By John Cox – consultant on benchmarking
September 2004
FREE – The Rebound and Dove’s Nest programs are free to all CRM clients.
COMPLETION RATE – The completion rate on average continues to be twice the national average for homeless substance abuse services with approximately the same budget.
PERCENTAGES – CRM’s fundraising cost for fiscal year 2003-2004 was 21.9 percent (without government or United Way funding) and is lower than the American Institute of Philanthropy’s suggestion of less than 35 percent.
PROFESSIONALISM – CRM staff continues to professionally execute responsibilities, attitude, concerned for improvement, policies and procedures. The CRM clinical staff has 25 different certifications/degrees directed toward counseling. Data development enables the staff to utilize information to improve the services provided the client.
COMPREHENSIVE MODEL – The Mission’s recovery program is a proven comprehensive model which includes spiritual, psychological/emotional, social, physical, and vocational components.
CLINICAL TOOLS – The model selected by CRM utilizes a Christian 12-step program. Substance abuse counselors use a variety of methods to enhance these clinical tools. This allows them to interface with the clients at a higher level of efficiency and professionalism which has a track record of changing lives.
RATIO – CRM’s counselor to client ratio is currently one counselor to twelve clients. In CRM’s strategic planning, the minimum standard objective is a one counselor to a maximum of ten clients. To maintain the excellence of CRM’s recovery program, the counselor to client ratio needs to improve.
ADDICTION – As one counselor said, “The clients are typically homeless and indigent when they come to CRM. They more than likely lost their job because of addiction and consequently lost their home and probably their family relationship because of addiction. They are addicted first and then become homeless.”
CONCLUSION – We conclude Charlotte Rescue Mission is highly unique in the region. The combination of the comprehensive recovery program, professionalism and the conduct of staff’s responsibilities, certification, experience and dedication of counselors, when combined with the fact that there is no charge to clients are only unduplicated but importantly highly successful.
RECOMMENDATIONS – Post completion tracking – it is strongly suggested that CRM plan for post completion tracking. A minimum of three years of tracking will provide needed insight into the value of the mission’s program and success.
Update: Since the time of this study, Charlotte Rescue Mission has implemented a successful post completion tracking program. We now have a full time employee who tracks clients after they have completed the program and moved on. So far, we have found amazing results; clients on average are maintaining sobriety at a rate of about 75% a year after they complete the program!
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