CONNECT Program Works to Bring Permanency to People's Lives

MHASP's CONNECT project, which provides information, referral and support services to approximately 40 people per day who are mentally ill and homeless in parts of Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties, has developed a new program.

CONNECT-TO-PERMANENCY (CTP) is a case management and rental assistance program whose goal is to find permanent housing and employment for people who are mentally ill and homeless. Through its vocational program, CTP offers job training to homeless individuals with the hope that they will be able to find employment and permanent housing on their own.

In an effort to get the program up and running, CTP has hired Steve Abrams as its case manager and Marie Moore as its case aide. Both have been working with Joseph Fortune, project manager for CTP, to complete the development phase of the program.

Fortune said he is hopeful that by February he will be able to provide temporary housing for all of the consumers who have been accepted into the program. CTP can currently handle a case load of seven to ten individuals who are seeking vocational training and rental assistance.

"We have accepted seven individuals into transitional housing and are waiting for approval from landlords throughout the Delaware County area," said Fortune. "We are working with consumers to teach them how to find housing and deal with landlords so that one day they will be able to do it for themselves."

CTP is the sister program of CONNECT and CONNECT-BY-NIGHT, a program that provides information, referral and emergency shelter to homeless individuals in Delaware County.

CONNECT is located at 133-135 Long Lane in Upper Darby.