What is Urban Pathways?
What is the Continuum of Care?
Who are Urban Pathways’ clients?
What types of services does Urban Pathways provide?
Who are Urban Pathways’ staff?
Who supports Urban Pathways?




WHAT IS URBAN PATHWAYS?

For homeless New Yorkers, Urban Pathways is the road home.

For over two decades, Urban Pathways has not only challenged the view that homelessness cannot be remedied; it has also pioneered the most effective treatment model.

In 1980, Urban Pathways opened New York City’s first drop-in center, which remains the only one solely for women.

We also introduced the city’s first transitional housing residence (1982), and one of the first long-term supportive housing units for homeless people with a mental illness (1989).

These sites and five others comprise the Urban Pathways continuum of care, widely recognized as the most effective method of rehabilitation. We are the only nonprofit agency in New York that provides services along the entire continuum.

Since the agency’s beginning, Urban Pathways has helped some 60,000 homeless women and men achieve dignity, stability and permanent housing. From July 1999 to June 2000, we served 7,500 — roughly 10% of the city’s single adult homeless population.

WHAT IS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE?

The continuum of care provides a wide array of services and shelter options through which a person gradually progresses on his or her way to permanent housing. This opportunity to progress within Urban Pathways over a sustained period of time means that the agency’s clients have a foundation for success like no other: they receive continuity in their care, along with the opportunity to form lasting relationships with staff and peers.

The Urban Pathways continuum of care stretches...

WHO ARE URBAN PATHWAYS’ CLIENTS?

The agency’s clients represent a broad spectrum of the city’s homeless population. They are single women and men, 21 years and older, who are currently homeless or have been homeless in the past. Most of our clients live with chronic and persistent mental illness, chemical addiction, or both. Unfortunately, a history of domestic violence is common among the women who seek our services.

The typical Urban Pathways client is an African-American male who is 31 to 40 years old. He has a high school diploma (possibly some college) and has been homeless three months or less. Most likely, this typical client is mentally ill; there is also a 50% chance that he suffers from chemical addiction.

WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES DOES URBAN PATHWAYS PROVIDE?

Along the continuum, Urban Pathways’ 180 dedicated staff:

• Reach out to homeless individuals on the streets and engage them to come indoors
• Offer basic services such as meals, shelter, clothing and showers
• Help clients obtain entitlements such as Social Security and disability insurance
• Provide on-site medical and psychiatric treatment and substance abuse counseling
• Offer group training in skills for independent living, such as money management
• Connect clients with day treatment and other programs in the community
• Locate housing and help clients prepare for the transition
• Provide coaching and guidance, on-the-job training, and educational classes through the ESTEEM vocational program.

WHO ARE URBAN PATHWAYS’ STAFF?

The expertise of our staff is varied, representing the diverse needs of the clients we serve. At each of our sites, a client may see some or all of these professionals:

Social Workers	Doctors	Nurses
Operations Staff	Psychiatrists	Job Coaches
Educators	Housing Specialists	Food Service Staff
Nutrition Personnel	Activities Coordinators	Security Staff
Substance Abuse Counselors	Client ESTEEM Workers	Volunteers

Our staff like their jobs because they see the difference they make in the lives of our clients. They play a key role in helping homeless people regain their dignity, their health and their skills.

WHO SUPPORTS URBAN PATHWAYS?

City, state and federal grants and contracts account for 89% of Urban Pathways’ income. Seven percent of the agency’s support comes from private contributions and the remainder from rent, interest and non-public contracts.

Because of our extremely modest fundraising and administration expenditures, we are able to commit eighty nine percent of our resources to the needs of our clients.