The social services at HOGARES were designed as a means to help our participants identify and address the many barriers that often impede them from obtaining and maintaining permanent and stable housing. The following services are offered by HOGARES:

Counseling
Individual, couple, family, and group counseling are provided as a means for participants to begin talking about the situations that led them to HOGARES. Participants are required to attend counseling, and an assessment is made by the social worker to determine the type and frequency of the meetings. If participants need more intensive therapeutic services, they are referred out to culturally appropriate clinicians.

Individual Family Support Plans (IFSP)
After participants have been assessed by the HOGARES staff, an IFSP is developed with the participant, their referring case worker, and the HOGARES social worker.

Follow up meetings are conducted 3-6 months after the development of the IFSP, to assess the progress made on goals. All clients who have made significant progress on their IFSP are granted 6 month extensions in the program. If, inexplicably, very little or no progress has been made on their goals, they may be granted a shorter extension or they may be asked to leave the program.

Collaboration of services
The referring case worker is involved in the intake, evaluations, and transition of clients. This has helped to ensure that services are not being duplicated, that all of the clients needs are being addressed, while helping to prevent recurrent homelessness upon exiting the program.

Life Skills
The Life Skills curriculum is coordinated by the Community Support Specialist. Life Skills meetings cover a wide variety of topics geared towards building on strengths in order for participants' to become more self-sufficient. The Community Support Specialist meets with each client twice a month through either individual or group workshops. Our ultimate goal is to break the cycle of homelessness by providing each participant with the necessary tools to live independently once they have transitioned from the program.

Topics
Topics include (but are not limited to):

• Worker's Rights
• Financial Responsibility
  
• Nutrition
• HIV/AIDS and STDs
  
• Budgeting
• Housing Issues
  
• Basic Maintenance
• Consumer Rights
  
• Immigration Rights
• Police-Community Relations
  
• Employment Preparation
• Accessing Resources
  
• Credit Counseling

Individual Meetings
Individual meetings are held at the participant's unit. Topics chosen for the individual meetings are based on a needs assessment that the participant completes upon entering the program. These meetings benefit the participant by offering them specialized attention for specific issues.

Group Workshops
Workshops are facilitated by experts in a particular field and come from a variety of community-based organizations in the District of Columbia. Our group workshops are held in our offices where we provide ample space for both presenter and participant alike. Children are welcome, as we provide child care; and refreshments and snacks are also provided.