Programs: Restart, inc. Grew out of an overnight emergency shelter established in 1981 in downtown kansas city. Incorporated as a non-profit in 1984, restart has evolved and expanded over 35 years of service to become a community leader advocating and modeling best-practices for ending homelessness. Restart is dedicated to advocating for the homeless families, youth, and adults served, and addressing the underlying causes of chronic and generational homelessness. The organization is the only homeless agency in kansas city serving all populations - single adults, families and non-traditional families, unaccompanied youth and youth who have aged out of foster care, veterans, individuals identifying as lgbtq, persons living with hiv/aids, former offenders, and individuals recently released from psychiatric hospitalization. Restart provides a full continuum of care from emergency shelter to transitional and permanent housing for all members of the community. In 2016, restart served 20,000 persons - 20% were children and youth, the fastest growing segment of people experiencing homelessness. Restart operates five separate facilities & offers the following programs and services: housing solutions center (hsc) focuses on getting newly homeless & chronically homeless individuals & families into permanent housing via direct assistance with rent & utilities, as well as shelter plus care referrals, which help connect homeless persons with diabilities to permanent housing with supportive services. The hsc provides 48 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals who are living with a diability, as well as chronically homeless families & individuals. This program also provides street outreach services, a drop-in center, and a hotline to rapidly find new housing for individuals & families who have recently lost thier homes. Youth network includes the youth emergency, youth transitional living, maternity group home, a 24-hour hotline & street outreach services (sos) for runaway homeless youth. Restart also provides permanent supportive housing for youth with mental illness who are aging out of foster care. Family shelter provides for the immediate needs of families & offers a wide range of supportive services alongside of the shelter. Adult emergency shelter (aes) provides shelter in emergency situations for singles including mental health screenings, onsite counseling, substance abuse counseling, health education workshops & screenings, & domestic violence support. Adult transitional living provides supportive, longer-term housing for single adults as they work with staff to seek permanent housing. Staff provide advocacy, guidance, and resources to stabilize these individuals & to help them develop the necessary tools to move towards self-sufficiency. The organization is a member of the homeless services coalition of greater kansas city & the kansas city continuum of care. Restart also works with private & goverment organizations to ensure that homeless individuals & families have access to the services they need & are eligible for, as well as to avoid unnecessary duplication of services. The organization's supportive services include: staff provide resources, substance abuse counseling,life skills coaching, assistance with increasing income, assistance in applying for benefits, connections to mental and physical health providers,and group and activities to bolster social skills. Rapid rehousing provides housing case management and services for homeless individuals moving them from the shelter or streets directly into housing. Clients are provided case management, rental and utility assistance payments, goal setting and planning, employment coaching, life skills assessment and coaching, long-term housing stability planning, assistance with increasing household income and setting educational goals, and crisis intervention. This program serves kansas city's homeless families, single adults, and youth. Along with the general population, restart, inc. 's supportive services for veteran families program provides rapid rehousing and outreach, case management, and other supportive services to help low-income veterans and their families access veteran's administration benefits, mental health service, substance abuse treatment, employment assistance, vocational and rehabilitation counseling, income support services, legal services, temporary financial assistance, and housing retention. Health care for homeless veterans provides homeless veterans with temporary housing and helps them secure stable housing alongside supportive services such as case management, employment assistance, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and and health and wellness education.
