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Ruth's House to open, another on the way

DETROIT – The Ruth Ellis Center is scheduled to open Ruth's House, a transitional living program (TLP) for LGBTQ youth in Detroit, by February.
"The furniture is going to be delivered this week and we're expecting to bring our first kid in next week," said Grace McClelland, REC's executive director.
REC took official possession of the House Jan. 9, 2004. "All the work in the house is done and we've been shopping ever since," said McClelland. "We had to get everything, blinds and linens, you name it. The house was dead empty."
Though REC was hoping to have Ruth's House open by the fall of 2003, McClelland said they anticipated possible construction delays. "And to the contractors credit and to the architect, part of the delay was making sure they did things the right way," said McClelland who did a programmatic assessment of the house and outlined some changes that needed to be made to make the house conducive to a residential program.
REC is currently fully staffed with five people working in the Street Outreach program including supervisor Atiba Seitu and four part time street outreach workers. The TLP will have two live-in staff, Missy Morgan and Melissa Crosby, as well as program supervisor Laura Whittaker and a full time residential counselor.
The house, which will house nine youth plus two full time live-in staff, is not yet full, but McClelland thinks that will happen soon. "We don't think we're going to have any problem filling the house," she said. "Now that the word is out kids are making more and more inquiries." They currently have about half of the youth identified who will live in the house.
Youth interested in the transitional living program must make a written application which can be picked up at the street outreach program or at the house. Candidates for the house must meet a set of criteria. They must be LGBTQ, 18-24 years of age, and be unable to return to a stable living environment. This means, according to McClelland, essentially homelessness. "Our definition of homelessness is if a kid doesn't have a place where their stuff is, that's their own place," she said, "then that is homelessness."
In addition, youth have to be willing to contract for services and participate in the program, which includes counseling. They also must be employed, part time if in school and full time if not in school, and save 50% of their disposable income. Youth also cannot pose an immediate danger to themselves or others and they must be drug and alcohol free while in the house. Youth who have drug and alcohol problems will be referred to counseling and treatment services.
Youth can stay in the transitional living program at Ruth's House for up to eighteen months and they must work through a designated life-skills curriculum with a staff member. "As they achieve their goals when they feel that they're ready and we feel that they're ready to get into their own place then that's where they'll move to next," said McClelland. "One of the things that we're heavily looking at is an apartment building so that we can transition kids from that group care situation into true independent living in an apartment situation but still have the safety net of an agency standing behind you in case you fail."
McClelland said she anticipates that some of the youth will fail, but that it is the responsibility of the agency to stand behind them and help them become successful. "I think it's incumbent upon us to take that responsibility to make sure we create those safety nets for when they make mistakes. And they're going to make mistakes, they're young," she said. "We want to create programs that are safety nets for our LGBTQ youth as they're struggling with becoming independent."
Working to give struggling youth a successful future is a stark contrast to one of McClelland's previous roles working for the California Youth Authority early in her career. At CYA she worked with "lifers" – youth headed for the California Institution for Men. "I was told our job was to make sure they could survive in the adult prison system, which I wasn't real happy about," she said. She would do all-night marathon counseling sessions with the youth. "Because I really thought, regardless that they're going to be in prison for the rest of their lives, what can I give them that they can walk away with?" Eventually the work preparing young people for such a future burned her out and she moved on.
Before REC has even moved their first youth into the first house, REC is in negotiations to buy a second one. REC does not currently own the house, which is right next door to the first house, but they made an offer on the property that was accepted. McClelland expects the closing on the new house to take place in 30 days.
"We're not sitting on our hands with this," she said. "There's just such a driving need out there. We knew this one would be full within a month so we knew we needed to look at others."
The goal for the new house is to take younger youth into the transitional living program once it is opened. "The idea has always, always been to go down below (age) 18," said board member John Allen in November. REC started with the 18-24 age group due to legal issues that arise when dealing with minors.
With the new house in the earliest stages and with Ruth's House finally opening, it is an exciting time at REC. "I am so excited I can't stand myself," said McClelland. "The board's on pins and needles. It's just an extraordinary thing that's happening. When you look at the national programs for young people these kinds of programs don't exist for LGBT youth, so this is a pioneering program we're starting.
"This was the board's dream in '99 and now it's happening for them," she said.

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