1105 W Front St  |  Bloomington, IL    309.827.0377

Original Design by: Becky Goodman | Re-Design & Site Maintenance by: Studio902 Web Solutions | © Project Oz  2011 All rights reserved www.projectoz.org

Youth Initiative Programs

Basic Center for Runaway Youth

24-hour crisis intervention, counseling, advocacy

 

Host Homes

Temporary, emergency placement for runaway or homeless youth

     

Street Outreach for Homeless Youth

Street Outreach uses a long-term approach of getting to know homeless kids and finding out what they need to permanently leave the streets.  This could be re-enrolling in high school, getting a job, getting help with medical issues, and a host of other services.

 

Safe Place

Safe Place is a national youth outreach program that came to Bloomington in 2008.  The Bloomington and Normal fire stations joined Project Oz in becoming designated as Safe Place sites.  This means that young people who are feeling threatened or in need of immediate help can go to any of the fire stations or Project Oz.  Just look for the yellow-and-black Safe Place sign  you can find safety at that location.

       

Transitional Living Program for Homeless Youth (TLP)

We teach communication, budgeting, safety, health, and other skills and help young people obtain jobs at living wages to help them learn to live independently.  This program has several residential opportunities.  If the program is full, homeless young people can join the waiting list. While on the waiting list they can come to the Life Skills sessions and get help looking for a job.

 

MGH for Homeless Youth

This program works the same as the TLP, but it is exclusively for homeless youth who are pregnant or parenting.  They and their children can live in an apartment while they learn self-sufficiency skills.  Again, if the apartments are full, youth can join the waiting list to receive non-residential services until an apartment becomes available.

 

Life Skills Sessions

Each week an educator and a counselor team up to present a wealth of information to homeless youth.  These 1-hour sessions teach about budgeting, how to make decisions, how to seek out community services, what to do in an emergency, health and safety information, nutrition, self-care, stress management, and many other topics.  Guest speakers are frequently featured, sharing their expertise and helping youth make connections to community services.  Youth enrolled in the TLP, MGH, and other homeless youth are welcome to attend these classes.  Call our office to find out how to join.

 

Runaway Switchboard

The National Runaway Switchboard, established in 1971, serves as the federally-designated national communication system for homeless and runaway youth.  Recognized as the oldest hotline of its kind in the world, NRS, with the support of more than 150 volunteers, handles an average of 100,000 calls annually – more than 3 million calls since the organization’s inception.  NRS provides crisis intervention, referrals to local resources, and education and prevention services to youth, families and community members throughout the country 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

 

Other Services

Individual and family counseling

School and court advocacy

Group counseling