Category: Projects Spring 2017

Guiding Principles

Posted on by Samantha

Guiding Principle 1: Keep me engaged

  • This includes giving the students opportunities to participate in various activities and field trips where they take part in something outside of their comfort zone.
  • Keeping up to date technology and computer programs can also keep kids interested in the club.

“Some people say it’s boring.”

-Ciarra

“There are not enough activities.”

-Kaliyah

Guiding Principle 2: Provide me with consistency

  • The relationships the teens make with the volunteers and each other is the driving force behind keeping them involved in the club. It is critical to get more volunteers that will stay around so that the teens can become comfortable around them.
  • Tutors should also be consistent as well.

“I like the environment. There are good people and we learn good habits.”

-Kaliyah

Guiding Principle 3: Help me inform others

  • Not many teens know about BGC. This is due to a lack of advertising by the club, and the members do not talk to their friends about it. The teens need guidance on how to spread word about their experience to get more people involved.
  • The club can guide the teens on ways to spread news about BGC via social media.

“The BGC is not advertised at all throughout the school.”

-Adams Principal

Ethnographic Research – Analogous Immersion

Posted on by Graciela Hasbun

Date of Immersion: 3/2/17
Type: Analogous Immeresion
Participants: Amanda Berusch, Sarah Reihl, Matthew McCormick, Paul Cepak, Yuwei Tu, and Parker Mathes
Event: Homeless System Simulation

Event Description: The Homeless System Simulation was created by the National Alliance to End Homelessness in order to better understand the issue of homelessness. Using the tools of the game/simulation, players are able to understand the public assistance system. Throughout the game marbles are placed into different services and the point is to have the smallest score. At the end, points are added when beads are left in the unsheltered homelessness and emergency housing categories, and points are subtracted when beads are left in the market housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing categories.

Key Takeaways:

Funding for Public Assistance
By playing the game, we realized the limitation of government funded assistance programs and resources. Since there is only a certain amount of marbles, only so much can be placed into the most important resources. Although permanent supportive is one of the most important resources to reduce homelessness, other services such as emergency shelters and outreach are necessary to keep those who still struggle with homelessness safe. Therefore, we knew that we wanted to increase the number of marbles in permanent housing and rapid re-housing, but the ability to increase this type of housing would mean there would be less emergency shelters and transitional housing. We would like to decrease the funding for the latter, but that is contingent on the homeless population’s willingness to use other public resources such as counseling to permanently get out of their situation.

We were able to conclude that public assistance is very dependent on the resources made available by the local government. For example, if the city of South Bend pushes the publicly funded counseling and welfare services, the homeless population may be more likely to take advantage of them and be in a better position to qualify for permanent housing. If more homeless people qualify for more permanent housing, then the city can put more money towards these resources than emergency shelters.

Ethnography Summary- Bill

Posted on by Sarah

Date: 3/3/2018

Type: Interview

Location:Downtown Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry

User Characteristics:

  • Male
  • 50 years old
  • Single
  • Homeless in South Bend

Bill has been without a home for about twenty years.

He has lived in different states and utilizes shelters and food pantries regularly.

Recently, he has seen the rise of heroin use and sees South Bend as a hub for drug users.

He also notes that the Center for the Homeless is South Bend is one of the best throughout the country and often times people that are homeless will come to South Bend because of its superior resources.

Main Takeaways:

  • Need resources for substance abusers (usually these people cannot stay in the homeless shelters if they are using)
  • Circumstances/a traumatic event can dictate homelessness –> Fall into a pattern of losing job, then not paying bills, then  homelessness
  • Three main reasons for homelessness: substance abuse, criminal record, mental disability
  • Veterans have a hard time getting services through the VA
  • Disability payments are not sufficient to live off of (Bill said several homeless people are physically disabled)

 

 

Design Criteria

Posted on by Wendy

Design Goal

  • Homeless people come from very diverse backgrounds, and every person had a unique pathway into homelessness.
  • While the basic needs of food and temporary shelter are currently being met for most homeless people, their higher needs, such as a sense of belonging and self-esteem are not.

