A Look Into Outreach

The Rescue Mission’s Outreach program serves the most vulnerable individuals in our community. “The Outreach Program is a partnership between The Rescue Mission and Parkview Behavioral Health Institute” says Pastor Donovan Coley, President/CEO & President of the Foundation at The Rescue Mission. “We have long wanted to offer specialized care and intentional resources to those struggling with mental illness in our community,” says Coley, “and The Outreach Program is our answer to that.”

The Outreach Program has been intentionally and specifically designed to serve individuals who are experiencing a homeless crisis and are also struggling with mental illness. The program was established on December 13, 2021 and has already celebrated several graduations. “Before, we could only help some of these men a couple days at a time because of our limited resources, and it would take months to get them seen for psychiatric care,” says Patrick Mojet, Outreach Case Manager. “Now we can connect them to vital resources in less than half the time it once took,” says Mojet, “and the men are stabilizing and growing.”

Men are not only given case management services from three full time, fully dedicated Rescue Mission staff members, but they are also invited to five different classes each week. “Most men in the Outreach program meet with their case manager daily, ‘says Outreach Coordinator Jay Evans. “There’s much more we offer,” continues Evans, “we also provide a mental health class, a computer skills class, a 12-steps class, a Christian faith class, and other enrichment classes.”

This exciting and dynamic program is changing the way both the homeless crisis and mental illness are approached in the industry by fusing the two and addressing them simultaneously. “Mental illness is often kept in the dark,” says Admin and Care Ministries Coordinator Steve Mekaru, “but the Outreach program brings mental health into the light so that what was once hidden, and holding people back, can be exposed so they can thrive.”