Social Work

We believe that people are the experts of their own experience and that our role is to be in service of tenants' self-determined goals. Social workers are a vital part of the network supporting the incredible people living in TNDC homes—families raising the next generation, seniors building their strength with Tai Chi, adults growing their career, and community members fighting for justice.

We support people from all walks of life, meeting them where they are. We take a client-centered approach. We love what we do and the tenant's needs are always our top priority," said Patricia Sisson, a Social Worker at the 1036 Mission Family Apartments.

All services are free, voluntary, and confidential. Social workers provide one-on-one support to help tenants remain housed and resourced to reach their self-determined goals and needs. Social workers provide guidance on a wide range of areas: outreach, advocacy, conflict resolution, translation and interpretation, and emotional support. In addition to one-on-one support, they collaborate with the food & nutrition program to support tenant's food security and organize events, such as holiday events and movie nights, with Property Management to foster each building's already vibrant community.

Our Social Workers have different focus areas to match a building's community, such as for a family building. This also means that several of our buildings have outside organizations provide services as their expertise better aligns with the specific building.

Our Social Work team is guided by Harm-Reduction and Trauma-Informed models, principles of Cultural Humility (see Our Approach), and the TNDC values of Collaboration, Equity, Excellence, Inclusion, and Integrity. The team is a core part of the Tenant & Community Services Department.

Our social work team follows a Trauma-Informed Model of Care, which includes policies and procedures that are rooted in collaboration, trust, and approaching trauma with a racial and cultural lens. Possessing a strong knowledge of and sensitivity to the mental and physical trauma of homelessness, racism, abuse, and stress, the social work team aims to support people's individual and collective healing.

You can learn more about the principles of Trauma-Informed Care here.

Our Social Work team is committed to the principles of Cultural Humility, ensuring that our support is founded in respecting and understanding a person's cultural identity, beliefs, and values. We do this by ensuring tenants have access to services in the language that they are most comfortable communicating in, organizing events that celebrate a wide range of holidays, facilitating activities that allow tenants and staff to learn about each other, and ensuring that the food at our community events is reflective of the needs, desires and cultural identities of those attending.

You can learn more about the Principles of Cultural Humility here.