Family & Children's Services Leading Fight On Tulsa Homelessness

A recent Tulsa Police Department Facebook post is putting the conversation about homelessness back into the spotlight.

The Department is highlighting nearly 30 different organizations around Tulsa all with the same goal, to help people.

One of those organizations is Family & Children's Services.

The nonprofit organization has case managers embedded in three different locations around the city. It begins with a simple question.

"I'm so and so with Family & Children's Services do you need any help today,” said Kathy Loehr, Clinical Supervisor of the Homeless Outreach Team at Family & Children’s Services.

The answer can lead to a world of change for people with a mental illness who are struggling with substance abuse or who are experiencing homelessness.

"Try to educate everyone that is out there that is willing to listen to us, who we are, what we do and how we can help meet their needs and encourage them to seek those services," said Loehr.

Many of those services were highlighted by Tulsa Police in a Facebook Post. It lists nearly 30 different organizations including Family & Children's Services.

"Our efforts are to really wrap around the clients in this city," said Loehr.

The nonprofit has case managers embedded in three different places.

The Tulsa City County Library System, Iron Gate, and at the Denver Avenue Bus station are where they can offer a helping hand.

"It could be clothing needs food needs shelter needs it could be mental health needs that we could help with legal needs.”

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, nearly 400 people are homeless in Northeast Oklahoma on a given night, statewide its nearly 4 thousand

Family & Children’s Services hope to eliminate that statistic. 

"They are just like the rest of us they are just in a different situation in a different experience in their life," said Loehr.