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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK <br /> man develops the ability to live independently within the community. In addition to the group <br /> living staff, the home will be directed by a program manager, a unit manager, a case manager and <br /> a therapeutic manager. I will have an office there with regional support staff. A janitor/cook will <br /> also be hired to assist the young men in caring for the home and learning how to cook for <br /> themselves and others. <br /> Dr. Bruinsma continued, The caring philosophy behind the operation of the home is to provide <br /> normalized experiences to each young man so that he may improve his life. I, and the Rite of <br /> Passage staff,realize how difficult the mission of improving the lives of youth is on a daily basis. <br /> Sacrifice and hard work is modeled by the staff for our young men and we expect the same from <br /> them. Selfishness and everything that represents that lifestyle must give way to thinking about <br /> others. That is why the Woodford Home will be dedicated to serving the River Park Community <br /> in particular, and the South Bend area as a whole. A follower of Vincent DePaul had a model that <br /> he encouraged others to live by: Be good, do good, be a force for good. Residential treatment <br /> focuses on how to be good and how to do good. The Woodford Home will build on that foundation <br /> by giving young men opportunities to continuously do good by learning who they are as a person <br /> and how they can be a force for good in their communities. We have been, and will continue to <br /> connect with local employers in an effort to have them hire our young men so that they will learn <br /> life and work skills. We will also be reaching out to the community to hire staff who will be <br /> devoted to the mission of improving the lives of youth. <br /> Committee Chair Davis asked, Is there anything you were able to adjust and clarify with <br /> neighbors? <br /> Dr. Bruinsma replied, I think one (1) thing people didn't understand right away was what a child <br /> caring institution is. For us,these young men need to be supervised and will always be supervised <br /> in the community. Also, there will be an Advisory Board. If people want to have input, we will <br /> have an Advisory Board so that they can have input. My office is also going to be there. I'll have <br /> the privilege of being with the young men. <br /> Councilmember Dr. David Varner asked, What are the age ranges? <br /> Dr. Bruinsma replied, The youngest would be fourteen (14) and the oldest would be twenty-one <br /> (21). The average age would be around sixteen(16)or seventeen(17)because that is the usual age <br /> of a young man coming out of a residential treatment program. They are the young men that are <br /> too old to go into foster care. The State comes to a provider like us and asks us to help. We feel <br /> like having this step-down group-home will help these young men not get back onto the streets. <br /> Otherwise, you might find these young men either homeless, in prison or they would be dead. <br /> Committee Chair Davis asked, Do we have something similar to this in South Bend? <br /> Dr. Bruinsma replied, I don't know for sure. I know the only other area provider is Oaklawn and I <br /> don't know if they have group-homes at this point. <br /> Councilmember Karen White asked, What happens when the person is twenty-one (21)? What is <br /> the transition of that? <br /> EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT <br /> 455 County-City Building 1 227 W.Jefferson Bvld I South Bend,Indiana 466011 p 574.235.9221 If 574.235.9173 1 TTD 574.235.5567 lwww.southbendin.gov <br /> 4 <br />