Week 6 Agency Assessment: United Methodist Outreach Ministries

Week 6 Agency Assessment:

United Methodist Outreach Ministries (UMOM)

Phoenix, Arizona

Kafiah Winston

Introduction to Human Services- Mara Acel-Green

Northeastern University 2016

For my agency assessment I chose to assess United Methodist Outreach Ministries (UMOM) in Phoenix, Arizona. UMOM was founded in 1964 as a faith based initiative and has continued to provide the community with many social services. While UMOM is faith based they serve everyone no matter their individual faith.  When UMOM was first established they were there to assist transients, building playgrounds for children in inner city communities and to provide a link between churches in the inner city and those in suburban areas. In their growth and mission to serve UMOM has become “the largest shelter for homeless families in the state of Arizona” (UMOM New Day Centers, Inc, 2016). In addition to their fight against homelessness, they also provide clients with job training in their Social Enterprise Program which consist of they Helpings Café’ and Market as well as the Homegrown Training Program.  UMOM strives to help families get housing but also at the same time help them get skills that will assist them in the job market as well and becoming their best self. UMOM provides services to a very diverse clientele from all backgrounds of life. In speaking with Danielle she stated that their clients “are from all ethnic backgrounds but also she has clients from all economic backgrounds as well, with sudden life events everyone can find themselves in a potion to need services of some sort” (Danielle, Personal communication, 2016). They work with transients but also families who may have become homeless or are facing being homeless due to low income or loss of employment as well as other life events.

During my interview and web research I learned that UMOM focuses on the whole family as it is, which includes whoever is in the family as they want to keep the family together as a whole supportive unit. This means that they extend services beyond the nuclear definition of family. Mandell and Schram, 2012 discuss how with many welfare programs families are forced into separation when seeking services due to men not being allowed in the dwelling. Another observation I made is that UMOM focuses on the Housing First model in which the goal is to “provide clients with housing as quickly as possible and then going on to provide voluntary or mandatory supportive services as needed” (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2016). “Using this model puts the client and their choices first in service participation and housing selection” (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2016) When speaking with Danielle who is a Program Administrator who actively still works with clients in the community said “the Housing First model was what made her want to work with UMOM because it provides clients with what they need most in the moment, shelter and safety and every other services is second to those things. We don’t make support services contingent with providing shelter. How can a client focus on getting sober or seek mental health if they have to worry about where they are going to sleep at night?” (Danielle, Personal communication, 2016).