High resolution (.PDF 5.6 MB) - St. Stephen's Community House

now 2012
Housing and Homeless Services provides nutritious meals, assistance in finding
supportive and affordable housing to individuals who are living on the streets .
Program participants’ have access to psychiatric and physical health services,
addictions counselling and a Voluntary Trustee Program . In 2011, 258 people were
helped off the streets and into permanent housing . More than 60 of these adults
moved into new supportive housing units for people living with disabilities .
‘St . Stephen’s has helped me
become strong and independent’
Myha Trinh is another St. Stephen’s
success story. It’s wonderful to see
how Myha has flourished since her
first visit to the House.
When she first came to St. Stephen’s, her
physical and mental health challenges had
gone undiagnosed, she had anger issues
and she had difficulty interacting with others.
She had lived in a women’s shelter for
three years.
Myha slowly opened up about how she
had been emotionally abused by her family
and left with no income. Staff connected
Myha with a psychiatrist and other medical
professionals who diagnosed her complex
health issues. Through counselling,
she learned about
available resources,
coping methods and
how to recognize
symptoms before
they reach a crisis
point.
After coming for
just sporadic initial
appointments, Myha
started to attend
St. Stephen’s more
often, joining activities
such as painting
and knitting with
the women’s group
at The Corner.
In the few years
since she first came
to St. Stephen’s, Myha’s
life has changed
dramatically. She’s
now enrolled in a
computer class. Before she was too scared
to even turn a computer on. Myha has since
moved out of the women’s shelter, and she
is now one of the leaders of the Corner
Drop-in women’s group, teaching her peers
cooking and knitting.
She says, “I now have a stable income
and independence as well as knowledge of
community resources. I have learned many
social skills from the women’s group. While
working with my mental health consultant,
I learned how to fight for my rights and address
my mental and physical health issues.
St. Stephen’s has helped me to become a
strong and independent woman.”
social
indicator
In 2012 there
are 5,200 units
of supportive
housing in
Toronto for
people with
mental health
challenges .
Thousands
of people are
waiting for
supportive
housing, and
over 67,000
households are
on the waiting
list of subsidized
housing .
st . stephen’s community house 1962–2012 | PAGE 25