User Perceptions

  • Many facilities, including CFH, have barriers that keep homeless people from using them, especially strict drug and alcohol rules
  • Users desire services that are convenient, free, with few questions asked.

Problems/Needs/Opportunities

  • Substance abuse and mental illness are huge barriers to conforming to rules and consistent behavior
  • Unemployed users have excessive free time during the day when they are idle. This lack of purpose creates opportunities for people to get in trouble.
  • Many homeless people use the same resources every day – soup kitchens, showers at the church, and the weather amnesty program. These provide opportunities for touch points to connect with users.
  • Users have very little guidance from family, friends, or counselors, and many do not think about long-term plans to exit homelessness.

Functional Attributes

  • The solution needs to be flexible and able to personalized based on mental illness, substance abuse, etc.

Constraints

  • The source and amount of funding will be a major constraint in thinking about solutions. Unfortunately, we do not yet have an idea of how much is a feasible amount we could work with.
  • Our solution will focus specifically on the homeless in South Bend who are currently unsheltered
  • Our solution will focus on users who are willing, but not yet able to exit homelessness. This may exclude those who feel complacent in their current homeless situation.
  • Our solution will not be able to meet all of the individualized needs of homeless people. We will need to focus on specific, actionable, and common needs.

Ethnographic Research

Posted on by Jacob

Camille

Date: 3/9/17

Type: Expert Interview

Location: Boys & Girls Club Main Campus

Team Participants: Mark Harrel & Olivia Newey

User Characteristics:

-Middle aged

-In charge of the club at this location

-African-American

-Has a daughter that goes there everyday

-Drives a van to pick up some students

Memorable Quotes:

“Before transportation was an issue, we would have over 100 students coming into the club.”

“We only have one van and I am the one that has to drive it.”

Top 3 Learnings:

  1. Boys & Girls Club main issue is transportation.
  2. The Boys & Girls club have another issue where they do not have many employees or volunteers.
  3. Kids will be better off if they attend the club.

Key Insight: The Boys and Girls club need to find a way for the teenagers to get to the club. If they do, there will be many more students coming into the club and bettering themselves. Many kids want to go there for the social aspect but can’t go because they don’t have a ride.

 

Nick

Date: 3/15/17

Type: Individual Interview

Location: Phone

Team Participants: Conducted Interview alone

User Characteristics:

-current teenager

-athlete

-good grades

-caucasian

Memorable Quotes:

“I don’t go to the club because I don’t see a need for it.”

“After school, I go straight to practice and workouts. Then I have to get home to do my homework.”

Top 3 Learnings:

  1. Athletes are less likely to attend the club
  2. Kids will only go to the club if they feel there is a need
  3. Many teenagers think that the Boys & Girls Club is for little kids and not teenagers like them

Key Insight: Athletes and kids who already have really good grades probably won’t attend the club because they don’t see much of a need. With that said, some will still attend for the sole reason that they like the social aspect.

 

Mike

Date: 3/15/17

Type: Individual Phone Interview

Location: Phone

Team Participants: Interview conducted alone

User Characteristics:

-has attended the club for the last 3 years

-likes to go to the club because of the social aspect

-will rarely do homework there

-Caucasian

-teenager

 

Top 3 Learnings:

  1. Social aspect is main reason for attendance
  2. Many go to the club because they would be bored at home otherwise
  3. Many kids wish for more kids to attend because they want to meet new people

Memorable Quotes:

“I like to go to the club because it is a fun and safe place for me to hangout after school.”

“Going to the club is way better than being bored at home.”

Key Insight:

Some students will attend the club for the sole reason that they won’t be as bored. Mike doesn’t live in a neighborhood so it is very rare for him to hangout with friends when home unless someone can drive him to his friend’s house. This makes the club a perfect place for Mike to be after school.

 

Immersion Experience:

For my immersion thus far, I was able to go to the club and talk to Camille and some teens that attend. Moving forth, I intend to keep attending the club every couple of weeks and volunteer for a little bit. When I am there, I plan on playing sports with the kids and talk to them about their futures.

