WHAT WE DO:

Are you in need of a loving “home away from home” for a young female adult or female family member between the ages of 18 to 21? Consider our Residential Care program at Machiah’s House. We accept referrals from any concerned person who knows of a young female adult in need of a safe, stable, Christian environment.

Our residents are encouraged to pursue their education; High school diploma/GED and or college as well as obtaining employment and participate in volunteering opportunities in the community. Education is important, and through a partnership with our local institution systems, we have volunteers available to tutor and help improve their academic performance. In addition to counseling/therapy, emotional and spiritual support, our young adults learn other life-skills, such as good work habits and money management. We also offer an abundance of enrichment activities, such as organized sports, cultural programs, arts and crafts, summer events, and other activities.

Our Staff is well versed in child welfare systems and have extensive child welfare experience through Department of Social Services (DSS), Guardian Ad Litem (GAL), Continuum of Care, residential services and other volunteer programs. Machiah’s House ensures, compassionate staff meet each young adult’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and our residents can rest assure that they will be well cared for while they work through their challenging circumstances.

The A.C.E. program (Academics, Counseling, and Employment) is the core purpose of Machiah’s House program. Our desire is to see the residents we serve obtain their GED/College Degree, attend weekly counseling/therapy sessions, seek employment opportunities. Machiah’s House is a safe environment for young female adults in our community. We are proud to offer a place where these young adults can find hope and opportunity while working on their treatment goals.

WHO WE ARE:

Machiah’s House is a transitional six-bed group home, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for homeless young female adults in Charlotte, NC.  Our structured program provides residential care and training in a home like setting with a goal of teaching independence within the home and in the community.

Machiah’s House, Inc., will provide necessary training for the resident to meet individual needs.  These individual needs will be determined and addressed by the Executive Director and Program Coordinator.  Opportunities for development of social, self-help and community living skills will be provided.  The residents will also be allowed free time for personal activities.  The above areas of active treatment will be coordinated by the staff (including consultant) and the resident to develop skills so that self-sufficiency of each resident will be obtained.  Staff, or other advocates, will be available to aid the resident with money handling, budgeting, purchasing, dressing, personal hygiene, and transportation, etc. The staff will share in the responsibilities of housekeeping chores and meal planning and preparation.  All of the meals, recreation and study sessions are conducted in the home by the Program Coordinator, Social Work Interns and volunteers.

Machiah’s House is a 24-month interactive individual, group work and journaling program that focuses on independence and self-sufficiency. Participants meet weekly, exploring topics such as financial literacy, health, and how to build a community of support. The program is designed for young adults ages 18-21, and is facilitated by Social Worker Interns and/or experienced volunteers who have firsthand experience with the foster care system.

Our Communication, Relationships, Offer of Service, Wellness and Nutrition (CROWN). Program focuses on community-building, promoting self-esteem and self-acceptance, the meaning of sisterhood, mediation and conflict resolution, how to navigate programs for young women, and how communication impacts relationships and feelings and best nutritional meals.

Residents in our care receive medical, dental and emergency care and any needed follow-up care and personal items. We also offer fun birthday parties, holiday celebrations, and access to other community-wide activities.

Programs:

Life skills (Job Readiness, Career Assessment, Financial Literacy and Self-care)

Individual, group, and family therapy

Treatment of attachment disorders, depression, bi-polar mood disorder, attention deficient disorder (ADD)/attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and conduct disorders

Alcohol and substance abuse counseling

Clinical case management

Our program is structured in phases:

Phase 1: During this phase, our team seeks to provide emotional stability and support through various structured services: spiritual guidance, counseling, life-skills classes, goal setting, and financial education.

Phase 2: Our team encourages further independence: continued counseling, stable employment, full-time education, financial education and healthy, emotional regulation.

Phase 3: Our team supports our residents as they transition towards successful, independent living: long-term housing, completed education, established careers or stable employment, healthy community connections, life-skills, and exit planning.

Young people often learn best from each other, particularly those who have shared experiences. To that end, we operate a mentoring program that employ “credible mentors,” young female adults who have been in foster care, overcome substance abuse, have been incarcerated, or who are members of the same community. These Credible Mentors have struggled with some of the same situations our young female adults are currently facing and are able to provide stability and offer guidance. Without seeming judgmental, they can guide our young female adults to make better decisions and explore constructive outlets.

The ultimate goal of all of our programs is to prepare youth to be successful as adults. To that end, we track educational success, work experience, family reunification, housing stability, avoidance of arrests, and other measures that indicate how well youth are achieving goals.

Machiah’s House focuses on applying evidence-based practices that are compatible with the results of evaluation and assessment. By employing proven treatment methods targeting the unique circumstances of each youth, Machiah’s House maximizes the opportunity for effectiveness through intervention, which is efficient and short term and will result in long-term positive change.

Our residents learn about new ways of communication, the connection between feelings and irresponsible behavior, self-care and self-acceptance, job readiness and financial literacy, and education and wellness, along with restorative justice practices. Social Work interns & Credible Mentors facilitate interactive group and one-to-one journaling.