Enhanced Aftercare Program
Description
Our homeless program benchmarking and best practices analysis indicates that maintaining communication with the residents after graduation is important for evaluating the long-term effectiveness of the program. In 2001, Ward Family Foundation began working with a transitional homeless program in the Washington, D.C. area to design and implement a two-year aftercare program. The program compares the success rate of graduates receiving the aftercare with those who did not.
The homeless program now introduces the aftercare program to the residents upon graduation from the program. Incentives are implemented to encourage graduates to participate in the aftercare program. The graduates are contacted weekly to offer support, services, referrals and encouragement. Random drug testing takes place, and celebrations are conducted to award those who remain clean and independent.