Key Insights: 1. The kids will often attend the club for the social aspect and meeting new people. Next to that, it will keep them from being bored at home. 2. After talking to Camille, the biggest problem is definitely the transportation. If there comes up a way to fund their transportation efforts, many more kids will be better off.

 

Analogous Immersion:

Our team plans on coming up with different activities that the kids can do when they attend the club. For example, we were thinking of having a 3 vs. 3 basketball tournament, with the winning team being rewarded some sort of a prize. On top of that, we are looking into different possible ways that the Boys and Girls Club can be given more vans or better transportation efforts.

Guiding Principles

Posted on by Wendy

Guiding Principles:

1. Meet me where I’m at

Reduce the barriers - don't discriminate against people struggling with addiction, mental illness, etc.
  • “Some of them have been guests of the CFH or other shelters in town. But each one of the facilities in town has a structure. There are certain rules and regulations you have to follow in order to stay there – the most prominent one: no drugs or alcohol. Some people can’t stay off that stuff.” – Peter Lombardo
  • “You have to let the drug users in if you’re going to help them.” – David

  • “I was not on the verge of ‘addicacy.’ I’m not an addict, not technically. I’m like half and half.” – Silas

 

2. Make it convenient

Bring the services to the them - don't make themwork hard to seek them out. Make it easy for them to say yes.
  • “The Oaklawn Center is a long walk. About 30 minutes. That might keep some people from going.” -Steve B.
  • Practically all of the services that Steve B., Steve A., and Ed use on a daily basis are within 10 minutes of walking.
  • According to Peter, many homeless in the regional area travel to South Bend seeking out the convenience of the services.

3. Remind me what a good day is

“Good days are all the same. I have a couple beers a day. I never drank before, but now I’m drinking a lot more than I used to cause that’s what keeps it coherent. I don’t even know what would make a bad day anymore. They’re all bad.” -Ed

 

“Getting caught out in the weather during the day – that would be a bad day. A good day? Everything goes like it’s supposed to. Make appointments on time.” – Steve

Users generally lack structure in their day. They have minimal interactions with other homeless or citizens, and these interactions are often tense. On a normal day, they have nothing to look forward to.

 

 

 

 

Design Criteria

Posted on by Sarah

Design Goal:

  • The homeless population in South Bend needs personalized care and preventative measures to help alleviate their situation.
    • Each individual has a unique story, we must identify the common denominators amongst a large group
  • This process does not just entail finding a home, but also creating an emotional support system to gain confidence and self efficacy.
  • Homelessness transcends the singular aspect of not having housing, our recommendation must address multiple aspects of the individual’s daily life

User Perceptions:

  • Currently, the homeless population sees the resources that South Bend offers as helpful in the short-term, but there is a need for longer-term solutions that can help to get this population off the streets for good.
  • Some users express discontent with “the system”- they see themselves as having limited access to medical care and sufficient resources (social security, Medicaid, etc.)
  • Many believe the system is not personal, making it challenging to constantly deal with different groups of new people to attain necessary resources (i.e. social services, food, housing).

Problems/Needs/Opportunities:

  • There is a disparity among the psychological needs of the homeless population. While some put forth efforts to get out of homelessness, others enjoy the disconnect from society and would prefer to live this way. These two diverging populations will require different types of solutions.
  • There is a need for “adequate treatment and services SOONER.” People tend to use the resources after they have already fallen into homeless, while preventative measures could alleviate the issues before it gets to this point.
  • Need long-term resources. The short-term solutions seem to be useful and helpful, but don’t change the situation at hand. Food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters are great emergency resources, but need more transitional programs to make a long-term impact.
  • Opportunity to target a specific subset of the homeless population and create a viable, specific solution for this group of people.
    • Disabled
    • Convicted
    • Mentally ill
    • Substance abusers
  • A lack of motivation may hinder the homeless population from utilizing the resources that we would provide.

