Nonprofit Dedicated to Ending Homelessness One Family at a Time Lends Success Coach Model to Organization Designed for the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Workforce
Having recently launched the ‘Building Homes, Building Hope” Capital Campaign to more than double the number of families it can serve, Rainbow Village is also exploring other ways to grow. The nonprofit dedicated to bringing Help, Hope, Housing, and Healing to families experiencing homelessness announced today a new partnership with another local organization, Georgia Uplift. With a mission to connect the intellectual and developmental disability workforce with resources and support that foster a stronger, more resilient community of professionals, Georgia Uplift proves an ideal match for the Success Coach model that has been in place at Rainbow Village for decades.
“We say it all the time… homelessness can happen to anyone,” said Melanie Conner, CEO of Rainbow Village. “When that ‘anyone’ is someone who works closely with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, it can have a domino effect. Direct Support Professionals who strive to make a difference in the lives of the people they serve deserve that same level of stability, support, and success in their own lives. Low industry wages paid to these essential workers, coupled with the high cost of housing and other necessities, can put them in danger of becoming financially strapped or even unhoused. We believe that the Success Coach model that has proven such a game changer for the families Rainbow Village serves can be modified to fit the needs of those in the Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities industry.”
To help them launch this new outreach program, Rainbow Village has added Yuli Fernandez to the team as Georgia Uplift Success Coach. Fernandez brings a big heart, a psychology degree from Purdue University, a passion for serving the community, and an impressive career that includes stints with Gwinnett County Juvenile Court and Atlanta Public Schools to this newly created role. In her service to Direct Support Professionals, she empowers them to navigate daily life challenges, address barriers to home and work-life balance, and develop a roadmap of hope to guide them toward their best life.
“My Georgia Uplift cases may need assistance identifying ways to help meet their basic needs – from rent and utilities to food and health,” shared Fernandez. “I offer connectivity to a wealth of resources that can help these critical-need professionals and their families thrive every day. When the occasional crisis arises, I’m there to coach them through it. I can help them identify potential resources for childcare, transportation, housing, and more. Their daily job is critical; my goal is to offer them peace of mind. They know that I’m here for them – offering the same levels of caring, compassion, communication, and confidentiality they extend to their own clients.”
Georgia Uplift is a joint venture funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) and operated by the Service Providers Association for Developmental Disabilities (SPADD). For more information about Rainbow Village and its all-important mission to end homelessness – one family at a time, visit https://rainbowvillage.org/.
