Life Skills Training and Educational Programs, Inc.

Our vision is that every person touched by LifeSTEPS will be empowered with the skills, resources, and support to maintain stable housing and break the cycle of poverty. To that end, our goals across the lifecycle include helping adults and families achieve greater stability and remain housed; helping to break future cycles of poverty through youth education; and helping seniors achieve successful, supported aging in place.

Currently our services are available in 27 counties across California, serving more than 300 affordable housing communities. Our strategies in service of each goal are listed below:

Helping adults and families achieve greater stability and remain housed: Strong case management is at the heart of our services. Our Directors of Social Services (DSSs) visit each household approximately once a month and seek to uncover unmet needs in each family. The DSSs also host regular events and classes, such as financial literacy classes, job training, ESL, parenting, health and wellness, healthy cooking, and more. Additionally, residents know they can reach out to their DSS at any time, for any reason, and DSSs help them solve problems that may arise and connect them with resources. We also have a program where a household in crisis can apply for one-time financial assistance, which serves the goal of keeping our residents securely housed. Educational classes help to ensure that families can stay on budget and meet their goals, health fairs help everyone stay well, and community development helps to build stronger networks and a positive sense of community among the residents.

Helping to break future cycles of poverty through youth education: While helping to make sure children's basic needs are met (which sets them up for success in learning), we then proactively set out to close the knowledge gap faced by low-income children through after school and summer reading programs. We supply after-school recipients with backpacks and school supplies, and at some sites, we are able to provide meals and snacks for the children, thereby ensuring they are ready to learn. Finally, through generous contributions from two of our largest developers, we are able to provide scholarships for college for students living at their properties.

Helping seniors achieve successful, supported aging in place: Approximately half of our sites are dedicated to older adults, and we have learned from extensive surveys of this population that our older residents have unique needs. Food access is a top concern among seniors, and we are focusing in 2017 on developing a deeper network of community partnerships to address this problem. Additionally, we provide a dedicated curriculum of classes for older adults on topics such as balance and falls, Medicare, nutrition, budgeting, and more. Finally, we are piloting a Nurse Case Management program in the Sacramento area, which connects older adult residents with a case manager who is also an RN to help them navigate health systems, reduce readmission, and connect to further resources. In 2020, the RN program won the Secretary's Award for Healthy Homes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Founded in 1996, we at LifeSTEPS have a 20+ year track record of success in keeping residents housed, preventing homelessness, and helping to break the cycle of poverty. At the helm of LifeSTEPS is Beth Southorn, Executive Director. Beth has been working in the social services field since 1991, and as ED, she has propelled LifeSTEPS to its current status as one of the premier social service providers in affordable housing, now serving nearly 30,000 households throughout California. Under her guidance, LifeSTEPS developed the proprietary teen and after school curriculum that is used across all of our properties. Additional key corporate support includes Pam Moore, Administrative Director, who oversees collection of data, synthesis of data, and measuring outcomes, and Kelly McGillis, Director of Operations, who oversees programs statewide. In the field, each main region is supervised by a highly experienced Regional Director of Social Services, who oversees a team of Directors of Social Services (DSSs). We take pride in the quality of our staff - each DSS holds a four-year degree in a relevant field, such as social work, psychology, or gerontology, and many hold advanced degrees. It is a testament to our incredible staff that we were inducted into the California Housing Hall of Fame in 2012 by the California Housing Consortium, and that we are trusted by the Housing Authorities of Santa Clara and of Alameda to provide services at their properties.

2016 Achievements:
- 94% of those receiving safety net services remained in their home for 12 months or longer.
- 92% of people receiving our financial education say it was "life changing."
- 77% of children in our after school programs improved by one letter grade in a core subject.
- 95% of children in our summer reading programs showed no loss in reading skills over the summer & 56% improved by one grade level.

However, the best way to highlight our success is in the stories of our residents. Here are just a few of the lives we've changed:

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE: Art and Yolanda live at the Toscana Apartments with their toddler. In early 2016, Art was laid off, and the family feared losing their housing from not being able to pay rent. They were relieved to learn their situation qualified for rental assistance. And by reviewing their budget with LifeSTEPS, they learned steps to take, like canceling internet and cable, at least for now. Since receiving assistance, Art has been rehired as a full time employee. By working with LifeSTEPS, they avoided homelessness and are better equipped to manage future financial challenges.

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: Patti and Luis live with their three children in the HACSC Rivertown Apartments. English is the family's second language, and the girls used to struggle to understand concepts in school. The language barrier made it difficult for the parents to provide the extra help the girls needed. Fortunately, they have access to the after school program at Rivertown, staffed by a bilingual program coordinator, who is helping the girls improve their English and their schoolwork. Patti has also started taking an on-site ESL class facilitated by LifeSTEPS, which is helping her be able to better support her children with their schoolwork.

SENIOR SERVICES: Senior resident Victoria had been living an isolated life, had few friends, and was experiencing health problems (a cracked hip). When an older adult begins to isolate, a typical result is depression brought about by loneliness and a lack of connection. A primary goal of LifeSTEPS is to help older adults age in place, so DSS Gloria reached out and built trust with Victoria. With that encouragement, Victoria found the courage to step outside her comfort zone. She joined the senior club and immediately began to make friends as she participated in bingo games and attended health classes. “Victoria's entire demeanor changed," says Gloria. “It's like she blossomed. There was life in her eyes." While she began experiencing the benefits of community life, Gloria was able to help her meet other critical needs. She was able to help her arrange for In-Home Health Services due to her cracked hip; was able to help her receive a no-cost cell phone through the LifeLine service offered by AT&T; and helped her apply for Section 8 assistance and Meals on Wheels. “My life is so much better now," Victoria said. "It's because Gloria cared about me."