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Welcome to the New Day Blog!
We are so happy to have the support of our community and wanted to share more exciting stories and news coming out of New Day with the public. All of the stories below are one of the stories featured in our monthly newsletter that comes out at the end of each month.
To sign-up for our newsletter, scroll to the bottom of the page and submit your email address. If you have any questions, please reach out to Sam Bicknell at sbicknell@ndnm.org. |
July 2023 - Meet our Chief Programs Officer, Sara Penn!
Sara Penn started working at New Day only a few months ago, but during her time here has made a massive impact. She brought not only her extensive knowledge and experience in the field of social work in New Mexico, but a lot of heart, tenderness, and care into the spaces of New Day. To learn more about our awesome new addition to our team, check out the interview below!
Tell us about yourself.
I moved to New Mexico in 1997 to go to UNM, where I started my career in social work. I was taking classes on social welfare and social justice which inspired me to become a social worker, where I have been now for over 20 years. I primarily worked with people with disabilities and then made the transition from working with adults to young people when I came to New Day. New Day already had such a great name in the community for the services they provide, and it inspired me to look into it. Once I met the team, that is when I knew that this is where I wanted to be. It’s been a great transition.
What are some of the key differences that you've noticed when working with young people vs working with adults?
The greatest difference is the energy that comes with working with young people. Whether I am at the Safe Home or Drop-In Center, there is a level of energy that bubbles over and it’s wonderful to be around. It can be really intense, it can be chaotic, but it can also be really fun and intense in a good way.
Can I make the assumption that you’ve enjoyed your time at New Day so far?
Yes, [laughs] that is a very safe assumption.
What has been the most impactful thing that you’ve encountered here?
What has hit me the heaviest is seeing everyone’s approach to how they work with young people. I’ve worked with young people in the past before, and it’s always been heavily structured and very rigid. That is clearly not the case here. Whether you are working with a specialist or working with directors, everyone honors all the young people that they are working with. It’s very freeing because instead of choosing a path for your young people and directing them, they make the path for themselves, and we are there for support. We get to connect with the young people on a different level and get to just roll with them. It’s incredible, it’s inspiring, and it’s right.
Tell us about some of the things you're looking forward to as the new Chief Programs Officer?
Our next big project is expanding our programs for youth and their families around recovery. It’s interesting because this kind of thing is not in my background, but it’s been inspiring seeing the development of this kind of support. From what I’ve been exposed to, I’ve seen a lot of young people struggling to manage substance use and figure out what recovery might look like for them. There are so few choices for young people experiencing substance use disorders in Albuquerque. We are in the process of creating programs where young people struggling with substance use can have greater support networks in order to help them manage addiction. We want the young people to help direct us in what’s best for them in supporting them in their recovery process. Many of our young people struggle through relapse, and we want this programming to show that relapsing is a normal part of recovery; it is not shameful nor is it a failure, it’s just part of the process. This kind of programming is something that is really needed, and it has inspired me to do something that I didn’t know I’d wanted to do.
Tell us about yourself.
I moved to New Mexico in 1997 to go to UNM, where I started my career in social work. I was taking classes on social welfare and social justice which inspired me to become a social worker, where I have been now for over 20 years. I primarily worked with people with disabilities and then made the transition from working with adults to young people when I came to New Day. New Day already had such a great name in the community for the services they provide, and it inspired me to look into it. Once I met the team, that is when I knew that this is where I wanted to be. It’s been a great transition.
What are some of the key differences that you've noticed when working with young people vs working with adults?
The greatest difference is the energy that comes with working with young people. Whether I am at the Safe Home or Drop-In Center, there is a level of energy that bubbles over and it’s wonderful to be around. It can be really intense, it can be chaotic, but it can also be really fun and intense in a good way.
Can I make the assumption that you’ve enjoyed your time at New Day so far?
Yes, [laughs] that is a very safe assumption.
What has been the most impactful thing that you’ve encountered here?
