How we help our community
Plumb Place complies with HUD’s housing first which means we operates on the belief that women who feel secure in housing are able to better make progress on their individual goals. Plumb Place has 17 dedicated transitional housing beds in 17 individual rooms and four emergency shelter beds in two large rooms for the ability to serve up to 21 women at a time. While the program is designed to help program participants work toward self sufficiency as quickly as possible, and several are helped each year in our emergency shelter program, many women benefit from the added support of the transitional housing program.
Entry to Plumb Place is based on meeting HUD definition of homelessness and/or fleeing domestic violence. Through the use of the VI-SPDAT – HMIS version and Self Sufficiency Matrix offered by the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation, the scores of both of these forms are used to ensure program participants are entered into the appropriate Plumb Place program – emergency shelter or transitional housing.
Supportive Services
Plumb Place staff is held to the professional standards of their respective professions and the ethical standards set by the National Organization of Human Services. Participants are offered intensive case management, life skills education and a variety of supportive therapeutic and educational groups to address issues identified upon admission and throughout participation in the program.
Case Management and Life Skills Education
Intensive case management assesses needs and identifies barriers to permanent housing; this is a collaborative effort with the program participant to identify goals and objectives as needed to increase skills and income, build self determination and secure housing. As goals are achieved and documented, new goals are established to ensure permanent housing can be maintained upon exit from the program. Participants make use of the on-site resource center that provides, staffed by the program manager, hands-on instruction with budgeting, independent living skills, job search, resume writing and application assistance, as well as access to online education and software to improve educational functioning level.
Entrepreneurship Program and Transferable Skills Training
Community Engagement and Referrals to Community Partners
- Crosswinds Mental Health Center for additional mental health services and medication
- Counseling Associates of the Flint Hills for additional mental health services
- Kansas Legal Services for legal aid
- ECKAN for a variety of service for low-income residents including Section 8 housing aid
- Southeast Kansasworks for additional job search aid and employment services
- Veterans’ Employment and Training Service through the U.S. Department of Labor for veteran program participants
- DCF for family services and help with economic and food assistance
- SOS for domestic violence advocacy, education, and support to residents in need of emergency shelter in an undisclosed location due to imminent danger
- The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities Resource Bus, and Abundant Harvest for food assistance
- Flint Hills Community Health Clinic for affordable and accessible health care on an income-based fee scale