Best drop-in centre gets even better?Dean’s* been coming for twenty plus years to the drop-in at the corner. Jane* likes coming back. “It’s magnetic, this place, it draws you in.”

Rated the “best drop-in center in Toronto” by most of its members, it is clear how much the place functions as a first or second home. It’s the place where Lorie* can fry up spam and eggs. It’s the place where friends can meet-up for a competitive dominoes tournament. It’s the place where you can pick-up your ODSP check and where staff “have your back.”

Is the status quo good enough?Over the past two years, The Meeting Place has lost 23 members prematurely. Four local agencies counted the deaths of 55 street-involved adults in downtown west Toronto. Most of these adults were under 50, housed, and had a family doctor. “All you do is lose people around here,” a member noted. “It’s hard to make new friends if you know they will go too.”

Are there alternative ways?What will it take to keep members not only alive, but thriving?

That’s the question behind the In/Out project - a project that’s bringing members, staff, and an international team together to make new kinds of supports happen. What if members were connected to even more formal & informal opportunities - for healing, relationship coaching, adult learning, finding decent jobs, dealing with stereotypes and stigma, etc.

Over the next six months - thanks to funding from the Metcalf Foundation, United Way and West Neighbourhood House - there is resource to bring some fresh ideas to life. The goal is to look beyond what is currently available to what could be. It’s a luxury to be able

to think big when the day-to-day busyness never seems to end. But, that’s the point. Without time, energy, and methods for remodeling services & systems, can there ever be a way out of the constant crises?

Meet the teamSarah Schulman, Daniela Kraemer, Margaret Fraser, and Maggie Greyson hope to hold the space for members and staff to create some new realities. They come to the In/Out project after 10-years working from the bottom-up on tough social challenges like social isolation in the UK; child protection in Australia; and cognitive disability in Vancouver.

In Australia, for example, they helped to develop Family by Family: a network of families helping families. Rather than social workers coming in to remove kids, Family by Family matches up families who have been through tough times so they can support each other.

Their approach blends disciplines. Sarah is a sociologist, and likes to understand what makes people tick. Daniela is an anthropologist, and likes to understand culture and local practice. Margaret is an industrial designer, and likes to make ideas concrete by drawing and building things. Maggie is a set designer and outreach person, who likes to create surprising experiences.

Behind this approach is a philosophy that is all about building on people’s natural capabilities and resources, rather than trying to “diagnose” or “fix” problems with only professional care.

That means rather than come into a space and impose their ideas, the In/Out team starts by getting to know people. This is what is known as

ethnographic research. They spend time shadowing people and seeing their everyday experiences. With consent, they write-up these stories and make short films to help policymakers understand what’s not working. They also run co-design sessions to generate new ideas. But, they don’t just leave ideas on paper. They actually run small-scale versions of new ideas to get feedback and improve them. This is called prototyping.

Members and staff of the Meeting Place are invited to get involved as little or as much as they want. Over the next six months, the team will host free events & workshops. There will be a range of paid job opportunities. And there will be lots of time for a coffee or a smoothie to get to know one another.

* members names are changed

November 21st - 2015

A Journey into Drugs TreatmentRead page 6-7

How do you feel today?Photo story on page 4

Job adsRead page 3Dream catching,

Dream doingRead page 2

in/out timesThe

Inspiring examples from abroad

In San Francisco, the Navigation Center is a homeless shelter with a different spatial layout, and far fewer rules. There is no curfew. You can bring pets, possessions, and partners.

In Portland, homeless young people make smoothies with a new pedal powered smoothie cart from Outside In. It’s one of many ways to provide an income and work experience.

Tough realities

Source: http://homesfirst.on.ca/info-stats

$38,000Annual income needed to afford a one-bedroom apartment

55%Percentage of sin-gle parents who earn less than that

31%Percentage of couples who earn less than $38,000

69% Percentage of singles who earn less than $38,000

$7,104Annual amount for a single person receiving Ontario Works

$368 Monthly shelter allowance of Ontario Works

5000Homeless individ-uals in Toronto

9 out of10 Homeless people want permanent housing

He checks the clipboard. Goes downstairs. Hands out laundry soap. Goes to the machines. Heads upstairs. And repeats 9 times in 2.5 hours. It’s good exercise, but could there be another way to do laundry?

Choreographing laundry competes for time alongside unlocking cabinets, refilling milk jugs, and retrieving belongings. All important tasks that staff do with a smile, a joke, a friendly chat. Imagine if there was an alternative way to attend to some of the tasks? How might staff and members spend their freed up time?