What has hit me the heaviest is seeing everyone’s approach to how they work with young people. I’ve worked with young people in the past before, and it’s always been heavily structured and very rigid. That is clearly not the case here. Whether you are working with a specialist or working with directors, everyone honors all the young people that they are working with. It’s very freeing because instead of choosing a path for your young people and directing them, they make the path for themselves, and we are there for support. We get to connect with the young people on a different level and get to just roll with them. It’s incredible, it’s inspiring, and it’s right.
Tell us about some of the things you're looking forward to as the new Chief Programs Officer?
Our next big project is expanding our programs for youth and their families around recovery. It’s interesting because this kind of thing is not in my background, but it’s been inspiring seeing the development of this kind of support. From what I’ve been exposed to, I’ve seen a lot of young people struggling to manage substance use and figure out what recovery might look like for them. There are so few choices for young people experiencing substance use disorders in Albuquerque. We are in the process of creating programs where young people struggling with substance use can have greater support networks in order to help them manage addiction. We want the young people to help direct us in what’s best for them in supporting them in their recovery process. Many of our young people struggle through relapse, and we want this programming to show that relapsing is a normal part of recovery; it is not shameful nor is it a failure, it’s just part of the process. This kind of programming is something that is really needed, and it has inspired me to do something that I didn’t know I’d wanted to do.
June 2023 - Queer Eldership at New Day
An elder to me is someone who is an openly queer adult who not necessarily mentors, but provides support to younger queer and questioning folks in their lives. For the young people, I want to be the person that I needed when I was their age. - Jayden, Lead YES Staff
In 2019, the Trevor Project reported that LGBTQ+ youth who report having at least 1 accepting adult were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt. This statistic shows us that having positive role models in a young person’s life can make a life-saving difference. Take a moment to think about that positive adult role model that you had when you were growing up. Some may think of their parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, and even close family friends. For many LGBTQ+ youth who have fragile family supports, it can be hard to find supports that have their best interests in mind. This is where “queer elders” come into the picture.
What/Who is a queer elder?
"In the cisgenered/heterosexual world, the idea of 'elders' usually deals with lineage. Queer folks who have fragile family supports lose that traditional sense of elders and have to find their own." - Alice, Street Outreach Coordinator
“I am very openly queer and for me, queer eldership means that as an openly queer person, I want to be that someone for queer or questioning young people who want to understand themselves and what they’re going through better.” - Jayden, Lead YES Staff
How important would it have been for you, as a young person, to have queer elders to look up to?
“It would have really helped me as a young person to have someone to look up to who was also queer to help me understand what was going on in my life. When I first came out, I was young and didn’t meet other queer people until I went to college. I got thrown out of the closet in high school, which was an awful experience. I had a few supportive relatives who accepted me and told me that I was going to be okay. Eventually, I knew people would accept me, I just had to go through a lot before that would happen.” - Trendie, Housing Care Coordinator
“Having queer elders means not having to worry about whether their identity will be accepted since many of our staff are queer. We already understand and have experienced not being accepted for who we are. I think having queer elders at the drop-in has been a saving grace for a lot of the young people.” - Alice
From your experience being a queer elder at New Day, how has having queer eldership in your space benefitted potentially queer/questioning young people?
“For the most part, it is not safe for the youth to explore their gender identity outside of the drop-in and we’ve been able to hold that space for them to explore their identity. Other non-LGBTQ+ youth have been receptive and open to learning more about gender, pronouns, and sexuality as well. Many young queer youth don’t always see a future for themselves since they’re usually in survival mode. For a young queer person, seeing older queer people thriving can give them hope, belief, and can see that they too have a shot at their future.” - Alice
“At the Safe Home, I see a lot of LGBTQ+ young people who are coming from spaces where they weren’t supported and watching them enter a space where there are supportive adults, both queer and non-queer adults, it really allows them to flourish in ways that they haven’t been able to otherwise. There have been several young people – especially non-binary and trans youth – who were not able to come out because it wasn’t safe for them. We hold that space for them to be open and they flourish.” - Jayden
This month, we wanted to highlight the queer staff who are making impacts in the lives of the young people who enter New Day. We are so grateful for having such a diverse staff that is able to cater to the unique needs of the young people of Albuquerque.
