Category: Help

In our last list of ways that we do more to end chronic homelessness, we concluded with #24: motivational interviewing and how it helps us seek lasting solutions to homelessness one person at a time.

But how? you may be asking yourself. How exactly does motivational interviewing end homelessness?

Great question. When using motivational interviewing, also called motivational enhancement therapy, a case manager, doctor, or clinician first identifies a client’s “stage of change.” These stages are: pre-contemplation, contemplation, determination/planning, action, maintenance, and relapse. Dr. Morse, our psychiatric resident from George Washington Hospital, is a specialist in this technique and has been helping all of refine our skills.

That’s cool, you think. What next?

Then, we match our approach and tone to bolster motivation for behavioral change according to the client’s stage of change. For example, someone who is abusing alcohol and is in the contemplation stage has some awareness of both the costs and benefits of using alcohol — it makes them feel better and makes living on the street easier, but it’s expensive and if they’re not drinking, they feel terrible.

When we sit down to talk to this person, we work to get them to recognize the additional costs of drinking in hopes of tipping the balance toward wanting change.

Oh, I get it. So what happens after they start to want change?

After the contemplation stage is the determination/planning stage. We’d then work with our client to make a plan of action that they can get behind. For example, one of the first steps may be, “Tomorrow at 7am, I will go to DC’s APRA center and complete an intake for a 30-day detox and treatment program.”

By getting a client to want change for him or herself and to help come up with next steps and goals, the chances of him or her meeting those goals increases. 

One of the powerful insights from motivational interviewing is that the intervention must be matched to the stage of change. Pushing someone to go to treatment when he or she is still in the contemplation stage and doesn’t see all the benefits of going to treatment may evoke a defensive behavior, which then actually moves the patient further away from change rather than closer.

At GMC, we meet each person where he or she is and guide them toward housing and stability by using motivational interviewing. Then, we are able to truly create lasting solutions to homelessness one person at a time.

(Thanks to Dr. Michael Morse for his insights, helping us learn more about motivational interviewing, and for providing examples of how motivational interviewing is used to create change.)

Fannie Mae employees visited GMC on June 9 to give back to their community! They arrived at 10am and made a bunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and turkey and cheese sandwiches and then assembled lunch bags with a water bottle, chips, and a granola bar.

They passed out some lunch bags in our center before heading out with Gunther to do street outreach. We were having such a great time that nobody seemed to mind the heat and humidity. Those we encountered on the street certainly appreciated the water bottles included in the lunch bags.

Gunther talked about the history of homelessness in Georgetown and Foggy Bottom, as well as some of the challenges that we face during outreach. We spotted one or two Fannie Mae employees jotting down notes and passed out dozens of lunches to homeless individuals we met on the street, in the parks, and under the bridges.

Thank you so much to the Fannie Mae employees who chose to volunteer with us!

Update your Spring wardrobe

Enjoy light refreshments

and HELP Georgetown Ministry Center!

Looking for an easy and fun way to treat yourself and help GMC? Next Wednesday, April 9, enjoy refreshments while you shop at J. McLaughlin in Georgetown (3278 M Street NW). Our 2013 Spirit of Georgetown honoree, Page Evans, will be there, and 15% of sales will benefit Georgetown Ministry Center!

Every winter right when it starts to get chilly, Gifts for the Homeless brings us a big donation of cold weather gear. We were overwhelmed with their generosity this November as boxes of thermal socks, thick gloves, knit hats, and fleeces were delivered to our center one afternoon. It was probably one of the first truly numbingly cold days in DC, and our guests were so appreciative. Everyone was able to leave our center that evening with new winter accessories.

In addition to purchasing much-needed items for organizations all across DC, Gifts for the Homeless also runs one of the best winter clothing drives in the city. (At least, we think so!) The 2013 GFTH Annual Used Clothing Drive took place during the week weekend in December, and shortly after volunteers sorted all of the clothes GFTH collected, they dropped off several bags at GMC.

Thank you so much to Gifts for the Homeless and all of your amazing volunteers! We are grateful for all of your support and are inspired by all of your hard work.

On Monday, The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown celebrated Thanksgiving by catering a delicious meal for our homeless guests at Georgetown Ministry Center. As guests helped clean up the center at the end of the day, Ritz-Carlton employees were wheeling trays full of turkey, green beans, sweet potatoes, soup, and pie from the hotel on South Street to the Parish Hall in Grace Church right above our center. At 5:00pm, we opened the doors and our guests came flooding in.

Like last year, everyone’s favorite part of the meal was the butternut squash soup. Even Roy, our Outreach Director who was initially skeptical, tried it and loved it. Seriously, if you are in the neighborhood, go try it out!

We cannot think of a better way to spend Thanksgiving than with our neighbors from the Ritz-Carlton. Thank you so much to Judy Kim, the Assistant Director of Human Resources, for doing all of the planning and coordinating this year! Happy Thanksgiving!