Katya Fels-Smyth

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1995

Katya Fels-Smyth

On The Rise

http://www.ontherise.org

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

The Bold Idea:

92% of homeless women experienced severe physical and/or sexual assault at some point in their lives. Most shelters cannot accommodate women with substance abuse and mental illness. On The Rise grew out of the hopes and stories of homeless women attempting to access programs in Massachusetts. Many did not fit the client profiles of existing programs; others had been through program after program, never quite finding what they needed. The system gave up on them and they gave up on the system.

Almost every woman using On The Rise has a history of profound trauma and abuse. Because of their past histories, many have difficulty making full use of highly structured programs that are helpful for others. On The Rise is dedicated to working with women who lack a permanent and secure, psychologically and physically safe space to live and who are having trouble using traditional providers. Its goal is to help women find safety and explore new possibilities. When it does this, On The Rise enables women to increase their sense of self-efficacy, to develop interdependent relationships based on trust, and to move off the streets.

Since 1996, On The Rise's daytime Outreach/Safe Haven program has worked with more than 1,000 women. At the heart of the program is an outreach team, individuals who bring both personal experience with and professional knowledge of a range of issues including addiction, homelessness, and domestic violence. Outreach provides emergency tangible aid as well as emotional support and connections with specialized services. The Safe Haven is the sited extension of outreach. Within the Safe Haven, women can find immediate protection and attend to personal needs which may have been neglected for years. Since women using On The Rise often get lost in the "space" between program, accompaniment and social support outside of the Safe Haven is critical. Prison visits, hospital visits, support around family issues, and escorts to appointments and hearing all help women get through particularly vulnerable periods.

Because the women themselves hold answers to solving the crisis of homelessness, On The Rise actively involves homeless and formerly homeless women in the design and implementation of its programs. The organization helps women craft solutions for their individual situations, providing immediate aid not as an end in and of itself, but because a woman cannot better her situation in the long term if she cannot shower or eat today.