In 2019, the Trevor Project reported that LGBTQ+ youth who report having at least 1 accepting adult were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt. This statistic shows us that having positive role models in a young person’s life can make a life-saving difference. Take a moment to think about that positive adult role model that you had when you were growing up. Some may think of their parents, grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, and even close family friends. For many LGBTQ+ youth who have fragile family supports, it can be hard to find supports that have their best interests in mind. This is where “queer elders” come into the picture.
What/Who is a queer elder?
"In the cisgenered/heterosexual world, the idea of 'elders' usually deals with lineage. Queer folks who have fragile family supports lose that traditional sense of elders and have to find their own." - Alice, Street Outreach Coordinator
“I am very openly queer and for me, queer eldership means that as an openly queer person, I want to be that someone for queer or questioning young people who want to understand themselves and what they’re going through better.” - Jayden, Lead YES Staff
How important would it have been for you, as a young person, to have queer elders to look up to?
“It would have really helped me as a young person to have someone to look up to who was also queer to help me understand what was going on in my life. When I first came out, I was young and didn’t meet other queer people until I went to college. I got thrown out of the closet in high school, which was an awful experience. I had a few supportive relatives who accepted me and told me that I was going to be okay. Eventually, I knew people would accept me, I just had to go through a lot before that would happen.” - Trendie, Housing Care Coordinator
“Having queer elders means not having to worry about whether their identity will be accepted since many of our staff are queer. We already understand and have experienced not being accepted for who we are. I think having queer elders at the drop-in has been a saving grace for a lot of the young people.” - Alice
From your experience being a queer elder at New Day, how has having queer eldership in your space benefitted potentially queer/questioning young people?
“For the most part, it is not safe for the youth to explore their gender identity outside of the drop-in and we’ve been able to hold that space for them to explore their identity. Other non-LGBTQ+ youth have been receptive and open to learning more about gender, pronouns, and sexuality as well. Many young queer youth don’t always see a future for themselves since they’re usually in survival mode. For a young queer person, seeing older queer people thriving can give them hope, belief, and can see that they too have a shot at their future.” - Alice
“At the Safe Home, I see a lot of LGBTQ+ young people who are coming from spaces where they weren’t supported and watching them enter a space where there are supportive adults, both queer and non-queer adults, it really allows them to flourish in ways that they haven’t been able to otherwise. There have been several young people – especially non-binary and trans youth – who were not able to come out because it wasn’t safe for them. We hold that space for them to be open and they flourish.” - Jayden
This month, we wanted to highlight the queer staff who are making impacts in the lives of the young people who enter New Day. We are so grateful for having such a diverse staff that is able to cater to the unique needs of the young people of Albuquerque.
May 2023 - Safe & Stable Housing Outcomes at New Day
Whether it be due to abuse or addiction, without access to safe and stable housing, young people experiencing homelessness in Albuquerque are at an even greater risk of further trauma and victimization. Housing means more than a roof over your head; it can bring access to better educational and employment opportunities, safety, healing, and an independent and brighter future.
However, housing is not the end-all solution. When a young person moves into their first apartment, it can be daunting and can offer a new realm of unexpected challenges. That is why New Day offers care coordinators to support them through this new journey in building stability for themselves. Whether it be house keeping tips, understanding their leases, finding employment opportunities, or even finding a primary care provider or therapist, staff are there to offer support on their journey towards independence and a more stable future.
At New Day, we are happy to report that in the past year, 78% of the youth who exit our programs do so with safe and stable housing. This means even without New Day, the youth can continue to build a brighter future for themselves.
