CARINGWORKS INC

Since its founding in 2002, CaringWorks has served over 8,000 clients in the Greater Atlanta area. CaringWorks currently provides intensive case management, housing, and health services to approximately 1,000 homeless men, women, and children in Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton counties each year. CaringWorks’ programs are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and licensed by the State of Georgia. CaringWorks houses specialized programs for Veterans, individuals with HIV/AIDS, returning citizens from the justice system, and adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorder. In addition, the agency hosts one of only three residential treatment programs in the country for men who are deaf or hard of hearing.

CaringWorks embraces the “Housing First” best practice, providing housing without any barriers to entry. CaringWorks serves “the hardest” to serve, and most clients come from “a place not meant for human habitation.” In Atlanta, an enduring system of racial and economic injustice has produced a homeless population that is majority Black. According to the City of Atlanta 2020 Point-in-Time Homeless Count, there were 3,240 homeless individuals in Atlanta. 89% of all homeless adults, 88% of homeless unaccompanied youth, and 95% of all single parent households with children were Black. While committed to serving all in need, CaringWorks seeks to reduce homelessness and mitigate the disparities of access to quality housing and healthcare that disproportionately affects Black households. In 2020, 88% of the households served by CaringWorks were Black. The trend has continued throughout 2021.

Despite formidable barriers to health and housing stability, our clients are stabilizing and improving their quality of life. As a result of the combination of services we offer, in 2020, 90% of program participants were retained in CaringWorks’ programs and 65% of those who exited programs, did so with income. CaringWorks facilitates these results by employing trauma-informed best practices and a highly trained professional team delivering services through three primary programs: 1) Permanent supportive housing, 2) Residential treatment for addiction recovery, and 3) Behavioral Health.