Would less time on laundry mean more time having longer and deeper conversations? Would some staff have more scope to check-in with members? “I don’t do too much one on one work or spend too much time in longer conversations” one staff member reflected on. “I will eventually do more of that, I’m very excited to get to the point when I will do more”.

So what could we do about laundry?

What if there were some quick technological solutions - a pager system, where members’ pager lights up when their laundry is done? Or tokens to retrieve soap from an automatic dispenser?

What if there were some new roles and business opportunities - perhaps a micro business that does and folds laundry?

What if there were ways to use pockets of time in a few different ways? Could laundry be an opportunity to do more than just cleaning clothes? A way to refresh the mind or body too? Perhaps there could be experiences on offer in the workshops downstairs in the time that fits a 30-min cycle. Anything from clothes making & mending clothes; to short documentary films; to a fitness program; or a personal coaching session?

To look at Johnny, relaxed on the green floral armchair, sipping his double double, Q107 rock in the background, you’d think he had been sitting at the front of the store most of his life. But this is not the case.

“Oh no” says Johnny, a peer worker, artist and part of the team behind the Meeting Place store, “It’s taken a long time to get here, to get where I am today.”

Johnny is a third-generation residential school survivor. In fact, he was placed in the same residential school that his mother and grandmother had been in years before him. “The residential school taught me to fail. They assimilated people, they controlled people. They taught about heaven and hell. It was scary as a child and these feelings still resonate today.” To cope with his emotions Johnny started using. “There was a period of 2 years when I was only sober for about 4 days. The rest of the time, well, I was numb”. How did Johnny get from numb to working in the shop? What events or interactions prompted him to change? Johnny says it was the first time he met his granddaughter - Neebyn - which means summer in Cree. He held her up to the sun. Johnny explained: “Something

about when I met her, it was like our spirits hugged, something there clicked and I said John you can’t be doing this your whole life”.

Johnny started getting help. He signed up for rehab and began talking about his story, or in his words: “giving his pain some voice.” What really helped him though, he said, was meeting good people, like some of the folks at the drop-in. “You know”, Johnny continued: “Addiction is the slowest form of suicide. And you don’t know that when you are going through it. Now I realize this and I know I don’t have to do it”. Today, Johnny has lots of ideas for the Meeting Place shop and also for further self-development as an artist. The store is full of his unique designs, as well as items created by members of the centres’ craft workshops. Johnny’s story is one of resilience. And Johnny’s is not the only one. There’s plenty of members’ with stories of resilience - including both big and small “aha” moments.

We want to hear more! Come share your “aha” moments. We’re creating an illustrated story collection. You can find us on the floor, or send us an email hello@inwithforward.com

Feature stories

Drop-in to other conversations“When I first started talking to Jim he was so angry,” one staff member at the centre explained. “Every little thing would make him go off. If a guy sat down at his table he would get angry. This was not good. So I started talking to him and walking him through scenarios to help him understand that he had a choice. He had a choice to deal with his anger in a better way.”

Members at the drop in centre feel their experiences deeply. There has been so much trauma in their lives; missed opportunities; lost loved ones; pain and frustration. After a while, Jim’s anger started calming down. He was choosing to take control of it,

rather than let it control him. “This I would say is a success story” the staff member continued. Jim suffers from depression, which has manifested itself in anger. “It was when he realised that his depressed state, his anger, was keeping him back that things for him began to change”. For many people at the drop-in centre, the turning point in their life comes through an interaction that teaches them something new, whether it is a new approach, or a new way of thinking. What if every member had a chance to have this interaction? Not just a stimulating new conversation, but talk that empowered.

Is there a way to inspire new kinds of conversations at the drop-in? In late November, UforYou will launch. Members and staff can join conversations, discussion groups, and documentary screenings on topics ranging from neuroscience to Russian literature. In ‘Making Sense of Emotions with Sigmund Freud,’ the

topic will be sadness, anger, happiness and joy. What are different methods and ways to understand emotions and how we express them? Do we learn emotions or are they innate?

What would our everyday life feel like if, like Jim, we learned greater awareness of our emotions and ourselves?

Laundry: more than cleaning clothes?