However, housing is not the end-all solution. When a young person moves into their first apartment, it can be daunting and can offer a new realm of unexpected challenges. That is why New Day offers care coordinators to support them through this new journey in building stability for themselves. Whether it be house keeping tips, understanding their leases, finding employment opportunities, or even finding a primary care provider or therapist, staff are there to offer support on their journey towards independence and a more stable future.
At New Day, we are happy to report that in the past year, 78% of the youth who exit our programs do so with safe and stable housing. This means even without New Day, the youth can continue to build a brighter future for themselves.
aPRIL 2023 - sUPPORTING yOUNG pEOPLE IN sUBSTANCE uSE rECOVERY WITH mARIAH sANCHEZ
Recently, Mariah Sanchez has moved from being the Program Manager at the Safe Home to becoming our Community Connections Director, which encompasses our Drop-In Center, Life Skill's Academy and Street Outreach Program. With her extensive background in social work and substance use counselling, she hopes to bring comfortability around addressing safety and patterns around substance use in the hopes of supporting youth in recovery. We got a chance to chat with her this past week to talk about her hopes for the Community Connections department and to educate us on how we can support those struggling with substance use.
- Tell us about the impact of substance use on the youth within our community from what you've noticed at the Safe Home and the Drop-In Center.
- You developed a tool for all New Day staff to support young people in identifying triggers and environmental patterns and factors related to their use. What are some goals you have around addressing substance use amongst youth?
- Is there a common misperception about young people struggling with substance use?
- What are some ways that people in our community can support youth who may be struggling with substance use?
March 2023 - What is Case Management? with Anami Dass
In 2022, New Day expanded their street outreach program by adding a full-time case manager to the program. But what exactly is case management and how does it benefit youth who are experiencing homelessness? Anami Dass, New Day's Street Outreach Case Manager sat down with us to talk about her role and what case management has to offer.
In your own words, what roles do you fill as a case manager for street outreach youth?
As an outreach case manager, my goal is to empower youth and cultivate their sense of autonomy by assisting them in getting important tasks done. I always view my role as an extra support for my clients instead of a "manager".
What difference can a case manager make to a youth who is living on the streets?
Everyday tasks like finding a place to sleep for the night, a meal to eat, or finding a safe bathroom are necessary for survival, and on top of all of that, working towards a stable future can seem impossible. A case manager working with youth who are without shelter or basic necessities is there to keep those every day life practices going while providing additional support towards creating safety and stability. In collaboration with the youth, we accomplish tasks together. Hopefully, with each task that I assist with eventually snowballs into a more secure and long-term change in their circumstances.
In your own words, what roles do you fill as a case manager for street outreach youth?
As an outreach case manager, my goal is to empower youth and cultivate their sense of autonomy by assisting them in getting important tasks done. I always view my role as an extra support for my clients instead of a "manager".
What difference can a case manager make to a youth who is living on the streets?
Everyday tasks like finding a place to sleep for the night, a meal to eat, or finding a safe bathroom are necessary for survival, and on top of all of that, working towards a stable future can seem impossible. A case manager working with youth who are without shelter or basic necessities is there to keep those every day life practices going while providing additional support towards creating safety and stability. In collaboration with the youth, we accomplish tasks together. Hopefully, with each task that I assist with eventually snowballs into a more secure and long-term change in their circumstances.
February 2023 - New Day's 2022 In Review
2022 was a year of growth for New Day. From new housing programs to new support groups to create therapeutic environments, we found new ways to meet the needs of young people experiencing homelessness. Thank you for joining our community and helping make this growth possible.
- The Drop-In Center finished its remodel and had over 2000 visits!
- We expanded our Street Outreach Program with two new positions.
- We started our Young Adult Supportive Housing Program with 35 available beds.
- The Life Skills Academy began hosting support groups.
- We started the Rise Program as a part of our Care Coordination Continuum.
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Please call us with any questionsContact Sam Bicknell-Hernandez, our In-Kind Coordinator at (505) 850-4552 or sbicknell@ndnm.org.
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