![WIN]()
The Basics
Rita Zimmer founded New York City’s Women In Need (WIN) in 1983. The Church of St. Mary helped Zimmer open St. Mary’s House, an emergency shelter where the first clients were just four homeless women and their children. Over the years, WIN has evolved into a major social services agency, providing refuge for homeless women and victims of domestic violence. It also offers outpatient care for women dealing with substance abuse, as well as sober living and transitional care.
Accommodations and Amenities
Housing approximately 10,000 women and children per year, WIN operates ten shelters and more than 239 housing units across New York City. Gratitude House was WIN’s first sober living program for females in recovery. They have since expanded to also include The Triangle House, which provides housing and services to 15 single mothers and their children; The Brooklyn Recovery Program, which accommodates 15 families, headed by single mothers; and The Bronx Recovery Program, which houses 22 women in recovery and their children.
Women are housed in apartments with amenities varying per complex. Residents typically purchase food with their food stamp benefit cards and prepare their own meals. Some are provided referrals to local food pantries where groceries are supplied. Upon entering WIN, each family receives an Essentials Kit which includes basic necessities for setting up their unit, such as new sheets and towels; pots, pans, dishes and flatware; and bathroom necessities like toothpaste, soap, shampoo and toilet paper. WIN Believes comfort is important to help families settle in so they can begin to focus on their life transformation rather than on struggling to survive. Clients also receive metro cards for public transportation use.
Rules and Regulations
While the houses have on-site managers, each complex has different rules. Program applicants must have lived in a homeless shelter between six and nine months and all children must be under the age of eight. Also, clients are required to be on the waiting list for the New York City Housing Authority, which provides government housing. Length of stay varies per client and per housing complex.
Bronx residents attend transitional care at WIN Women’s Center for Substance Abuse and Wellness, Casa Rita outpatient clinic. The center’s daily offerings include a continental breakfast and light lunch for women and their children. Casa Rita’s transitional care includes in-house 12-step meetings, group therapy, mental health referrals, family counseling, couples counseling, GED tutorship, vocational counseling and educational guidance. Group topics include health education, parenting, health education, relapse prevention and anger management.
Casa Rita’s Latina track offers groups for Spanish speaking women. Casa Rita offers onsite child-care and Mommy and Me Groups. The leadership believes nurturing the bond between the mother and the child helps with long-term sobriety maintenance. Casa Rita accepts Medicaid and provides a sliding fee scale for qualified clients. Their clinical director is a Master’s-level social worker. WIN staffs between 200 and 500 employees at all there facilities.
Extras
Vocational counseling and referrals include career exploration, time and money management classes and communication skills. Basic computer training is also provided.
In Summary
WIN has been around for a long time and has made immense strides in helping homeless women get back on their feet, while staying clean and sober. Its emphasis on continued recovery via 12-step program as well as its educational resources make it an invaluable asset to New York City. WIN offers a second chance for women who want to restore a manageable life while taking care of their children, too.
Women in Need, Inc.
115 West 31st Street 7th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Women in Need, Inc. Cost: Varies per house (30 days). Reach Women in Need, Inc. by phone at (212) 695-4758 or (718) 402-0066. Find Women in Need, Inc. on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube
Do you have a complaint or review of Women in Need, Inc. to add? Use the comments area below to add your Women in Need, Inc. review.
Photo courtesy of TodayIFoundOut
The post Women In Need (WIN) Sober Living appeared first on Rehab Reviews.