Having a place to call home is a basic need often taken for granted by many. For Ralph Erb, 32, this is something he wouldn’t be able to have and maintain without the help of New Directions’ Supported Independent Living services.

Ralph started in the Trails program with New Directions, a group home service for adults. After 10 years of progressing with these services, he realized he wanted to and was ready to live more independently.

Since 2006, Ralph has been enjoying living in his very own apartment. He loves the support offered that helps him get through the day-to-day functioning of living a good, independent life.

From work, to play, to self-care, Supported Independent Living helps individuals like Ralph achieve it all with a safe place to call home, building up a successful renter history and gaining skills to become even more independent, in hopes of moving out in the future completely on their own.

He says the amount of support you get is great, for example, helping him keep his apartment clean, help with laundry, grocery shopping, and getting to appointments.

There’s a strong sense of community between Ralph and the others who use Supported Independent Living services. The Resource Centre at 514 St. Mary Ave. acts as a meeting place, Ralph says that everyone spends their days there playing games, talking, eating, and getting help with different needs. Ralph enjoys finding others who share his interests like hockey and football to spend time with.  

The Resource Centre also has lots of staff there to hang out and provide support for individuals. They help manage difficulties and potential conflicts between people, helping keep it a safe and happy place for everyone. Ralph values the regular conversations staff has with him and says they’ve been a big help in giving him positive ways to manage his emotions and reactions. Ralph is getting better at coping with difficult emotions and situations every day, learning to take time to step back, go outside or take a few minutes to breathe and think before reacting.

Supported Independent Living gives Ralph and others valuable work experience and career prep including jobs with their own lawn care and repair services social enterprise business. Career prep for folks can include resume building, interview prep and transportation to interviews. Through these resources, Ralph got a term position as a line cook with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Ralph says he’s grateful and happy to be a part of Supported Independent Living. Without these services, some Winnipeggers would be at higher risk for homelessness. These services are necessary to provide safe, stable housing and resources to help individuals lead happy, fulfilling, independent lives.

Consider donating today to so that New Directions can continue to provide the best care possible and support as many individuals as we can.

Steven Stevenson says he was instantly drawn to New Directions’ strong community, warm environment, and supportive staff at his practicum with us 7 years ago. He studied at Red River College in the Family Support Worker Program and hoped that his hard work would pay off so he could stay on with New Directions in the same program he started in, Supported Independent Living.

Ultimately, Steven’s strong work ethic and commitment to connecting with the people who use this service paid off and was hired as a Community Resource Worker after his 2-month practicum. Steven enjoys working adults because he understands that being an adult can be difficult at times and is happy to help out however he can.

“I’m happy to be doing what I do. I’m very proud of this agency that gives people opportunities to live better every day.”

No two days are the same for Steven in this role and says that his day-to-day schedule is often unpredictable. He spends part of his time in the housing complexes checking in with each person that lives there to see if they need help with anything or just want to hang out. His other shifts happen out in the community or at the Resource Centre at 514 St. Mary Ave.

Steven enjoys helping each person using these services reach different goals and supports them in whatever way he can. When doing his rounds at the apartments, he often helps individuals with daily tasks like cleaning, personal hygiene, emotional support, or just as a companion to watch TV with.

Talking is such an important part of Steven’s work. He values chances to go out for coffee or sit and talk over a game of cards at the Resource Centre. He says it’s a chance to learn more about what each person needs and to know how to serve them better.

“Acknowledging each person and their feelings is so important,” Steven tells both new and familiar faces that he’s there for them if they need anything.

Some individuals need help meeting larger goals, like one individual living in the community, who needs help getting his driver’s license, an essential piece of identification. Steven helps him study for his test and connects him to other resources that can help him practice for his driver’s test.

Recovery from addiction is another type of large life goal that Steven helps with. Recently, he’s been helping a woman who lives in one of our apartment buildings to get sober. Steven helped her to get treatment by reminding her and helping her to fill out her forms, helped her pack, and was there for emotional support as she prepared to leave for treatment.

Steven wants more people to gain an understanding of mental health issues, mental illness, substance abuse, and the importance of harm reduction, which ultimately helps the people using Supported Independent Living services feel accepted, included, and valued in society.

If you want to help adults live full, independent lives, apply to be a volunteer or community resource worker for Supported Independent Living today. You can also donate to Supported Independent Living to help us increase our resources, space, and options for individuals.

The Supported Independent Living Resource Centre is usually bustling with activity from Winnipeggers. You can find adults of all backgrounds coming together at 514 St. Mary Avenue to play games, sit and talk, eat, use computers, connect with Community Resource Workers, and access a variety of resources.

New Directions’ Supported Independent Living services helps and supports adults who want to live independently but need some extra support. Through referrals and funding, these folks can choose to live at one of our apartment complexes, duplexes, or out in the community. People who access these services come to our building at St. Mary Avenue, a space dedicated solely to these services, the people who use them, and their staff.

Supported Independent Living services are crucial in addressing chronic homelessness, substance use, and mental health issues in Winnipeg. We work from a harm-reduction care model, meaning that we meet people where they’re at and help them make safer choices. 

Individuals are referred and funded by:

• Community Living disABILITY Services (CLDS)
• WRHA
• PASS Provincial Alternative Support Services
• Child and Family Services

Supported Independent Living leases 4 apartment complexes, 1 four-plex, and 2 tri-plexes, providing a safe home for 50+ individuals. Additionally, about 150+ people do not use our housing but chose to live independently in their own apartment, staying in shelters, or stay with friends. New Directions’ supports each person no matter what, allowing and honouring their individual choices for how they want to live.  

For people who do choose to live in the community, in a potentially less stable way, like on the streets or in shelters, we talk with them to figure out the reasons why they prefer this. In some cases, it’s because they have a fear of being alone, and in that case, we can provide more support in their independent living situation or refer them to additional resources.

Each person who uses these services has a Case Manager and Community Resource Workers who work to create an individualized support plan to help them make decisions and reach their goals. Our staff does this by communicating often with the individual in the community, at their residence, and at the Resource Centre, formally known as the Lounge.

This space has a psych nurse, medical room, needle exchange program, laundry services, work experience program, couches, games, computers, food bank, light meal program, and access to community resource workers. We also try to provide regular events and activities for the people we serve to strengthen community and foster relationships.

When dealing with the at times unpredictable and vulnerable nature of this group, safety is our top concern. We have rules, protocols, and boundaries in place to protect both our staff and the people we serve.

While we do accept and support people who use substances, we always prioritize safety and analyze each incident on a case-by-case situation. If someone is behaving violently or has a weapon, they are not allowed in the Resource Centre that day. In our apartments, an individual can be evicted if they have a weapon or have guests who are dangerous and pose a risk to other tenants or staff. Eviction is facilitated by the Housing Coordinator who overseeing the apartment building.

In both cases, we do not turn our backs on these people. They can still access our services and can move back in or come back to the Resource Centre once their behaviour improves.  

The important thing to know about Supported Independent Living? That we support these individuals no matter what, we provide them with the tools they need to make safer choices, and we respect them in meaningful ways, something they often don’t get from others in the community.

Consider donating to Supported Independent Living to help raise money for more space, furniture, and supplies.