Thanks to a collaborative effort between the D.C. government and three entities, dozens of formerly homeless people will soon be able to serve as case managers to those who are experiencing homelessness in the nation’s capital.
On Wednesday, nearly 40 people culminated their completion of what’s called the Peer Case Management Institute with a ceremony at Howard University (HU) School of Social Work. In the weeks and days leading up to the momentous occasion, institute participants engaged in hours of college-level coursework and gained on-the-job experience at one of several local organizations providing services for the homeless.
Some graduates, like Deone K. Brown, said the experience laid the foundation for an intergenerational shift.
“It was great for my daughter to be here to share this moment and let her know to keep going,” said Brown about his only child, Alexis Baylor.
Brown, 66, raised Baylor as a single father, a responsibility he said compelled him to abstain from drugs shortly after her birth. Baylor, now 26, went on to study psychology at Fairmont State University in West Virginia. She attended the Peer Case Management Institute completion ceremony with her infant daughter Ayomi and Brown’s friend, Vickie McLean.
However, Brown and his family had much more to celebrate. Months before he walked across the stage, Brown marked 40 years of sobriety and secured a federal housing voucher he said will help him secure stable accommodations before the fall.
With a bevy of resources at his disposal, Brown said he feels emboldened to pay it forward.
“I will be with my clients 100% to do what we have to do,” Brown told The Informer. “I will do it gratefully and with pride. I’m not going anywhere until we get them off of drugs. I want to walk that road with them and give them the information to get — and stay — clean. At the end of the day, God has the last say and that’s what I strive for.”
The First of, Potentially, More Cohorts
The Peer Case Management Institute represents a partnership between the Department of Human Services (DHS), HU School of Social Work, Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, and Pathways to Housing DC. DHS committed $250,000 for this fiscal year to run the program. Another $250,000 has been allocated in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget for at least one more iteration of the program, DHS Director Laura Green Zeilinger told The Informer.
In May, as the first cohort of the Peer Case Management Institute was wrapping up the instructional part of the program, DHS released the 2024 point-in-time results. Although homelessness hadn’t reached pre-pandemic levels, advocates expressed concern. According to data collected by DHS, homelessness increased by 14% in the District within a year. Families accounted for a brunt of that growth, with homelessness growing among them by nearly 40%.
In her remarks to graduates and their families on Wednesday, Zeilinger thanked them for taking the proper steps to help homeless people and families navigate the District’s continuum of care. Shortly before taking to the podium, she told The Informer that the Peer Case Management Institute counted as an effort to help graduates leverage their lived experiences.
“It was something my staff had been focused on making happen,” Zeilinger said. “So much of our vision is helping people have a meaningful pathway to economic mobility and making sure those who have been left out have opportunity… The Peer Case Management Institute honors lived experiences so people can complement that professionally.”
Laying the Foundation for a Career in Social Work
Other speakers on Wednesday included Dr. Sheara Jennings, the newly installed dean of HU School of Social Work, Dr. Tracy Whitaker, associate dean in HU School of Social Work, and Sue Marshall, founding executive director of the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness.
Institute graduates listened to recorded congratulatory remarks from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and joined institute graduate Trenise Wells in a singing of Natasha Bedingfield’s Unwritten. Charlynn Green, another institute graduate, also took to the podium and gave a tear-filled address in which she thanked her mother and a higher power for keeping her on a path to success.
In 2015, Green, a mother of two from Northwest, lost her housing. She had to stay in Virginia Williams Family Resource Center in Northeast before entering rapid rehousing. During the latter part of last year, Green, along with 600 other people, applied for the Peer Case Management Institute.
In her personal essay, Green spoke, not only about her battle with homelessness, but her pledge to never to be without housing again. Once inside the institute, Green took coursework she said helped her accept her mistakes and overcome self-doubt. With a case worker certification under her belt, she said she wants to help others while working toward the fulfillment of a longtime vision.
“It’s a step closer to my end goal — to be a social worker,” said Green, 32.
She reflected on what she called the most trying period of her adult life.
“My life experiences, what I went through and how I overcame makes me want to give back to the community,” Green said. “My children saved me from myself. They were my light. Even when I wanted to give up, they were staring at me.”
Wells, a 42-year-old Northwest resident, said she enjoyed various aspects of the Peer Case Management Institute, including a life skills class she got to teach while training at Harriet Tubman Women’s Shelter in Southeast. She expressed appreciation for institute faculty and mentors who exposed her to various career paths within social work and emphasized the importance of practitioner mental wellness.
In 2020, Wells, a licensed cosmetologist and mother of five, lost her business and housing at the height of the pandemic. She credited emergency rental assistance and a part-time job as her saving grace. Wells’ participation in the Peer Case Management Institute, beginning in March, follows what she describes as a period of personal and professional growth in DHS’ Career Maps program.
As she continues to celebrate her latest achievement, Wells said she keeps her future in social work at the front of her mind.
“I want to do the mental and behavioral part to understand how people can break down [to the point] where they can’t function,” said Wells. “I would actually care about my clients and listen to what they’re going through and what they want in life. I bring dedication, hard work and effort.”
The Mecca: Ground Zero for a Promising Partnership
In her public remarks, Dr. Whitaker, a three-time HU alumna, celebrated the local historically Black university’s involvement in homeless prevention.
Whitaker later told The Informer that the Peer Case Management Institute aligns with HU School of Social Work’s people-centered mission. She recounted learning more about the institute participants and getting a sense of what they saw while navigating the District’s continuum of care.
That experience, she said, gives them just as much a voice as those who take the conventional career path.
“It gives them insight into the system that decreased that traumatic event or added to that burden,” Whitaker said. “There’s this idea of respecting people and doing what we could to not cause additional harm. We’re not here to fix people. People have strengths and demonstrate resilience. How do we build upon that and lessen their traumatic experience?”
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When is the next class begin?!.
I am excited to learn of this program and the opportunities for individuals to use their lived experiences and newly acquired knowledge to help others. The social work profession needs more advocates and change agents. I encourage all of the graduates to continue their education and go forth and do great work. This social worker is rooting for you!!