Heartland Bridges
Heartland Bridges is a short-term transitional housing program offered by Heartland Family Service that is designed to assist people with a diagnosed mental health or co-occurring condition while they transition to stability in the community. The goal of the program is to help clients secure permanent housing and connect them with community-based mental health or substance abuse services and avoid unnecessary incarceration.
The Heartland Bridges program aims to provide a home-like, trauma-informed experience for clients. Program staff are available 24 hours a day at the facility for resident oversight and assistance. The building is composed of 15 beds that are arranged in either single- or double-occupancy bedrooms and bathrooms. The space also offers a family-style kitchen, dining room, and living room. Residents pay 30% of their income toward their living expenses at the facility.
Staff can help clients:
– Create a plan for housing
– Connect to services to improve physical and mental health
– Support in recovery from substance use
– Support in finding employment or applying for Social Security benefits
– Connect to programs that help with life skills (cooking/cleaning, budgeting, relationship/communication skills, using community resources, etc.)
Eligibility: Heartland Bridges serves men and women ages 18 and older who reside in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, or Shelby counties in Iowa. Participants must meet all Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region eligibility requirements.