Mental Health/Counseling

Atlanta Mission empowering those experiencing homelessness in Atlanta.

OUR MISSION:  We transform, through Christ, the lives of those facing homelessness.

SERVICES:

Food and Shelter
Critical Needs
Addiction Recovery
Job Attainment
Counseling
Spiritual Recovery
Educational Services

The VISION
We’re a community united to end homelessness, one person at a time.

Atlanta Mission PURPOSE
That those we serve and those that serve come to Know Christ, Walk with Christ, and Live for Christ.

Atlanta Mission Values

Christ-Centered
We desire all who engage with us to Know, Walk, and Live for Christ

Humbly Serve
We strive to Live, Love, and Lead like Jesus

Faithfully Steward
We honor and wisely use the Time, Talent and Treasures that God has provided

Courageously Innovate
Driven to excellence, we continuously learn, adapt and improve

Joyfully Celebrate
We intentionally appreciate and recognize all that God is doing in and through our staff, clients and community

Strength in Unity
We embrace God’s desire for oneness and kingdom-focused unity

Why Support Homeless Men, Women & Children?

Supporting men, women, and children experiencing homelessness requires a multifaceted approach. First, providing emergency shelter that accommodates men, women and children together is crucial. This ensures they remain connected during a challenging time. Additionally, offering access to comprehensive services, including mental health support, job training, and financial counseling, is vital for long-term stability. Transitioning from shelters to permanent housing solutions should be seamless. Programs that assist with finding and maintaining affordable housing can greatly impact a couple's ability to rebuild their lives.

Collaboration with local organizations and government agencies enhances the effectiveness of these efforts. Involving couples in the planning and decision-making process empowers them and addresses their unique needs. Furthermore, community awareness campaigns can reduce stigma and garner support for these initiatives.

In conclusion, a holistic, family-focused approach to homelessness support can lead to more positive outcomes. By fostering stability and connection, families can overcome the challenges they face and work towards a brighter future.

For additional information about Atlanta Mission go to their website: https://atlantamission.org/

At Covenant House Georgia (CHGA), we are much more than a shelter. We provide more than just a bed and a meal for youth experiencing homelessness and escaping trafficking. We show unconditional love and give comprehensive support so that our youth can and will realize their fullest potential.

Our Guiding Principles

Immediacy

When our youth come to us in crisis, we immediately and without question, meet their basic human needs – a hot meal, a shower, clean clothes, a bed, medical attention, and a safe place away from the dangers of the street.

Sanctuary

We create a place of refuge; a sacred space. The youth who come to us are often frightened and mistrustful. Many of them have faced abuse. Therefore, we protect them from the perils of the street. A young person can grow only when they feel safe and secure.

Values Communication

Our interactions with our youth communicate our values. We teach them how to have relationships based on acceptance and understanding, honesty and integrity, trust and respect. These are lessons that no one may have taken the time to teach them before. Although street values of lying, cheating, and stealing may be common survival tools on the street, they don’t belong here.

Structure

Chaos is what our youth know. Therefore, we provide a solid structure that allows us to help them begin to regain control. Some of our youths don’t know where they will get their next meal or where they will sleep. Thus, we provide a regular schedule that gives them the stability they need to start building their future.

Choice

Young people often feel powerless to control their lives and fall into a self-defeating cycle of failure. Consequently, we emphasize choice, which is about helping our youth believe in themselves and their ability to make life-changing decisions about who they want to be in this world.

Programs and Services

Crisis Shelter

We offer emergency shelter for 30-90 days to young people ages 18-24. We provide medical and mental health care, focusing on primary care, OB/GYN care, prenatal care, STD, HIV, asthma, and diabetes screening. Additionally, we offer health education, and drug awareness and education. Youth suffering from severe and persistent mental illness receive or are referred to psychiatric counseling, medication management, and help finding supported permanent housing. Youth in the Crisis Shelter also participate in educational and vocational programs, learn basic life skills, and seek employment. This helps them create an independent, sustainable future for themselves.

Rights of Passage

For many of our youth, a stay in the crisis shelter is not long enough to become self-sufficient. Hence, the Rights of Passage program is our independent living program designed to give them more time to reach the goal of self-sufficiency. It is a 24-bed onsite and 4-bed offsite program. Youth are eligible after they have stabilized in the Crisis Shelter and obtained employment. Case managers assist youth as they transition into independent living.

Gift of Hope Apartment Building

In the spring of 2022, Covenant House Georgia officially opened the Gift of Hope Apartment Building. This new on-site facility comprises three stories and more than 20,000 square feet. Thirty single-unit residences offer safety, peace, and a bridge toward independent living for young people experiencing homelessness and escaping trafficking. Each unit is equipped with its own kitchen, bathroom, and living area.

The Gift of Hope Apartment Building allows CHGA to respond quickly to the fluctuating needs of our youth and may even be used for shelter overflow in times of emergency.

For additional information go to their website: https://covenanthousega.org/

Someone Cares provides support for Individuals with HIV/AID. The organization also educates and empowers people facing health disparities, helping them achieve better outcomes. To accomplish this, it removes barriers to culturally sensitive services. Furthermore, it builds a support network for underserved groups and enhances client resiliency.

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Our Fight to Save Lives in Underserved Communities:
In the 1980s, the HIV and AIDS infection rate exceeded fifty percent, creating a catastrophic impact on communities of color. During that time, Bass worked for a prevention organization in Jacksonville, Florida, where he acquired valuable knowledge about HIV and how to reach high-risk populations effectively by meeting them where they were.

Armed with this expertise and tools to address the escalating HIV infection rate nationwide, Bass drove around Jacksonville, operating directly from his car. He provided HIV education and testing, particularly targeting Transgender and Gay men of color. These individuals were often overlooked, disconnected from healthcare services, or in need of someone to simply listen to their harrowing stories.

As a compassionate individual, Bass strongly believed in being his brother’s keeper. Witnessing the disconnect, lack of quality healthcare, and minimal empathy for Transgender and Gay men of color, he took action. In 1996, with a steadfast commitment to assisting marginalized and underserved populations, he turned his vision into reality by founding Someone Cares Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida.

By employing intervention tools, prevention education, and safe sex practices, as well as conducting testing and screenings, the agency persistently works toward the global goal of achieving zero infections. The organization’s National Trans Health Conference serves as a vital resource for professionals, pharmaceutical companies, and suppliers to collaborate, discuss, and discover innovative ways to engage Transgender individuals. Someone Cares is dedicated to ensuring that Transgender individuals feel supported—whether through linkage to care, housing assistance, or creating a safe space. “We are not just an agency; we are a friend.”
Our Constituency:
Someone Cares Inc. serves a diverse range of populations and ethnic backgrounds. However, the agency’s grant responsibilities focus primarily on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) individuals, and high-risk heterosexuals. Since service participants are not required to self-identify as LGBTQ, the organization extends its reach to all communities of color in Metro Atlanta who, due to lifestyle or behavior, are at risk of contracting or spreading HIV and STDs.

The majority of clients face significant challenges, including homelessness, substance abuse, sex work, or living with HIV. These individuals' range in age from 13 to 70. For service purposes, Someone Cares Inc. does not distinguish between men who have sex with men (MSM), whether they identify as male, female, Gay, straight, or Transgender.
Services Offer:

“PrEP” stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis
HIV Testing & STI Testing
Hormone Therapy
Behavioral Health Program
Opioid Program
Free Safe Sex Kit here: SafeSexKit - Someone Cares Atlanta (s1catl.org)

For additional information go to their website: https://s1catl.org/