Dream Catching, Dream Doing

Ufor you

These shoes are made for walkingWhat is it like to walk in a member’s shoes? The In/Out Project wants to find out - really

Spotlight

Jobs

Source weird and wonderful chairs, objects, and books for us at local Toronto thrift stores. You’ll help us create a memorable space. This is a 1-day paid job. You like interior de-sign and making spaces look & feel nice. You’re a natural bargainer.

To apply, fill out an Interest Form at the Front Desk. Tell us about your favourite thrift stores or markets. What makes them good? What’s the best thing you’ve ever found in one?*Don’t let writing be the barrier, we can also record your application if needed.

Got a good way with people? Help us source interesting people to talk to and audio record stories.Part of your job will be tracking down down who might have left the cen-tre. We’re wanting to create a bank of positive stories. This is an ongo-ing job. We pay per story/podcast.

To apply, fill out one of the In-terest Forms at the Front Desk. Tell us an idea for a story you’d like to write or record. *Don’t let writing be the barrier, we can re-cord your application if needed.

Take us on a tour of places you go, and services you deal with. We’ll be your shadow to get a feel for what a day in your life is like - including your interactions with workers. This is a 1-5 day paid job. We pay the hours we spend waiting for services with you. All information will be anonimized.

To apply, fill out an Interest Form at the Front Desk. Tell us about what services you want us to see - what’s good, what’s bad. *Don’t let writing be the barrier, we can record your application if needed.

Help us find recycled materials and turn them into fit-for-purpose furniture - like shelves, storage units, moveable white boards. This is a 3-day paid job.You are great with your hands and a good prob-lem-solver. You’re someone who takes a lot of pride in what you make.

To apply, fill out an Interest Form-sat the Front Desk.We like to see a picture, drawing, or description of work you built in the past. *Don’t let writing be the barrier, we can record your application if needed.

THRIFT / BOOK STORE AFICIONADOS

STORYCORPS TOUR GUIDES FURNITURE BUILDER

for you

Pain Point 1Not much new to do todayQ: Are you bored?A: “No, I’m not bored I’m just hungover”.“Shower, laundry, computer, pool, meeting with doctor. There’s lots to do”.“Yeah, it’s the same thing here everyday”. Whether people say they are bored or not. How is time spent at the drop-in centre? Playing pool, doing laundry, meeting with a caseworker, hang-ing-out with friends, making some food, keeping warm. It’s the same everyday. What if there were other ways to spend time both in and out of the drop-in centre? Could we create a catalogue offering up different expe-riences off-site like making maps or metereology 101?

Pain Point 2 When we go to the donation cupboard looking for clothing, there usually isn’t anything I want there.Q: How do you select your own clothes from the donations?A: “I’m not a materialist”.“I go for what is best for the season, the strongest items”.“Yeah name brands are important for me”. At this time of year clothing is very important for people at the drop in centre. It’s hard to find good clothing; strong clothing, clothing suitable for the climate, and clothing members want to wear. What if there was another way to make use of clothing donations, a way that gives members’ choice as well as clothes? Could there be a system where members trade a

service they excel at for quality items of clothing they desire?

Pain Point 3HomelessnessQ: What’s happening with housing?A: “Housing? Pfft forget about it. The wait-ing lists are 2 - 5 years long!”“I don’t want subsidized housing - the rooms are too small, and I have to deal with crack-heads and the police. But that is all casework-ers can help me find”.“If you refuse to take a place, if you don’t want to live there, they take you off the list, they discharge you”. Nearly every member of the drop-in has had an issue finding or keeping housing. Waiting lists are way too long, not to mention that housing offered by the city is often not the kinds of places or the locations where members want to live. What if there was a system in place that grouped people in and out of the centre with similar housing pref-erences and needs together and then help them find independent housing to rent? Pain Point 4System AbsurdityQ: Does the current social system work for you?A: “The problem here in Toronto is that they put you in a shelter while they try to find you housing. The lists for getting housing are so long. And you have to ask your caseworker what’s happening every 2 days or you get lost in the pile”.“I called 311 for help but they didn’t do anything. Really I get most of my information from other people on the street. They’re the

ones who have the best info on where to go and what to do”.“To get one of the members onto ODSP I need to have collateral - this is doctors notes, information on therapies and treatments etc. The problem is that it’s very hard to get other agencies to send over this information. Without though, the member won’t be able to get ODSP”.

What if the system worked better for both members and staff? What if there was an easier way for members to keep and have access to their own files digitally? What if there was a way to take bits of information and digitize it into a portfolio so you didn’t have to go searching for pieces of paper? Could members be more empowered to make their own ODSP, Housing and OW applications?

