Model and Strategy
For nearly 30 years, the Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) has empowered low-income and homeless families, particularly mothers motivated by pregnancy and parenthood, to find within themselves the strength and confidence they need to transform their lives. We support families with services ranging from prenatal education to housing support to early literacy.
Since its founding, HPP has hired former clients as staff. We credit this staffing structure as integral to our success: who better to help women working to overcome the challenges of poverty and homelessness than women who have already done so themselves?
Today, half of our staff of 90 is former clients, many of whom are graduates of the agency’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Program. The CHW Program is a 14-month, immersive job training program, wherein former clients are trained for careers in the non-profit sector. In addition to on-the-job training, CHWs hold external internships and complete educational goals.
The CHW Program is life-changing for its participants: 92% of graduates find jobs – some at HPP, many elsewhere in the community – within 30 days of graduating.
Impact
HPP’s CHW Training Program successfully disrupts cycles of poverty and homelessness for graduates and their families. Since the program began, 85% of participants have graduated and of these graduates, more than 92% have found full-time jobs with a living wage and benefits within 30 days. Recent graduates have secured employment with Catholic Charities, Compass Family Services, Mission Neighborhood Center and Larkin Street Youth Services. In fact, the CHW Program is now managed by a former graduate, who began working at HeathRIGHT360 after graduation and recently returned to HPP to lead this program.
The CHW Program’s life-changing impact is consistent with our larger successes and investments in family stability. Historically, the agency has served well-over 100,000 low-income and homeless families. The agency has a track-record for positive outcomes. For instance, ~95% of families remain stably housed a year after receiving assistance, and 90% of babies are born at normal weights and drug-free. HPP recognizes its success is due entirely to the efforts of an extraordinary staff, many of whom are former clients and graduates of the CHW Program.
Leadership
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Martha Ryan
Founder & Executive Director
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Malea Chavez
Deputy Director