The Central Access Point (CAP) Helpline provides help for families and individuals experiencing homelessness, or who are at risk of becoming homeless
If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness or will be soon, call 513-381-7233.
In an emergency, communities like ours are fortunate to have a network of resources to help people in need. Most people can find help with utilities, food, daycare, or employment. But what happens when someone has no place to stay and needs emergency shelter?
Prior to 2008, people in crisis had to call each agency that provides homelessness prevention or emergency shelter separately in order to find help. Recognizing this extra burden to people already in need, in 2008 Strategies to End Homelessness opened the Central Access Point Helpline.
Intake specialists are available 7 days of the week to connect people in need to the most appropriate housing services
Intake specialists conduct all aspects of information gathering and subsequent placements into shelter and services over the phone. Individuals are placed with one of our partner agencies to enter services, saving both time and resources.
CAP takes calls from Veterans, single men, women, and youth and makes placements into appropriate shelters. Including The St. Francis-St. Joseph Catholic Worker House, City Gospel Mission, Lighthouse Sheakley Center For Youth, and Shelterhouse’s Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women.
In addition, CAP serves families in need, making placements into three emergency family shelters: the Interfaith Hospitality Network, Bethany House, and the YWCA Greater Cincinnati. Each accept single women with children, single men with children, and partners with children.
We recognize the uniqueness of every caller’s situation
Therefore, every caller is screened to determine the most appropriate service. All shelter agencies and programs to which CAP makes referrals are also unique. In addition to different requirements, they serve different populations and provide different services. CAP intake specialists prioritize the best placement for both individuals and partner agencies.
CAP also completes screenings and intakes into the Shelter Diversion homelessness prevention program, and makes referrals to partner agencies, Bethany House Services and FreestoreFoodbank. This program diverts those at shelter’s door from having to go into shelter. Instead, they work with a Housing Specialist to find an apartment and get supportive services to get back on their feet.
Additionally, CAP provides veteran referrals to the Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) and Talbert House’s Parkway Center Transitional Housing.
So, if you contact CAP what should you expect? Confidentiality and help.
A friendly, knowledgeable Intake Specialist. Callers need to provide basic identification details, along with information about their current situation. Specialists use this information to complete a confidential intake, screen for services, and create a record of each individual call. If the CAP Intake Specialist identifies a placement that is both appropriate and available, they provide specific shelter, program and other information at that time.
Unfortunately, because of limited resources, placement may not be immediately available the first time people call. That is why CAP Intake Specialists strive to be more than just a call center. They are a lifeline to our neighbors in crisis. A compassionate, listening ear is no substitute for resources, but provides a welcome reprieve to individuals in crisis.
We believe that everyone has the right to stable housing, and the resources needed to maintain it. If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness or will be soon, call 513-381-7233.