Pain Point 5Too painful to keep living!Q: What got you sober? What keeps you going?A: “I met my grand-daughter and held her in my arms for the first time”.“My son came back into my life”“My daughter Helen, she has down syndrome and is in a home. If I don’t take care of her then no one will”. Relations with family members is important for many members’ sur-vival, healing and drive for self-im-provement. Family gives members the incentive to live and do better. What if there was a way to increase and assist family reconciliation and reunification? Could we develop a way to assist and

promote family reconnections? A pro-cess to help members find a place and belonging in their wider community? Pain Point 6Where to keep my stuff?Q: What do you do with your posses-sions?A: “I was evicted because I have too much stuff. I’m homeless now and i keep my things in a storage unit. But i’m spending so much money on it each month”.

“I have a locker at my rooming house but it’s full of stuff. I would like to put these things here in the locker but I need help and I worry that if a social service comes to help me they will just throw out everything I have”.“This drop-in centre is better than all the other centres in the city, here they really understand that a lot of people don’t have anywhere to keep their stuff. The staff here let me keep my stuff here and trust that I will pick it up the next day”. Everyone possesses items of value, sen-timental objects, photos, not to men-tion necessities of daily life. But when you are homeless or between homes, it’s hard to know what to do with your things? What if there were ways to keep valued possessions easily, accessi-ble, and for not too much money? In the same way that cities offer public porto-potties, can we build accessible and affordable storage units into the downtown landscape? Would this small addition free members from the constant worry about their stuff?

5 conversations, 5 pain points, 5 opportunties

This week, members were asked to pick words to describe their emotions.

How do you feel today?

Are there other ways?

“Feeling both MAD and a bit tired” “Loving and feeling loved”

“Mixed emotions ...”But later on….

“ Waiting for the doctor. Waiting is a frustrating word”

Feature stories

LIFE’S TOO SHORT FOR BAD BOOKS.

Bibliography guides you to amazing works of liter-ature and film, both past and present, that have the power to enchant, enrich and inspire.

In a personal conversation with our bibliographer, you’ll explore your relationship with books and media so far and be asked to explore new directions. Perhaps you’re looking for an author whose style you love so much you want to devour every word they’ve ever written. Maybe you’re feeling disconnected from the world and want to watch to the classics of your childhood. Or you’re seeking a change in your life and want to hold the hand of people who’ve been there and done that already.

We’ll devote ourselves to creating an inspirational media diet, tailor-made for you. Call 614-355-3537.

Many people feel as if they’re adrift in the world. Recognisable? Chances are that you haven’t set formal goals. After all, would you set out on a ma-jor journey with no real idea of your destination?

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating your-self to turn your vision of this future into reality. Get in touch for a free lesson, no strings attached.

There are many different approaches to health and healing. We’ve selected a series of therapies that are using these senses - including smell, col-our, music, and laughing therapy.

Interested? Book a taster to see which one works best for you. At this point therapies are free as we’re testing interest.

Call 000-000-0000 to book a taster session.

We offer a free haircut, fashion consult, and massage so that you can start to feel as good inside as you look outside.

We have limited places available, call 000-000-0000 for availability.

Bureaucrat for a day Frustrated with all the bureaucratic red tape? Sign-up and get linked-up with a real, live bureaucrat. They’ll shadow you for a day and record system breakdowns and annoyances. Have your voice heard.

$100 for your idea

Small things can make a big difference.

Mini Grants is new program to help build community and improve the places where you live and lke to hang out. Have a great idea for your community? Learn more about the Mini Grants Program, or download you appli-cation form on www.minigrants.ca.

The deadline for applications is 32st November 2015.

Biz Kickstarter

What do people in power really know about facing life challenges and addictions?

Educate and inform by capturing your own experiences. Sign-up to Tracker, and get

paid for recording data about the services you use, and where your money goes.

It’s simple and easy. We supply you with a phone and text messaging credit.

Mini Grants Fund

Plan to Live Your Life. Your Way.

Advertisement

Get matched to other community centers across Canada that could use your experience, skills, and expertise. A sabbatical is a period of paid leave for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year.

At Sabbatical Swap, this period is typically 2-4 weeks. Application ends on November 27.

Sabbatical Swap

Take a sabbatical from the drop-in centre.

Do you have an idea to start your own business? It’s not as complicated and expensive as many people think.

