In the 1980’s, Congregations Around Richmond Involved To Assure Shelter (CARITAS) was formed to provide emergency shelter for the area’s homeless. Through the years, CARITAS [www.caritas.org] has evolved its program and process, becoming the largest emergency shelter program in Central Virginia. It is also the only one to utilize congregational facilities for intake and shelter. The organization currently works with 240 different congregations, which provide temporary housing on a scheduled rotation. Partners provide volunteers and three meals a day. CARITAS provides cots, pillows, sheets, and professional personnel (case managers) as well as other necessities.

CARITAS manages a central intake function using ShelterPoint, a module within Bowman Systems’® ServicePoint®, to coordinate shelter activity. The organization’s use represents a rather unique application of the software because the shelters are maintained in ShelterPoint, but the physical location of the shelters change each week.

If a client wishes to stay in the shelter, they must register at central intake before being admitted. Registration gets the client “checked in” for one week, which ends on a Friday. Of course, re-registration is permitted, and clients may stay for an additional week as long as they are “accountable for their welfare.” If a client is interested in case management and asks for additional assistance, they are able to stay in the CARITAS program for up to four months while participating and staying in compliance with their individualized service plan (Stays can be extended based on the client’s circumstances.)

Edward Judkins, Director of Operations for CARITAS, reported, “Everything is easier to keep up with using ShelterPoint.” “We use the system for inventory management, case plans, documenting service transactions, client status, and demographics,” said Judkins. “We also use the referral functionality to get clients into beds.”

Judkins continued, “We began with, and have been operating, a manual tracking system for years and have also been utilizing Bowman Systems products through a close alignment with the area’s homeless continuum, Homeward. We wanted to make sure our people understood the system and the benefits it provides and are now ready to stop manual tracking and go solely with ServicePoint.”

During peak season, up to five shelters are in operation including a family focused shelter and four shelters that house single men and single women. “CARITAS can handle up to 28 families and 160 single adult men and women on any given night during peak season,” reported Judkins. “Ours is the only program in the area that will house the mother, father and children together. We found a way to incorporate the entire family because we understand the importance of keeping them together.”

Families are immediately assigned a case manager and offered assistance to get them into permanent housing. CARITAS offers many training programs including Financial Literacy, Self Esteem, and Problem Resolution.

CARITAS places over 80 percent of families and 70 percent of single adults in to permanent housing. “We don’t believe in quick-fix solutions like rooming houses,” explained Judkins. “Many of our clients have co-morbidity issues. Our goal is to provide a lot of skills training to help our clients reach stability and self-sufficiency. We don’t want homelessness to become a way of life.”

Detailed shelter reporting is one of the main benefits of entering data into the community-based system. “It’s not required to go to the sites every night to see who did or did not show, and we no longer have to hold meetings to gather information that is now available in the system,” said Judkins. “Now, quarterly and annual reports can provide information on ‘chronic-ness,’ the number of veterans served, and all demographics. This information helps improve service delivery and is critical to accurate planning.”

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