the LGBTQ community.
This program works in partnership with the following providers: 509J School District, College Hill, Jackson Street Youth Services, Samaritan Health Services, Oregon State University, Benton County Probation and Parole, the Oregon Youth Authority, Community Services Consortium, Old Mill Center for Children and Families, and Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services.