Assist persons returning to the community from incarceration to become self-sufficient in housing and interdependent domains of life through financial counseling, employment coaching, housing search assistance, and other services.
, MIDTOWN FAMILY SERVICES
Established in 2014 to serve the W. San Jose neighborhoods of West San Carlos/Burbank, Buena Vista, Santana Park, Cadillac Winchester, and Anderson Village/Starbird Park, the neighborhoods between them, and beyond, MFS provides financial counseling, employment coaching, housing search assistance, and benefits navigation services to low-income individuals/families who are homeless or at risk of losing housing with the goal of bringing such individuals/families to self-sufficiency in housing and interdependent domains.
In 2019, we sought funding, hired staff, and began offering services targeted specifically to individuals returning to the community from California State Prisons and County Jails following a review of caseloads that revealed that more than a quarter of all clients reported their current homelessness or risk of losing housing was the result, in part or in whole, of them or someone in their household having been incarcerated.
Our general process with all clients is: 1) assess client needs using a self-sufficiency matrix that covers housing and 17 interdependent domains including: income, employment, legal, transportation, food, client’s education, legal, health care, mental health, substance abuse, safety, life skills, family relations, parenting skills, childcare and children’s education, community involvement, and credit history; 2) help clients identify timely achievable actions that they can take to achieve self-sufficiency in all domains that they are currently not self-sufficient in; 3) encourage and support clients as they undertake those actions (broad range provided, some examples include: teaching someone how to create a budget or understand credit, teaching someone about banks/credit unions, teaching the rights/responsibilities of being a renter, helping with forms, helping someone acquire their birth certificate); 4) celebrating with them when they achieve their goals.
Core staff are all trained to provide financial counseling, housing counseling, employment coaching, notary services, assistance completing applications for public benefits, and related services. MFS contracts with a licensed clinical social worker to assess mental health needs, plan mental health services, and supervise social work interns, other staff, and volunteers providing counseling and other services. Languages spoken in the office include English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Twi, and American Sign Language. Midtown Family Services contracts with a translation service to meet the needs of persons speaking other languages.
Midtown Family Services is a member/partner of a number of service provider networks including but not limited to the Santa Clara County Continuum of Car, Credit Builders Alliance, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Food Bank, Season of Sharing network, Housing Industry Foundation network, Practicing Law Institute, Credit Builders Alliance, City of San Jose Youth Empowerment Alliance, and County of Santa Clara Parole and Community Team.
