HomeShelters and Homeless ServicesUniversity District Youth Center Our Mission The University District Youth Center (UDYC) provides homeless, at risk, runaway, and/or street involved youth ages 13-22 the opportunity, tools, & support in transitioning to improved living while creating a safe, nurturing environment that values and respects the cultural diversity of the youth we serve. The Need In 2007, UDYC served a total of 737 youth, an increase over the previous year. In order to end their homelessness, youth and young adults need wrap-around services that assist them in meeting their needs in a variety of areas that focus on meeting immediate survival needs, developing life skills, and recovering from the effects of violence, addiction, and mental illness. To be effective, services for homeless youth and young adults must be developmentally appropriate. Recent research has shown us that youth under 25 years of age are significantly different from those who are older. The brains of young adults are still being formed; their personalities, thought patterns, and abilities to make sound judgements are still developing. For services to be effective, these factors must form the basis of the methods used to deliver services. Our Services Drop-In Center Provides basic services to homeless youth: Food Clothing Laundry Showers Activities Bus Tickets Referrals to on-going services Case Management Provides assistance to youth to obtain housing, employment, identification, family reconciliation, health services, and legal assistance. Substance Abuse Services On-site drug & alcohol counseling services and referral to treatment programs provided by Ryther Child Center. The Groundwork Project Utilizing the Wraparound Model as evaluated in the National Wraparound Initiative, The Groundwork Project serves young people ages 16 to 22 to gain housing and mental health stability, and to obtain chemical dependency counseling. The Groundwork Project works with young people to build a team of service providers, family, friends, mentors and other support people so that needs can be met in a creative, individualized and holistic way. Mental Health Services On-site mental health services provided by Samaritan Center. Education Accredited program run by the Seattle Public School System. GED Program High School Diploma Class Basic Skills Program Employment YWCA’s Working Zone provides employability skills training and job search assistance. Testimonial “The Groundwork Project saved my life. It helped me get back in touch with my family, even after I had let them down so many times. Thanks to them, I am in housing now and I have more than 90 days clean and sober.” -- J.B., Groundwork Project Client Pro-Youth Success Stories: Ken Ken entered UDYC drop-in one Wednesday afternoon in May 2008. He told staff that he had spend three nights on the streets of Seattle and that this was the first service he had accessed. Ken had come to Seattle from Michigan in the hope of getting a job on a fishing boat. Over the next two weeks, Ken accessed several Seattle services. He spent nights at Friends of Youth The Landing, worked with YWCA Working Zone, spent nights at ROOTS Shelter, worked with Kevin Daverman as a Pro-Youth case manager and enrolled in The Groundwork Project. Ken and Kevin worked together to secure housing for Ken at the YMCA YAIT housing program. His Wraparound team of case managers and support people met together several times in order to find the best solutions for Ken. Through Pro-Youth and UDYC, Ken was able to get employment as a maintenance worker, train and become certified as a crane operator, and secure housing. He got back in touch with his mother and learned that she would welcome him back to Michigan. On July 1, 2008, Ken moved back to Michigan to live with his mother. Kevin contacted services in Michigan to that Ken could continue to receive the care and support that he had found so helpful in Seattle. Recently, Ken contacted Kevin to give him an update. He now volunteers at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Grand Rapids, and graduated from Job Corps. Tom In August 2008, Pro-Youth Case Manager Kevin Daverman was contacted by Friends of Youth the Landing and asked to make an outreach stop at The Landing. A young man, “Tom,” was requesting case management services and Friends of Youth was unable to provide services at that time. Kevin met with Tom at The Landing and learned a great deal about him. Tom was 19, his parents had divorced when he was 10, and he lived with his father in Seattle until he was 18. Tom experienced physical and emotional abuse while living with his father, as did his younger siblings. At 18, Tom moved out of his father’s house into his own apartment on the Eastside. He shared an apartment with a friend and worked at Walmart. Within two months of living independently, Tom realized his friend was not going to pay rent on the apartment. Since Tom’s name was the only one on the lease, he worked harder and longer hours in order to continue to pay rent and not break his lease. He changed jobs several times and worked at Fred Meyer, Green Turf, and other retail outlets. He was not making enough money. Eventually, he was evicted from his apartment. He spent a few weeks living between ROOTS shelter in Seattle and The Landing Shelter in Bellevue before being referred to Kevin. Kevin experienced Tom as a kind, polite young man. He was always grateful for services and followed up on referrals and suggestions that Kevin made. He had made several friends and was obviously a caretaker for several of them. Kevin worked with Tom to set healthy boundaries with friends so that he would not use his limited resources on other people before taking care of himself. They also worked together on legal issues and employment issues. Eventually, Tom got back in touch with his mother, who was now living in Eastern Washington. He feelings of shame and fear had stopped him from contacting her, as had his sense that “she had her own issues to deal with.” When Tom did contact his mother he learned that she had moved into a large apartment with her husband and was willing to have her son move in with her. She had experienced poverty and homelessness in the years since her divorce but was now able to support herself. Tom is now living with his mother in Eastern Washington. He also told Kevin that he had contacted his father and spoken to him about ways to have a father and son relationship as Tom enters adulthood.   University District Youth Center 4516 15th Avenue NE Seattle, WA 98105