Functional Attributes:

  • The solution needs to be versatile and able to be individualized based on the person and the case.
  • It will not be a “one-size fits all” offering, making the problem more complex.
  • Needs to be actionable, we want our solution to actually make a difference

Constraints:

  • As we observed with our analogous immersion, it is incredibly difficult to allocate resources when working with a cost constraint. This issue will definitely impact the viability of our solution and our ability to create a cost-effective result.
  • We must refine the scope of our project to address the issues of one subgroup within the chronic homeless population (i.e. those with criminal records, mental illness, or substance abuse issues). We simply cannot provide an effective solution attempting tackle the entire population.
    • Recommendation must be specific and actionable
    • Cannot focus on those about to be homeless and those who are homeless
  • Each homeless individual has a unique story and therefore we must focus on what specific groups have in common

 

Guiding Principles

Posted on by Sarah

Tackling the South Bend Homeless Problem

Guiding Principle 1: Make it Personal

  • There is no clear or direct path to homelessness.
  • Homelessness is almost always a combination of factors.
  • They need personalized guidance and care based on their situation and background.
  • Help them prioritize in an individualized way.
    • “I would like a more personalized experience to get housing. Right now it is difficult to work with the broad requirements. I just can’t meet them.” – Rodney (Soup Kitchen, individual interview)
    • “I think it would help to have one person that I can go to with my needs. Right now I don’t have that person though. I have to work with different people and groups for getting Medicare/Medicaid, Housing, and Food. It’s a lot of people to try and work with” – Daniel (Homeless by Starbucks, individual interview)

Guiding Principle 2: Stop Me Before I Get There

  • The best way to combat homeless is to prevent it in the first place.
  • Help them before they hit rock bottom to avoid falling into homelessness.
  • Clear need for preventive resources.
  • Very difficult identifying individuals on the brink of losing their home, job, or support system.
  • Preventing homelessness is also teaching people about how to prevent getting entangled in dangerous cycles. These cycles include debt, drug abuse, and many others.
    • “I knew a man who once owned his own business. He had a family and was very successful, until he succumbed to alcoholism. This man lost everything, including his business, family, and house, in only a matter of years. There should have been better resources to stop this man from falling victim to homelessness.” – Rob Booker (Correctional Facility Director, expert interview)
    • “I also knew a man in my correctional facility who was in and out of criminal trouble for years. Now I know his son because he is the same way.” – Rob Booker (Correctional Facility Director, expert interview)
    • Drug addicts don’t say they have a problem they just say they self medicate.” – Bill (Homeless Individual from Food Kitchen)

 

Guiding Principle 3: Homeless Beyond Just a House

  • Homelessness isn’t simply not having a place to live.
  • They often lack a support system, which can be pivotal to getting people out of homelessness and back on their feet.
  • Help them establish a strong network that can see to their success not only during homelessness, but also beyond.
  • Sometimes being homeless is not a result of economic difficulties rather a result of a mindset wanting to be separated from society or responsibilities.  
  • Providing shelter and moving the homeless from one location to the other is not a viable solution. They need to be motivated and given counseling and professional help to rise from their situations.
    • “My family is no longer around, and my wife’s family won’t even speak to me. They think I dragged her into homelessness with me.” – Daniel (Homeless by Starbucks, individual interview)
    • “How do you define homelessness? In my opinion, it transcends simply not owning a house. It includes lacking a job, food source, resources for substance abuse, and a clear need for a support system.” (Suzanna, expert interview)
    • “My family and I are no longer in communication.” – Rodney (Soup Kitchen, individual interview)
    • “The city is trying to do a quick fix…there is no structure, no professional people, no counseling to help these people.” – Robert Powell (Pastor, expert interview)
    • “They need to send people out in the field and talk to these homeless people and give them a program—you can’t tell them to go and do this and do that…they’re not used to showering, used to doing laundry, it’s like training a child again. You forget these people are coming from the streets.” Robert Powell (Pastor, expert interview)
    • “A lot of people choose to be homeless, they got money.”- James (Homeless Individual From Soup Kitchen, Individual Interview)
    • “In special cases, people view the connection with society as a burden. They find it more beneficial to be free from that type of responsibility.” – Michael Hayes (Director of Mishawaka Food Pantry, Expert Interview)