b'Photo courtesy of Helping Up Mission Photo courtesy of Capital City Rescue Mission Photo courtesy of Denver Rescue Missionguests and not because of them. Safety protocolsdorms, Jack-and-Jill bathrooms are connected to and measures should visibly support the right forevery room to ensure guests never have to go every individual in the building to feel safe. It issearching for a restroom. also important to consider how the type of staffThe next step for us in the design process who are present might impact the guests. Forwas to facilitate empowerment, Colleen shared. example, uniformed officers in the entrance areaThis was done by providing choice wherever pos-often have the opposite effect on those we servesible. For example, we have individual heating and due to past experiences with law enforcement.air-conditioning units in the family building, resi-Instead, we use regular staff and ensure that theydential kitchens on each floor (in addition to the are trained in de-escalation techniques and haveoption of having food from the on-site cafeteria), adequate support to do their roles well.and several options for indoor and outdoor play. Shelter guests at Wheeler Mission also receive aIn the new facility at Helping Up Mission, sense of security in that the dayroom has individ- women coming in for the first time and wanting to ual bathrooms and a locker room within eyesightchange their lifestyle will be ushered to a waiting so they dont fear losing track of belongings. In theroom off the lobby. They can wait for an intake staff Offering health assessments in a private, onsite clinic was important to staff at The Rescue Mission in Indiana. The new building houses a clinic where three nursesin partnership with a community health grouptreat everything from frostbite to diabetes.16 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG JULY/AUGUST 2021'