LifeMoves

LifeMoves programs provide high quality services to those in our community experiencing homelessness. This has been critical in the face of our region’s unprecedented housing crisis which challenges us to continue to innovate to meet the increasing demand for our services.

Our 5-year strategic plan goals are:
Strategic Pillar 1: Clients
Reimagining our client experience and strengthening our foundations to scale impact.
1. Enhance operational models to enable consistent client and staff interactions.
2. Address facilities and infrastructure needs across programs and sites.
3. Increase staffing levels for client impact and mitigate staff burnout.

Strategic Pillar 2: Staff
Nurturing high-performing, motivated and driven teams.
1. Build a “Learning and Development” culture — strengthen everyone’s ‘Best Self’.
2. Implement structures that support work-life blend.
3. Enhance our culture of trust, collaboration, and belonging.

Strategic Pillar 3: Community
Developing and demonstrating our evidence-based model and engaging the broader community in a solution.
1. Deepen partnerships with counties and providers in the ecosystem to drive greater impact.
2. Incorporate lived experience and feedback into programs for continuous improvement.
3. Execute pilots and projects to test for success factors and develop evidence-based models for exits to stable
housing.
4. Create a data infrastructure and analysis system to track outcomes across client populations over time.

LifeMoves provides a safe and welcoming environment at all of our shelters. In addition, we provide practical programs that enable people experiencing homelessness to secure housing and stay housed. LifeMoves clients are assigned a Case Manager with whom they work closely to create a realistic plan to exit homelessness. LifeMoves programs provide career counseling and employment search support (which includes interview preparation and resume development assistance). We also provide workshops on technology upskilling, financial literacy, budgeting assistance, a savings incentive program, one-to-one housing assistance, and other individualized services. Children’s services include a therapeutic childcare center, S.T.E.M.-based curricula, after-school homework club, and an art therapy program.

There is much research indicating that behavioral health issues can be a contributing factor to becoming homeless, and that homelessness itself can result in trauma. However, behavioral health services are generally not available to homeless clients, except in cases of serious mental illness. To address this service gap, LifeMoves offers ”BehavioralMoves,” a free, on-site, evidence-based behavioral health services program specifically designed to meet the unique needs of homeless individuals and families. Current research indicates that early intervention is the best practice to treat these issues and mitigate the longer-term negative impacts of trauma. Further, our program model of providing free, on-site behavioral health services eliminates virtually all barriers to access for our clients.

LifeMoves is a large and financially-stable organization with a strong leadership team and a strong and independent Board of Directors. LifeMoves has a long history of providing a full range of emergency, intern and transitional housing and supportive services to persons experiencing homelessness in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. LifeMoves sites are staffed by accomplished and experienced individuals, and led by Program Directors with many years of clinical and managerial experience with their site’s unique populations. We also have the leadership and infrastructure to administer complex programs in a cost-efficient manner. Our HR and Finance Departments have recently upgraded to new IT platforms to provide services more efficiently. To operate and evaluate our shelter-based programs, we recently implemented a new Salesforce-based database, which is providing us significantly more data and reporting capabilities, for us to be able to deliver services more effectively and efficiently.

Since 1987, LifeMoves has delivered highly effective programs to break the cycle of homelessness throughout Silicon Valley. LifeMoves’ therapeutic approach focuses on the root causes of homelessness, providing intensive support services alongside safe, warm and welcoming housing. Last year, with over 300 employees and support from hundreds of volunteers, we served 9,179 people, housed over 2,000 people, and provided more than 374,000 nights of shelter to individuals and families. Most importantly, our therapeutic model is effective: Last year, 86% of families completing our interim shelter programs successfully returned to stable housing, equipped with the skills and competencies needed to maintain long-term self-sufficiency.