Streets To Homes provides outreach and follow up support to end street homelessness. During his 200 hour placement, Christopher worked with the street outreach, housing outreach, assessment and referral centre, and housing follow up teams. He accompanied street outreach workers and learned about engagement skills, safety protocols, and connecting with homeless individuals. Christopher also experienced the interconnectedness of the programs by following a recently housed client from housing outreach to housing follow up. He demonstrated strong work ethic, listening skills, advocacy, and connecting his client to community resources. Christopher is hardworking, resourceful, and highly motivated to succeed in social work having experience working with the homeless in the Philippines.

1. Streets To Homes
Susan Harris
SSA – Outreach SOC
Shelter, Support & HousingAdministration
Rob Cressman, ActingGeneral Manager
625 Church Street, 5th
Floor
Toronto, Ontario
M4Y 2G1
Tel: 416-397-4482
Fax: 416-397-5036
sharris3l@toronto.ca
June 1, 2016
To Whom It May Concern:
Streets to Homes was established in 2005 and it consists of a network of internal and
community services to provide outreach and follow up support in order to end street
homelessness. During his 200 hour placement with Streets to Homes Christopher worked
alongside staff in all aspects of the program which includes Street Outreach, Housing
Outreach, the Assessment and Referral Centre and the Housing Follow-Up team.
Christopher reported directly to me and the staff he worked with reported to me weekly
concerning his activities and learning plan.
He accompanied the Street Outreach workers for six days and learned about the
importance of engagement skills and persistence when identifying and forming
relationships with isolated individuals. Most often these are men who refuse shelter
services and have untreated mental illness often accompanied by substance use. Women
are encountered less frequently. He learned about the safety and communication
protocols used on the team and their role in attending to encampment clearances and
concerned citizen calls as well as daily rounds connecting with homeless individuals on the
street, in parks, alley ways and ravines.
Christopher experienced the interconnectedness of the Streets to Homes programs when
he followed a recently housed client with complex medical issues from Housing Outreach
to the Housing Follow Up team. The first team works with people to find them housing
which involves developing relationships with landlords, learning about the Ontario Works
and Ontario Disability Support Programs shelter allowances, the Toronto Transitional
Housing Allowance, Furniture Bank and the Housing Stabilization Fund. He was a very
motivated learner and he showed initiative in seeking out staff to explain the housing
process to him.

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Christopher really shone in his work with his assigned client and demonstrated a strong
work ethic, an ability to listen to and respect his client's wishes, recognize and validate
client strengths and to advocate for his client. He researched and mapped out community
resources, accompanied his client to medical specialist appointments, referred him to
Wheel Trans and connected him to PEACH (Palliative Education and Community Health).
The latter referral required tact and sensitivity and Christopher was a support to both the
community nurse, his Housing Follow Up mentor and the client.
Christopher is hardworking, resourceful and highly motivated to succeed and to work in his
chosen field as a social worker. He brings years of experience working with a homeless
population in the Philippines and he is adapting to working with the homeless population in
Toronto. He is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and to expanding his
knowledge.
If you require further information, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Susan Harris
Supervisor, Housing Outreach Team
Streets to Homes Outreach Counsellors
625 Church St.