Release Aid
Blue Gate House serves those who are newly released
When a person arrives from prison, they often have nothing more than the clothes they are standing up in. Sometimes they do not have even have the money to travel anywhere from the prison gates - often resorting to begging or getting into immediate debt. Blue Gate House is a sanctuary that most prisoners know is available to them, and the flimsy white BGH leaflet handed out in prisons throughout the year their most precious possession. What happens when they arrive?
Welcomed and made comfortable.
Fare is immediately paid to the person who delivered them.
A social worker is assigned.
Needs assessment interview. If we have met a client in prison before release, we already know them a bit and may have already been working on their case, preparing for their release.
From there things can either be very simple or require intensive Blue Gate House involvement. For some people, all they need is a fare home and they are ok. For others, the situation may be quite dire, with nowhere and no-one to go to, medical problems, addiction issues, lack of skills, and broken relationships being just a few of the problems we see. To meet immediate need we provide the following:
Short term accommodation.
Clothing and shoes.
Toiletries.
Basic food supplies (rice, noodles, fish.)
Medical examination including blood tests for possible HIV and x-ray for signs of TB.
Fare home or given a ride.
Vitamins.
Referral to relevant service providers (e.g. drug addiction services, education etc.)
Once these basic needs have been addressed, we are more able to look at the next step for each client and what their service needs are.