Our advisors are hosting drop-in clinics in the Meeting Place. We help you think through the steps. We can help sort out the admin, so you can focus on your new venture. All for free.

Next drop-in clinics:Wed 25 Nov 12.00 - 2pmThu 26 Nov 2pm - 4pm

Or call / text to 000-000-0000 to book a personal appointment.

Therapeutic sampling pack

Fresh look

Fresh starts

Systems maps are used to document individual’s experiences within and between services and systems. Where are the breakdowns and the creative workarounds?

A Journey into Drug TreatmentAvelina, age 29, has spent 9 years on and off the streets, struggling with a heroin addiction. Last spring she was ready for a change. Then her dad passed away, followed by her good friend, Tom. She lost her housing, and things continued to go downhill making sobriety harder and harder. Mapping Avelina’s story gives clues as to where system change is needed. “I don’t want to change and you can’t change me”

“When I get stronger, I become more confident in myself. I love myself more. I know I”m a goodperson. I’m talented. I want to start getting back into what I’m good at.”

“The only change that happens around here is people leave or die.”

“Change, sure it would be great if things were different. But what can I do about that?”

System view

Finally gets money for return ticket - by bus.

Tom, a close friend, dies in Toronto.

Takes bus back to Toronto.

Is stuck in Winnipeg for two months without control over the situation.

Father is sick and about to die. Uncle is trying to buy a ticket to come visit. Drug use accelerates.

Takes bus to Winnipeg

Spring Summer

Flight is too expensive.

A support worker asks help from charity to pay for ticket. The charity says no.

Has housing through NomRes.

Dad dies before arrival in Winnipeg. Stays with family - but wants to return to Toronto.

Tries hard to get money from services to leave Winnipeg.

Another support worker helps pay for the bus ticket back.

Looses ODSP - no income anymore.

Landlord arranges stuff and changes locks. “I need to get new keys”

dadfriend

Dad dies before being able to saying goodbye...

What people like Avelina say...

Point and CounterpointDebate

Let’s debate. When it comes to addressing some of the big challenges members face - addictions, exclusion, cultural disconnection, homelessness, joblessness - there aren’t clear cut answers. There are big questions. So: where do you land and why?

Fall

GP refers her to Rapid Detox Facility.

Detox medication prescribed for 2 weeks.

Eventually, one doctor agrees to refill prescription despite big health risks.

Gets admitted to detox program, but can only stay a maximum of 8 days.

Alcohol usage raises red flags for doctors. Sleeping rough again.

Remains homeless. Has boyfriend.

Back using heroin

Tries to get boyfriend ODSP.

Tries really hard to get into detox...

Support worker phones detox centre. Not admitted because of prescription medication use.

wants his house backwants to leave wants to leave

Waits two hours in hallway - with withdrawal sypmtoms in full force. Throws up in trash can.

Refill medication needed - but no doctor will sign-off.

Belonging and ChangeIs there such a thing as too much belonging? Can feeling too comfortable be a block to change?

AND/OR

Do you have to feel comfortable in order to invest in change?

Trauma and ResilienceSo many people have experienced deep and profound trauma. What’s the balance between focusing on the trauma?

AND/OR

Focusing on resilience and the ways in which people are rebounding?

Inclusion and Exclusion Shelters & centres have a distinct culture. Is it important that shelters & centres create a space only for street-involved folks?

AND/OR

Is it important that shelters and centres are more integrated into the wider community and have a greater mix of people?

Dependency and IndependenceAre services and supports creating dependencies by functioning as gatekeepers and information holders?

AND/OR

Are services and supports helping people to navigate complex systems?

Unstructured and StructuredIs it a good thing that drop-in centers are an open & informal space for hanging out?

AND/OR

Should there be more structured activities & novel experiences that engage people’s minds and bodies?

Continuity and ChangeDo we want drop-in centres to function as ongoing gathering places? AND/

OR

Do we want to create enough opportunities outside drop-in centres so they aren’t as needed?

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Ufor you

“Before, I had a drought of interesting things to think about. With U for you I learned ways to understand my emotions through mindfulness”

Contact us at PH: 416 556 1448

Trouble makers

Word smithsArmchair travelers

Lost and left out

Wonderers

Drifters and drop-ins

Busy beings

Philosophers Spontaneous spirits

free-thinkers

U for you is for you. Come along to any of the think in’s & help us find new topics & people that you would like to hear from.

Held at or around the meeting place regularly